Disclosure: The National Honey Board compensated The Recipe ReDux (co-owned by ReganMillerJones, Inc. and Teaspoon Communications), to sponsor this recipe contest. We are therefore not eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. Opinions expressed are our own.
The other day, after a trip to the grocery store with my four kids, I emerged with something different than I had intended to purchase. Eight expectant eyes and four mouths clamoring for the same thing still occasionally sways this mom’s purchasing behavior.
This time “skinless chicken” was on my list in order to try my hand at making homemade chicken nuggets for a kids’ party appetizer I plan to serve in a couple weeks. But the kids insisted I buy chicken drumsticks. “We want chicken on the bone.” And since I recently taught a nutrition lesson to a group of first graders who did not know quite where chicken nuggets came from, I was happy to indulge my kids with chicken still attached to a discernible part of the chicken.
The problem was, once home, I then had 55 minutes to remove the skin from ten drumsticks, bread, and cook them for 40 minutes in order to get them on the dinner table in time. Surprisingly, it didn’t take more than 12 minutes to skin them all using the trick I describe in the recipe below.
The Drummies turned out delicious and so moist! This is likely due to the honey that I mixed with the buttermilk soaking liquid – as honey is a natural humectant – or moisturizer. (So anything made with honey, from baked goods to honey-marinated grilled meats tend to stay moister.)
But it’s the dipping sauce that takes these Drummies from weeknight dinners to party fare! It’s that good! There will be no shortage of ideas on how you can serve them this summer to friends: Old fashioned picnics with cold ‘fried’ chicken in a picnic basket, beach parties (just keep it safely on ice!), and even as great hand-held appetizer for a adult backyard party under the stars (paired with plenty of honey weiss beer!) The honey mustard sauce was originally for the entertaining and holiday recipe contest sponsored by the National Honey Board for The Recipe ReDux. But I discovered it’s super versatile: Any extra is delicious on green salad and makes blanched asparagus super kid-friendly.
PrintChicken Drummies with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Yield: 10 Drummies 1x
Description
Simpler than homemade chicken nuggets, these chicken drummies are kid friendly with killer honey mustard dipping sauce adults will love.
Ingredients
- 10 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds) skinned using tip described below
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
- Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mustard (Dijon, yellow or whatever you have)
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons low-fat (not fat-free) mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- To skin chicken, gently slip your finger between skin and chicken meat to loosen skin; using a pair of kitchen scissors, make 1 cut from meaty end about 2-3 inches down (not quite to bone end – leaving about 1 inch of skin still on the bone). Then cut around bone end to remove skin. (This process is much easier than removing all the skin on the bottom of the bone.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoon honey and salt. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken, one piece at a time, into buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko.
- Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes.
- While chicken is baking, mix together 1/4 cup honey and remaining sauce ingredient. Serve with chicken.
Please let us know how you will be using honey this summer!
Jessie
Sunday 16th of June 2013
I'm definitely going to have to remember your fast method for skinning chicken - and I like the idea of showing kids where chicken comes from! This honey mustard sauce looks delicious and kid-approved :)
Serena
Sunday 16th of June 2013
Thanks Jessie! As I'm sure you can imagine, the kids had a great time just looking at a raw whole chicken and guessing which parts came from where. They weren't grossed out at all! No one had told them to be 'grossed out.' So they weren't; they were just curious. (:
Kalyan
Saturday 15th of June 2013
looks delicious & mouthwatering!
Serena
Sunday 16th of June 2013
Thanks Kalyan!
The Café Sucre Farine
Tuesday 11th of June 2013
These look amazing, love that sauce, smokey, sweet, creamy - it has it all! Also loved meeting you Deanna at EWR, so fun to put it all together, even though it took us awhile! :)
Deanna
Wednesday 12th of June 2013
Likewise Chris! I do love this recipe my biz partner, Serena, came up with - sometimes I find myself making her recipes more than mine :) Thanks for stopping by!