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Baked Sticky Chicken Drumsticks with Cherry Glaze

Baked sticky chicken drumsticks cooked in a wonderfully easy and quick cherry jam, treacle and balsamic vinegar glaze, finger-licking food!

This very simple recipe takes around 45 minutes to prepare and cook and they are just as good cooked in an air fryer and on the BBQ.

Baked sticky chicken drumsticks with a cherry balsamic glaze served with wedges.

Glazed Sticky Chicken Drummers

I love chicken with a sweet and stick glace and I have loads of examples on my website.

Everything from the British take on hunters chicken to countless wing recipes ranging from honey and sriracha chicken wings to harissa and date chicken wings.

My latest offering is some wonderful chicken drumsticks in a sticky cherry jam and balsamic vinegar glaze.

They are wonderfully easy to make, you throw some ingredients into a pan and reduce it down to make a glaze.

Then all you do is season the chicken, pour over the glaze and cook them in the oven for around 30 minutes… then dinner is ready!

Overhead baked sticky chicken drumsticks with a cherry balsamic glaze served with wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is black treacle?

This question is often asked by US-based readers of my site. Black treacle is similar (but slightly different) to blackstrap molasses, and that is the best substitution if you need to use one.

Can I use a different cut of chicken?

Yes, this marinade works well with chicken wings, thighs or even chicken breast.

Naturally, the timings will need to change, but you are looking for an internal temperature of 73°C or 165°F for all of them.

Can I cook these chicken drumsticks in an air fryer?

Yes, I would cook them at 180°C or 350°F for 20 minutes, then give them a quick blast at 200°C or 390°F for 5-7 minutes to get a nice colour.

Again you are looking for an internal temperature of 73°C or 165°F.

Can I cook these drummers on the BBQ?

Yes, these work wonderfully on the BBQ, for detailed instructions and timings see my beer and honey BBQ chicken drumstick recipe.

Close-up baked sticky chicken drumsticks with a cherry and balsamic vinegar glaze.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my oven-baked sticky chicken wings with some potato wedges, I think a potato-based side works best.

But wedges are definitely not the only game in town, everything from air fryer chips to fried new potatoes and even these roasted Parmentier potatoes would work well too.

Potatoes ain’t the only “fruit” either, my fried polenta chips are awesome with these chicken drummers.

If you wanted to double down on the sweetness, something like sweet potato fries would work well too.

Finally, add some simple dressed salad leaves or a nice green salad and you are ready to rock and roll.

Close-up overhead baked sticky chicken drumsticks with a cherry balsamic glaze served with wedges.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
  • Stirring spoon.
  • Oven. You can cook these in an air fryer or on the BBQ, see the FAQ section further up the page.
  • Baking tray.
  • Cooling rack.
  • Kitchen tongs.
  • Weighing scales and or, a combination of a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
  • Quick read meat thermometer (optional).
Oven-baked sticky chicken drumsticks with a cherry and balsamic glaze.
Yield: 2 Servings

Oven Baked Sticky Chicken Drumsticks Recipe with a Cherry Balsamic Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

These oven-baked sticky chicken drumsticks are baked in a sticky sweet and sour glaze made with treacle, cherry jam and balsamic vinegar and they taste fantastic!

Ingredients

  • 6 (750g Total) Chicken Drumsticks
  • 3 Tbsp (75g) Cherry Jam
  • 2 Tbsp (50g) Black Treacle
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 75ml (⅓ Cup) Chicken Stock
  • ¾ Tsp Salt
  • ½ Tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the cherry jam, treacle, balsamic vinegar and chicken stock to a 15cm (6") saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until it starts to form a syrupy texture.
  2. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and season them with salt and pepper.
  3. Pour over the hot glaze and stir them to coat.
  4. Transfer the chicken drummers to a baking tray with a cooling rack on it (lining the tray with foil helps with washing up later), then bake at 200°C or 390°F for 20 minutes, then flip the oven to fan mode and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 73°C or 165°F before serving.

Notes

For hints and tips for cooking in an air fryer or on a BBQ take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions section further up the page.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 615Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 348mgSodium: 1207mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 67g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Stephanie

Thursday 16th of April 2020

What is fish sauce?! Is it cocktail, or tarter?!

Brian Jones

Thursday 16th of April 2020

Fish sauce is an Asian fermented "seasoning" https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-fish-sauce

Patti

Tuesday 6th of November 2018

These sound and look wonderful but am not sure I know what 200c converts to in Fahrenheit?

Brian Jones

Wednesday 7th of November 2018

Hey Patti, 200°C is 400°F, you will be pleased to know I am going through my site and adding Fahrenheit temperatures in addition to Celcius.

Emily

Friday 16th of March 2018

Wow, I love the sound of using cherry jam, the glaze sounds fantastic! Your photos are making me drool!

Brian Jones

Friday 16th of March 2018

These really are fantastic, one of the first recipes on my site and one of the best and unusually for tinterweb one of the most popular too :D

Colleen

Thursday 3rd of August 2017

Hi Brian these drumsticks look so yummy! Do you think I could make them ahead, say in a Friday night and store them then preheat them the following day and serve?

Brian Jones

Thursday 3rd of August 2017

Hi Colleen, I see no reason why not, they will no be quite as good as fresh from the oven, I always find reheated chicken looses a little, although you could try dropping a bowl of water in the oven whilst you are preheatng it to generate some steam that will hopefully add a little moisture when you reheat the chicken. Enjoy :)

Simon (BBQ Bastard)

Sunday 24th of July 2016

Hey Brian,

Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made these today with a little twist! They were stunning but sweet as hell haha :) I link back to your site as soon as I've published the recipe!

Cheers and thank you very much for inspiring me!

Brian Jones

Friday 29th of July 2016

Superb, they are a little on the sweet side but I kinda like that, glad you enjoyed them look forward to seeing your version :)

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