Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Honey-Garlic Drumettes
Tender and juicy chicken drumettes coated in a sweet and savory honey-garlic glaze, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumettes
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 100ml of runny honey
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- Chopped spring onions (optional, for garnish)
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (392°F).
- Pat the chicken drumettes dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper.
- Toss the drumettes in vegetable oil, ensuring each piece is lightly coated.
- Place the drumettes in the air fryer basket, spacing them out to allow airflow.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through for even crisping.
- Meanwhile, prepare your honey-garlic glaze by mixing honey, garlic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat, letting them simmer for about 5 minutes until they thicken slightly.
- Once cooked, remove the drumettes from the air fryer and brush generously with the glaze.
- Optionally, return them to the air fryer for an additional 2-3 minutes to slightly caramelise the glaze.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions, if desired.
Why this works in an air fryer
Drumettes have enough skin and connective tissue to benefit from hard convection: drying and oiling the surface helps rendered fat fry the skin, while the air fryer’s fast airflow browns exposed edges. The honey glaze is added late because its sugars caramelise long before the chicken is cooked through.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 12 drumettes in a single layer; in a 3–4 litre basket, cook in two batches. In a single-drawer model, swap edge pieces with centre pieces when shaking; in a dual-zone, split 6 and 6, set both drawers alike, and extend the paler drawer by 2–4 minutes if needed.
Common pitfalls
- Skin still pale and damp at 20 minutes? The pieces are too close or not dry enough; separate them into a true single layer and cook 3–5 minutes longer before glazing.
- Black, bitter patches after the final glaze stage? The honey has scorched; brush on a thinner layer and caramelise at 180°C for 2 minutes rather than 200°C.
- Brown outside but pink or bloody at the bone? The drumettes are large or very cold; continue at 180°C for 4–6 minutes and check the thickest piece reaches 75°C.
- Raw, harsh garlic flavour in the glaze? It was only warmed, not simmered; cook it gently until it smells mellow and the bubbles look syrupy, not watery.
Variations & substitutions
- Use maple syrup instead of honey for a less floral glaze; simmer it 1–2 minutes longer as it is usually thinner.
- Swap soy sauce for tamari if needed; it tends to taste slightly stronger, so avoid adding much extra salt to the chicken.
- Add 1–2 teaspoons of sriracha or chilli crisp to the glaze; keep the final air-fryer return brief because chilli solids can darken quickly.
- Use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar for a sharper finish; add it near the end of simmering if you want the citrus flavour to stay brighter.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 5–7 minutes, until piping hot and the glaze is sticky again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
