One Pot Red Braised Chicken Drumsticks
A comtempary fresh take on a traditional Chinese comfort dish featuring chicken drumsticks simmered in a rich, caramelized soy-free sauce. Sticky, savory, and full of deep flavor, this one-pot recipe is perfect for cozy family dinners.
Servings: 5
Equipment
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp Shao Xing wine or 1 tbsp whiskey
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger thinnly sliced
For the braise:
- ¼ - 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic for more flavor
- Extra salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with all marinade ingredients for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
- Make the caramelized sugar: Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Then sprinkle in sugar across the hot oil. Let it sit for 1 - 2 minutes. Stir with a wooden spatula, once the sugar starts to show a little bit of brown color.
- Continue to stir until all the sugar has melted and become amber brown and syrupy.
- Add drumsticks, one by one gently onto the caramlized sugar. Disgard the rest of the marinade. *
- Sear all sides for 3 - 4 minutes or until browned
- Add chopped potatoes (optional) and a pinch of salt across the potatoes. Stir well.
- Pour in broth, bring to a boil.
- Cover with a lid, and simmer over medium-low for 20 - 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened.
Notes
*If you had the chicken marinating in the fridge (overnight), I recommend bringing them out to room temperature an hour before cooking. The oil tends to splash more if the drumsticks are still cold.