Baked chicken is an easy and healthy choice for dinner, but can often get boring and dull. I started playing around with this recipe when I decided to cut back on carbs for our weeknight dinners. It has become one of my favorite dishes because I love how crispy the chicken gets from baking at a high temperature on a wire rack. Chicken drumsticks are also inexpensive so you don’t end up blowing through your food budget. Most of the dish’s flavor comes from the honey soy sauce so you can use chicken breasts or thighs if you aren’t a fan of drumsticks.

Serve these apple honey drumsticks with sauteed kale or pumpkin mac and cheese for your next dinner and you will be set! 

Recipe
Yield: 2 to 3 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken drumsticks, skin-on
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. honey
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Place drumsticks on rack and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip drumsticks and bake for another 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the sauce 30 minutes before the chicken is done. Mix the apple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Simmer the sauce over medium to medium-high heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it becomes slightly syrupy. Add the sesame seeds and set aside until chicken is done.
4. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Pour sauce over chicken and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.