Sweet and Spicy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks
So I decided to do another round of Whole30 after I’m done with this current one.
I feel I’ve been using food as a means to fill a void lately and, in that respect, I sense it’s safer for me to stay within the confines of this challenge where my nourishment options and feeding behaviors are strictly regulated and practically made for me.
It seems being on a Whole30 is what works best for me now: I’m afraid being left to my own devices around food could lead to disastrous consequences.
I will be taking a bit of a break, though. After 60 days of strict “dieting”, it sure will feel good to loosen up a little, if only for a few days. The plan is that I’ll break for 10 days, starting April 2nd until April 11, then resume Whole30ing on April 12 all the way through May 11, at which point I’m planning on taking a little vacation. Hopefully when I return from my trip, I will be in a better place emotionally and won’t find the need to be so heavily restricted anymore.
For some of you, this is great news! It means you get even more Whole30 compliant recipes from me. YAY! What do you say we start (or continue, rather) with these Sweet and Spicy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks?
Like I was saying the other day, I recently took a real liking to dark chicken meat. Lucky for me, I’ve just found me a great, reliable source where to get happy and affordable pasture raised chickens. I may have gone a little bit overboard and ordered 24 birds!
Again, for some of you, this is great news! It means you will be getting even more chicken recipes from me.
Let’s get started with this one, shall we? It’s super easy to make, and super delicious too! It’s bound to become a favorite, me thinks.
Pat your drumsticks real dry and then place them side-by-side in a non-reactive container. You don’t need to be so fancy about it, just make sure that all your pieces of chicken fit in that container.
Sprinkle your drumsticks generously with salt and pepper.
Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix them with a whisk until evenly combined.
Pour that right over the drumsticks…
Now move things around until the chicken gets completely and evenly coated.
Cover your poultry and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for about 6 hours or better yet, until the next day.
When you are ready to cook your chicken, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Transfer the drumsticks to a large baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper. Make sure you leave a little bit of room between the pieces of chicken so the air gets to circulate freely around them, thus ensuring that this skin will crisp up for you!
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, turning the drumsticks once or twice during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crispy and a beautiful shade of dark golden brown.
Garnish with additional toasted sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately.
I chose to serve mine with the Broccoli and Rutabaga Slaw I’d just made, but frankly, these drumsticks would go well with just about any side. They also make for a fantastic addition to your breakfast plate, alongside your morning eggs: they’re the perfect little protein boost.
Oh, and also too, they’re just as delicious eaten cold, right out of the ice box.
Just sayin’, you know…
Sweet and Spicy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- the juice and zest of half a Navel orange
- 1/4 cup date paste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pat the drumsticks real dry, place them side-by-side in a non-reactive container and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper.
- Put the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them with a whisk until evenly combined. Pour that marinade over the drumsticks and move things around until the chicken gets completely and evenly coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 6 hours or until the next day.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Transfer the drumsticks to a large baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the drumsticks once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden and crispy.
- Garnish with additional toasted sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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9 Comments on “Sweet and Spicy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks”
I love your unique uses for date paste, I never think to use it in savoury delights such as this.
Ever tried it in salad dressings, Chantelle? I use it all the time, it’s delicious! 🙂
I’m new to Paleo and am so excited to have stumbled upon your amazing blog! I’ve pinned many of your recipes and think this one will be the first to make! I read your bio and am so inspired by you. Thank you for passing on such a wealth of knowledge.
Awww, thank you so much for your kind words, Nancy, that is so very nice of you to say! Hope you like the recipes you end up trying and please, do let me know if you run into any issues and don’t hesitate to ask questions. I’ll be glad to help! 🙂
Kids will really love this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am looking for a quick recipe wherein I can serve it to a bunch of kids along with my groupmates. This looks like the perfect recipe for me to try out! Will let you know about it! 🙂 Do you think the juice and zest of the orange could be replaced with asian pear and lemon zest? I only have those at hand.
Not sure about the Asian pear, Sara, but the lemon zest would definitely work in lieu of orange.
Is the rice vinegar Whole30 approved?
Yes it is