Servings: 6-8 serving(s)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 75 minutes
PrintAn easy chicken recipe that’s a favourite with my kids. It can be made ahead of time and reheated.
No more boring chicken
When I tell my kids we’re having chicken for supper they groan, except when I tell them we’re having Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks.
In their minds it’s the next best thing to having wings for supper. And there is a little something about this recipe that reminds me of wings, especially if you bake the drumsticks longer and they get a little sticky.
This recipe is extra easy to put together.
The flavourful sauce – made with orange juice, molasses and chili sauce – comes together in two minutes and then you put everything in the oven. All you need to do is baste the chicken a few times as it cooks
The sliced lemon adds a little zing to the sauce and the lemons caramelize nicely so can be eaten along with the chicken.
This method of cooking is ideal for chicken drumsticks since braising them in the flavourful sauce makes the meat extra tender. The recipe works well with chicken thighs too.
If you have made our Oven Baked Spareribs recipe you’ll see that I have used the same delicious sauce recipe.
Quick tips:
- This recipe can be baked ahead of time (like the night before), refrigerated (sauce and all) and then reheated.
- You can finish this recipe on the barbecue for a bit of smoky flavour (5-10 minutes on the grill).
- Make a double batch of the sauce so you have it on hand for next time.
- Look for thin-skinned lemons and slice them as thinly as possible.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs. chicken drumsticks
- ½ tsp. salt
- A few grinds of black pepper
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chili sauce (choose gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 Tbsp. dry mustard (powder)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Remove skin from chicken and place in a covered roasting pan or Dutch oven. (Make sure the pan is large enough to accommodate the chicken in a single layer.)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dress with lemon slices and sprinkle over the onions.
- In a medium bowl whisk the chili sauce, mustard powder, brown sugar, molasses, orange juice and lemon juice.
- Pour half of the mixture over the chicken, cover and bake for 30 minutes, basting once with another spoonful of the sauce.
- Remove lid and continue to bake for another 30-45 minutes, or until meat is tender. Baste them a few times with remaining sauce and pan sauces. (Bake them longer if you want them a little sticky).
One more thing…
If you’re in search of family-friendly food that’s easy to prepare, healthy and tastes good, then sign up to receive blog posts by email. We’d love to send you our monthly newsletter too. It includes cooking tips, menu ideas, featured recipes and more. Here’s the link to subscribe
love your recipes! we grew up eating Crosby’s molasses!
Thanks, Bess!
I love your recipes. always a hit
Looks delicious, can’t wait for recipes.
Looks delicious, can’t wait for recipes.
SOUNDS GREAT
Always looking for new recipes and these look great.
Look very testy
I AM 76 AND ALWAYS ENJOY CROSBY’S MOLASSES GREAT RECIPE
I want to try these soon. They look really good
we have sweet and sour recipe from early 1960 home Ec. textbook. Still works today. We tweak it a little here and there. Same for carrot pudding, pumpkin pie, cream puffs and whipped cream and a whole lot of other goodies – yummy yummy yummy
Hi Fern, Your old cookbook sounds wonderful. Sometimes those older recipes are the best.
Curious, why thinly slice the lemons when the recipe only calls for lemon juice?
Hi Mary-lyn, you can cook the lemons along with the chicken and eat them together, so the lemon will adopt flavoring from the chicken
sometimes the oldies are the goodies. There weren’t as many choices on the store shelves. ie; bottled canned and pre made.
Hi Mary, hope you enjoyed!
Yes, I would like to receive gluten free recipes by e-mail
Thank you
Hi Mae, if you’d like to receive recipes by email, simply enter your email into the subscription box at the end of the blog post.
I love your recipes and of course I also love molasses. Please keep them coming . I have tried some of recipes and enjoyed them very much and I will keep trying more recipes ..
I live alone so I can not make to many … when I cook I usually make enough for 2 meals .. Thank you very much .
I just loved the Gingerbread cookie recipe. Tastes like my Grandmothers.
I use to have a recipe for Molasses Taffy apples. Do you have this recipe?
Hi Edith, Yes, we have an old recipe for taffy apples. https://www.crosbys.com/taffy-apples/
Enjoy!