Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks 糖醋雞腿

These Chinese Sweet and Sour Braised Chicken Drumsticks 糖醋雞腿 are savory, tangy, slightly sweet, and full of flavor! Bone-in chicken drumsticks gently simmer in a sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, garlic, and brown sugar until tender, then the braising liquid reduces into a rich, glossy sauce that's perfect spooned over rice.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks
• Tips for the Best Sweet and Sour Drumsticks
• What to Serve With Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks
• Storage and Reheating
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
• More Delicious Chicken Recipes
• Pin for later!

This recipe was inspired by my mom's Tang Cu Pai Gu 糖醋排骨 (Chinese Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs). One day after making her recipe, I had some of the braising sauce left over and decided to use it with chicken drumsticks for dinner. It turned out so delicious - and was so easy - that I knew I wanted to make a version specifically for chicken.

Unlike the battered and fried sweet and sour chicken commonly found at Chinese American restaurants, this is more of a Chinese homestyle braised chicken dish. There's no breading or deep frying - the chicken cooks right in the sweet and sour sauce, soaking up all that savory, garlicky flavor as it simmers.

Serve it with steamed white rice and a simple vegetable for an easy, comforting dinner!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It uses inexpensive and flavorful chicken drumsticks.
• There's no breading or deep frying.
• The sauce is savory, tangy, garlicky, and slightly sweet.
• Everything cooks in one pan.
• You don't need to marinate the chicken ahead of time.
• The sauce is delicious spooned over steamed rice.

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks

This recipe uses five chicken drumsticks, which is usually around 1½ to 2 pounds depending on their size.

Bone-in, skin-on drumsticks work best because they stay juicy during simmering and add flavor to the sauce.

Brown sugar or rock sugar

You can make this recipe with either brown sugar or Chinese rock sugar. Brown sugar dissolves quickly and gives the sauce a slightly deeper flavor, while rock sugar has a cleaner sweetness and is often used in Chinese braised dishes. Both help balance the vinegar and create a glossy sauce as the braising liquid reduces.

Use 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar or about 1 ounce (28 grams) rock sugar. If using rock sugar, break any large pieces into smaller chunks so they dissolve more easily. You can adjust the amount slightly depending on how sweet you prefer the sauce.

Garlic and ginger

Smashed garlic adds lots of savory flavor.

Fresh ginger is optional, but I like the warmth it adds to the chicken. You can use two or three thin slices without making the dish taste overly gingery.

Michiu

Michiu is a Taiwanese rice cooking wine that I frequently use in Chinese and Taiwanese cooking.

You can substitute Shaoxing wine or another unsalted Chinese rice cooking wine.

Light and dark soy sauce

Light soy sauce provides most of the savory flavor, while dark soy sauce adds richer color and a deeper taste.

Vinegar

You can use either unseasoned rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar.

Rice vinegar gives the dish a lighter and brighter flavor. Chinese black vinegar creates a deeper and slightly more complex sauce.

Avoid seasoned sushi vinegar because it already contains added sugar and salt.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks

1. Brown the chicken

Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels.

Heat the cooking oil in a wide wok, Dutch oven, or deep skillet over medium heat.

Add the drumsticks and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.

The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.

Browning is optional if you are in a hurry, but it gives the chicken more flavor and helps render some of the fat from the skin.

2. Add the aromatics and sugar

Reduce the heat to low.

Add the smashed garlic, ginger, and brown sugar around the chicken.

Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, gently stirring the garlic and sugar around the drumsticks until fragrant and the sugar begins to dissolve.

Watch the pan carefully so the garlic and sugar do not burn.

3. Add the seasonings

Add the michiu, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, and optional red chili peppers.

Turn the drumsticks so they are evenly coated in the sauce.

4. Add water and simmer

Add enough hot water to come approximately halfway up the sides of the drumsticks. You will usually need around 1 to 1¼ cups, depending on the size of your pan.

Bring the liquid to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes.

Turn the drumsticks halfway through so they cook evenly and absorb the sauce on both sides.

5. Reduce the sauce

Once the chicken is cooked through and tender, remove the lid.

Increase the heat to medium and simmer for another 8-12 minutes, turning the drumsticks occasionally.

The liquid will gradually reduce into a glossy sauce that coats the chicken.

