Hot Honey Chicken Drumsticks
Add some heat to these deliciously easy and crispy hot honey chicken drumsticks for a tasty weeknight meal
Oven baked hot honey chicken drumsticks
When I was a little girl my grandma would pick me up from school and take me to McDonalds for some chicken nuggets and fun on the playground. Though there is an array of dipping sauces to choose from, I always opted for honey as my condiment of choice to pair my chicken nuggets.
Fast forward 25 years, and I’m still putting honey on my chicken but in an adult way using a hot honey sauce! These baked chicken drumsticks with hot honey sauce feel nostalgic for me because they are filled with flavors from my childhood and I know you will love them too.
What is hot honey?
Hot honey is just as it sounds, honey with a bit of spice added to it! There are different ways to add spice and typically I use red pepper flakes but you could also use sriracha, cayenne pepper, jalepenos, or chili peppers! Here is my super simple hot honey sauce recipe for you to add to these oven baked drumsticks.
Hot honey chicken drumsticks
Why you’ll love this recipe:
This recipe is special to me because it reminds me of my grandma in an odd, blast from the past kind of way. I’m confident you will love it too because it’s:
Full of nostaligic flavors- I love a good recipe that feels like a blast from the past, and this honey and chicken combination is just that!
Oven baked so lower in calorie- I like to use the oven or air fryer for my chicken to achieve a crispy outside without needing to fry it. This helps me keep it lower in saturated fat and calorie and makes it easier to include in a calorie controlled diet.
Easy to make- this is a fairly simply recipe so you won’t need special cooking skills to bring this together. Truly, most of the work is adding the drumsticks and flavors to a large ziplock bag and vigorously shaking it… then you just bake them and thats it! I do highly recommend you purchase a food thermometer which will help you ensure your chicken has reached the desired internal temperature.
Meal prep friendly- I often use these baked chicken drumsticks as my meal prepped protein throughout the week. They pair well with meal prepped potatoes and you can easily interchange the vegetables to give yourself some variety.
How to make chicken drumsticks
Ingredients:
·Chicken drumsticks- I bought a pack of 6 but you could adjust the portions here to make more drumsticks if needed!
Italian breadcrumbs- They don’t have to be flavored but adding breadcrumbs will give the drumsticks that breaded outside that crisps up nicely in the oven!
Olive oil- this will help the breadcrumbs stick to the drumsticks
Spices- I used paprika and cayenne pepper for a little heat!
Honey- Because like my grandma always told me, honey and chicken is always a good idea
Crushed red pepper flakes- this is the “hot” in the hot honey recipe!
baked chicken drumsticks ingredients
Recipe FAQ:
How do I make hot honey?
Hot honey is super easy to make and there really is no WRONG way to make it. I have a blog on my 2 ingredient hot honey sauce recipe for you to read.
Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes, these chicken drumsticks can be made in the air fryer! Simply prep them as listed then air fry at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until your drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165. *Note- you may need to air fry these in two batches so that you do not overcrowd the basket.
crispy oven baked chicken drumsticks
Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Hot Honey Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and pre-grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Place your drumsticks in a large ziplock bag and add your oil, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Seal and shake the bag until the drumsticks are well coated in oil and seasoning.
- To your ziplock add your Italian bread crumbs, seal, and shake the bag until the drumsticks are well coated in breadcrumbs.
- Place your drumsticks in the 9 x 13 baking dish and bake ay 375 for 45-50 minutes or until your drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (I highly recommend using a food thermometer to check your drumsticks)
- While your chicken bakes, add your honey and red pepper flakes to a small sauce pan and warm over low/medium heat until your honey thins out and you are able to combine the ingredients.
- Once your chicken is done baking, top with the hot honey sauce and enjoy!
Notes
*if you want only mildly hot honey then use 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes instead of 1 full tablespoon.
Nutrition information is approximated using MyFitnessPal
*These blogs may contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and helps make Lauren Twigge Nutrition possible. 
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!