Healthy Chicken Drumsticks

(5.0)
By Judy Capodanno
Updated 5/6/2025
Dietitian Reviewed: Jane Schwartz, RDN, CLT
Approved for These Diets:
Heart Healthy | Gluten Free | Diabetic | GLP-1
Healthy Chicken Drumsticks
Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer

This healthy Chicken Drumsticks recipe delivers the perfect blend of juicy, meaty chicken legs bathed in a low calorie Sriracha sauce. Baked, not fried, heart healthy chicken drumsticks can be served hot or cold in this tangy, sweet and spicy chicken sauce. Make and take chicken legs to potluck dinners, tailgate parties or a family cookout.

This is the best heart-friendly appetizer or football party dish.

 

Total Time
60 minutes
Servings
8
Calories
169
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Why You’ll Love these Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks

  • Bold flavor: The mix of sriracha, honey and garlic packs a flavor punch, giving these chicken drumsticks a satisfying bite.
  • Fun to eat: Many people enjoy picking up food with their hands and these sriracha drumsticks are the perfect finger food for your next party or tailgate.
  • Healthier chicken drumsticks: It’s hard to find low calorie chicken drumstick recipes that satisfy, but this one is a keeper. Since the chicken isn’t heavily breaded, is baked instead of fried, and isn’t coated in a heavy sauce, it’s lower in calories and healthier than most drumstick recipes. 
  • Easy to make: Simply combine the ingredients for the sauce and simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan. Then brush the sauce over the chicken after coating with cornstarch and place on a baking sheet. That’s all there is to do.

A common question we get is “are chicken drumsticks healthy?” The answer to that question depends on how they’re made. These healthy drumsticks are baked in the oven instead of being fried and are not coated in a heavy breading. Just a dusting of cornstarch, salt and pepper is enough to crisp the chicken in the oven. The sauce contains a mix of sriracha, honey, garlic and rice vinegar, with only a small amount of butter. This keeps the chicken drumstick calories lower than if they were smothered in a rich sauce. At only 169 calories per drumstick, there’s no need to stop at one!

This spicy-sweet chicken makes for a flavorful appetizer at any party, tailgate or get-together. Other recipes that go with this crowd-pleaser include:

You can also find more tailgating food ideas on our blog.

Health eCooks Cookbook on Amazon

Ingredients

Recipe yields 8 servings

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How to Make Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange a wire rack on the foil.

  2. Step 2

    In a small saucepan, combine the sriracha, butter, honey, rice vinegar and garlic and cook over low heat until the sauce is smooth.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, season the drumsticks with the salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch and stir until evenly coated. Arrange the chicken pieces on the wire rack. Brush with the sriracha sauce mixture. Bake the drumsticks for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven. Garnish with chopped scallions.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
1 drumstick

169
Calories
9
g
Fat
67
mg
Cholesterol
308
mg
Sodium
8
g
Carbs
3
g
Sat. Fat
0
g
Fiber
14
g
Protein
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More Healthy Chicken Appetizer Recipes

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