Crispy baked peanut butter chicken drumsticks. A fun dinner to mix up your everyday routine. The drumsticks are baked in a delicious peanut sauce and generously coated with a crunchy peanut-sesame topping. A true flavor bomb that will take your dinner to the next level with its exceptional texture. It’s easy, super tasty and made with ingredients you might already have in your pantry. Definitely not your average chicken dinner, you’ll love it!
Why you’ll love these baked chicken drumsticks in peanut sauce
This chicken meal is absolutely amazing. The chicken is incredibly moist and infused with the most delicious flavors like ginger and garlic. The peanut sauce is jazzed up with spinach, some chili paste, a splash of lime juice and a touch of honey. So good!
It’s fuss-free and made in one pan. A crowd-pleasing dish that you can serve for your family, yet impressive enough to serve on any dinner party. Pair with rice and a fresh cucumber salad.
Bonus? You can use boneless-skinless chicken thighs or chicken fillets, and have dinner ready in 30 minutes.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.
Helpful tips
- You could also use boneless/skinless chicken thighs or chicken fillets. Just follow the recipe as written, then add the cooked chicken to the pan and let it simmer in the sauce for about 5-10 minutes, without using the oven. By following these steps, your dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes.
- Serve over rice or with some crusty bread.
- Pair with a crunchy cucumber salad, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, pickled vegetables, sautéed sugar snap peas or green beans.
Storage and reheating
- The sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and store in the fridge.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To reheat, simmer over low heat, add water if needed to thin out the sauce.
- You could also freeze the chicken drumsticks, simply store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More chicken, please!
Chunky Peanut Butter Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tsp dried onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 onion - diced
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 3.5 ounces spinach
- juice from 1/2 lime
- rice - for serving
Peanut sauce
- 7 ounces natural peanut butter
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp chili paste - like sambal oelek, use more or less to taste
Crunchy peanut-sesame topping
- 2 tbsp chopped peanuts
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180°C.
- Get your prep done before you start cooking: Rub the drumsticks with dried onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.
- Combine the ingredients for the peanut sauce, set aside.
- Mince the garlic, dice the onion and grate the ginger.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium. Add drumsticks and brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from skillet.
- To the same skillet. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Cook over low for 3 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons water, stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned bits on the bottom of your skillet.
- Pour in the prepared peanut sauce and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, stir until wilted. Sprinkle with lime juice. If needed, add a splash of water to thin out the sauce.
- Return chicken to the skillet. Transfer to the oven and bake until completely cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime. Chop the peanuts and add to a dry skillet. Add sesame seeds, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt. Toast over medium, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- When ready, remove chicken from the oven and sprinkle with the crunchy peanut-sesame topping.
- Serve with rice and extra veggies. Enjoy!
Video
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