Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks

Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks make for sticky fingers and happiness. Easy enough for a weeknight, flavorful enough for game day and delicious enough for a comfort-food gathering. 

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I’m watching the Winter Games this month, being hosted in South Korea (so exciting!) and creating my food dreams. All inspired by all the countries participating. Canada is pretty famous for their maple syrup, and I like bacon and chicken – bam! I give you some really good spicy maple bacon chicken.

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The Canadian provence of Quebec is the largest producer of maple syrup in the world. Not to say Vermont isn’t up there! They are the largest producers in the United States. That being said I’m here to throw it to Canada and the Winter Games!

These spicy maple bacon chicken drumsticks won’t last long because they are melt-in-your mouth good! A little maple glaze on the bacon and a kick of Tabasco make these drumsticks irresistible. You don’t need anything special either. Grab that maple syrup you use for breakfast, and the Tabasco in the door of your fridge!

This is a one pan meal like my Nachos for a Party. Which I make as dinner all the time! And a weeknight hit like my Ginger Thai Chicken Patties – Talk about having a happy crowd at the dinner table.

Chicken boredom averted!! Thanks to the delectable flavors of maple syrup, hot sauce and salty bacon.

What’s the difference between pure maple syrup and pancake syrup?

Use pure maple syrup. Why? Because it’s the real stuff, dripped from a maple tree, cooked down to sweet goodness and filtered into that beautiful little bottle. Those pancake syrups are tasty, but imitation maple syrup is pretty much just corn syrup and flavoring. It will create an overly sweet, very sticky situation in this recipe.

You’ll see a grade on your syrup, for this recipe it doesn’t matter which one you use. Pure maple syrup gets a Grade A and can be various degrees of golden, amber, dark and very dark. As long as it is free of off-flavors and other things and clear of sediment it gets a Grade A.

These spicy maple bacon chicken drumsticks won’t last long because they are melt-in-your mouth good!

What if your chicken drumsticks aren’t skinless?

You’re welcome to keep the skin on. I don’t like it myself, so I pull it off. You can certainly ask your butcher to do it, but it’s easy to do yourself. I use a paper towel and simply pull the skin from the drumstick. It takes a little muscle, but the paper towel helps you get a good grip.

5 from 1 vote

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Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks

Work Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks make for sticky fingers and happiness. Easy enough for a weeknight, flavorful enough for game day and delicious enough for a comfort-food gathering. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken drumsticks, maple bacon drumsticks

Yield: 12 drumsticks

Calories: 163 kcal

Ingredients

• 12 skinless chicken drumsticks
• 12 strips bacon
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup chopped scallions white and green parts
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Wrap the tops of each drumstick with a strip of bacon. Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet with the end of the bacon strip under the drumsticks.
2. Mix together the maple syrup, Tabasco and salt and drizzle half of the mixture over chicken. Roast until the bacon is darkened and chicken is cooked through, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Drizzle or brush remaining maple sauce over hot chicken. Serve sprinkled with scallions and parsley.

Recipe Notes

• Use pure maple syrup.  Why? Because it's the real stuff, dripped from a maple tree, cooked down to sweet goodness and filtered into that beautiful little bottle. Those pancake syrups are tasty, but imitation maple syrup is pretty much just corn syrup and flavoring. It will create an overly sweet, very sticky situation in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks

Amount Per Serving

Calories 163 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 41mg 14%

Sodium 288mg 12%

Potassium 155mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Sugars 8g

Protein 8g 16%

Vitamin A 1.8%

Vitamin C 1.9%

Calcium 2.1%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I’m celebrating all things international this month during the 2018 Winter Games with some of my food blogger friends. Be sure to click over  and enter the Instagram giveaway! You have the chance to win.

Prizes include a JK Adams Walnut Whitewashed Cheese Board, Emile Henry Baking Dish Set, Kuhn Rikon Colori Culinary Knife Set, Silpat Classics Mat Set, Joseph Joseph Nesting Bowl Set, Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker, Kerrygold Butter and Cheese Package, and a Breville Thermal Pro 5 qt. Saute Pan. You could win one!

Be sure to check out these other great international recipes from some of my fellow food bloggers who are also participating in the Food Blogger Winter Games event, posting delicious recipes that are internationally inspired!  Share a recipe on Instagram you made from another culture using the hashtag #foodbloggerwintergames while you are at it!

China – Asian Peanut Sesame Noodles
Ireland – Homemade Irish Cream
Ireland – Irish Lamb Stew
Korea –Slow Cooker Korean Beef Short Ribs (Kalbi)

Recipe by Tara Bench. Photography Ty Mecham. Prop styling Veronica Olson.