Watch the pan closely toward the end. Because the sauce contains sugar, it can burn if it becomes too dry.

If the sauce thickens before the chicken is tender, add a small splash of hot water and continue simmering.

6. Finish and serve

Add the green onions and stir them into the sauce.

Turn off the heat and serve the sweet and sour chicken drumsticks with steamed white rice.

Spoon some of the extra sauce over the rice!

Tips for the Best Sweet and Sour Drumsticks

Add only enough water to partially cover the chicken

The drumsticks do not need to be completely submerged.

The covered pan traps steam and helps the exposed portion of the chicken cook while the bottom simmers in the sauce.

Turn the chicken while it cooks

Turning the drumsticks halfway through allows both sides to absorb the sweet and sour braising liquid.

Reduce the sauce uncovered

The sauce will look fairly thin while the chicken is covered.

Removing the lid at the end allows the water to evaporate so the sauce becomes thicker and glossier.

Adjust the sauce to taste

Before serving, taste the sauce.

Add a small splash of vinegar if you want it tangier. Add a little brown sugar if it tastes too sharp, or a splash of water if it has become too salty or concentrated.

What to Serve With Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks

These drumsticks are especially good with steamed jasmine rice because the rice absorbs the flavorful sauce.

For vegetables, try serving them with:

• Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fry
• Stir Fry Napa Cabbage
• Garlic Green Beans
• Broccoli Stir Fry
• Asparagus and Beech Mushroom Stir Fry
• Garlic Zucchini and Yellow Squash Stir Fry

You can also serve the chicken with noodles, but I recommend keeping the noodles simply seasoned since the drumstick sauce is already flavorful.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerator

Allow the chicken and sauce to cool, then transfer them to an airtight container.

Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

Freezer

Freeze the drumsticks with their sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Stovetop

Place the chicken and sauce in a covered pan over medium-low heat.

Add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. Heat gently until the chicken is warmed through.

Microwave

Place the chicken and sauce in a covered microwave-safe dish.

Microwave in short intervals until heated through, turning the drumsticks as needed so they warm evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as American Chinese sweet and sour chicken?

No. American Chinese sweet and sour chicken is usually made with battered and fried pieces of boneless chicken served in a brightly colored sauce.

This recipe uses bone-in chicken drumsticks that are simmered directly in a darker sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, garlic, and brown sugar.

Do I have to brown the drumsticks first?

No. You can add the raw drumsticks directly to the sauce if you want to make the recipe as easy as possible.

Browning adds flavor and gives the skin a little more color, but the chicken will still cook properly during simmering.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Bone-in chicken thighs work well and will require a similar cooking time.

Boneless thighs will cook more quickly, so begin checking them after about 15-20 minutes of simmering.

Can I use chicken wings?

Yes, but wings will cook faster than drumsticks.

Begin checking them after about 20 minutes and reduce the sauce once they are tender and cooked through.

Can I make this recipe without ginger?

Yes. The ginger is optional.

Garlic is the more important aromatic in this recipe, so you can make it with garlic only.

Can I use black vinegar?

Yes. Chinese black vinegar gives the sauce a deeper and more complex flavor.

Unseasoned rice vinegar creates a brighter, lighter sweet and sour taste.

Why isn't my sauce thickening?

Remove the lid and simmer the sauce over medium heat.

The sauce thickens as the extra water evaporates. Turn the chicken and stir the sauce frequently toward the end to prevent burning.

Can I make the sauce extra sticky?

Yes. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the lid and continue reducing the sauce until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken slightly more as it cools.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

If you love flavorful Chinese and Taiwanese chicken dishes, here are a few more recipes to try:

Red Braised Chicken (Hong Shao Ji) - Tender chicken simmered with soy sauce, ginger, and aromatics until rich, savory, and flavorful.

Garlic Soy Sauce Chicken - Chicken marinated with soy sauce, garlic, and sugar, then pan-fried and glazed in a savory garlic soy sauce.

Easy Three Cup Chicken (三杯雞) - A classic Taiwanese chicken dish made with soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and basil.

Sesame Oil Chicken (Ma You Ji 麻油雞) - A comforting Taiwanese chicken dish made with sesame oil, ginger, and rice wine that can be prepared as either a stew or soup.

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