They’re sweet and savory with a satisfying richness in every bite.
Honey-Garlic Chicken Recipe
With a touch of butter, the sticky glaze turns downright luscious
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Published Apr 16, 2025
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America’s Test Kitchen (ATK)/Kritsada Panichgul
The honey-garlic chicken recipe from Sarah and Nam Soon Ahn’s new cookbook, Umma, is as simple as it is drool-worthy. Seriously—the toughest step is waiting for the drumsticks to marinate before cooking and digging in. But I promise they’re well worth the wait.
This dish is inspired by honey butter chips, a collaboration between two South Korean and Japanese snack brands that went viral in summer 2014. “Since trying these chips, which did not disappoint one bit, my family has been obsessed with any food that combines honey and butter,” Sarah explains. “These drumsticks, sweetened with honey, spiced with plenty of garlic and finished with a dollop of butter, remind me so much of those chips. They’re sweet and savory with a satisfying richness in every bite.”
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil rather than neutral cooking oil. That’s by design. “Its fruity, peppery flavor and richness complement the honey and butter perfectly,” Nam Soon adds.
Excerpted from Umma by Sarah Ahn & Nam Soon Ahn. Copyright © 2025. Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Kritsada Panichgul.
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken drumsticks, trimmed
2½ cups milk
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2½ tablespoons salted butter
Directions
1. Rinse and drain the chicken, then transfer it to a large bowl or container. Add the milk and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken in an even layer, making sure all the chicken is submerged in the milk. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Drain and thoroughly rinse the chicken until the water runs clear. Clean and dry the bowl. Using a sharp knife, make four to six slashes in each drumstick (each slash should reach the bone). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and transfer it to the bowl.
3. Add the oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss the chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
4. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
5. Toss the chicken again to coat it in the oil that has settled in the bowl. Working with one drumstick at a time, stretch the skin to evenly cover the meat, then arrange them skin-side down in a 12‑inch nonstick skillet. Drizzle any remaining oil left in the bowl over the chicken. Cook over medium-high heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until spotty golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and continue to cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until it registers at least 185°F, 20 to 22 minutes.
7. Spoon the garlic into the spaces between the drumsticks where the oil has pooled. Cook, spreading the garlic into the skillet with the back of a spoon, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Gently toss the chicken until evenly coated with the garlic. Add the sauce, stirring in any browned bits in the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, continuously coating and basting the chicken in the sauce, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter until the sauce has thickened into a glaze, about 30 seconds. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
751 calories
46g fat
29g carbs
54g protein
25g sugars
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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
