I made these lovely honey soy chicken drumsticks recently, using Aldi chicken thighs instead of drumsticks. I prefer thighs really, I think they are the best cut on a chicken, much more succulent than a breast, and a lot of flavour.
Thighs do have more fat than the breast, that is where the flavour comes from. If you’d like to know the nutritional difference, this post sets it out
I’ve priced this dish using the Aldi website, my nearest Aldi is 17 miles away, so I don’t get there often.
The recipe is adapted from a canning recipe. I made some for my husband, who loves it, but we found the chicken to be rather overcooked during the long canning process, so I have changed it, tweaked it and adapted it to serve 4 (rather than 40!) and to be cooked on a hob.
How do I make honey soy chicken drumsticks?
Chop and fry an onion, add the skinless, boneless Aldi chicken thighs and brown them all over, the browning adds another layer of flavour.
Meanwhile mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to the chicken in the pan and simmer gently, without a lid on, until the chicken is cooked through.
The chicken will probably release a lot of water, so reduce the sauce down if necessary by boiling hard. If there is too much added water, the sauce will be watered down and not taste as nice.
Add the drained chickpeas and you’re ready to serve.
What do I serve with honey soy chicken
- We have enjoyed these with a big green salad and a baked potato
- with rice
- with mashed potato and hot veg eg green beans, cauliflower and peas
- I wouldn’t use sweet potato as the sauce is quite sweet
What changes can I make to honey soy chicken
- The sauce is very tweakable, although I like it just as it is.
- Increase or reduce the honey, soy sauce, tomato puree vinegar, garlic or chill sauce until it is as you like it.
- Swap out the chicken for a white fish, or prawns, leftover roast pork or whatever meat you have and want to use.
- Or use a vegetarian meat substitute like TVP
- Make it vegetarian by swapping out the chicken for potato chunks, butternut squash, pumpkin or a mix eg sweetcorn, green beans and mushrooms. Make sure to use some lentils, butter beans or chickpeas for the protein
- Make it vegan by swapping out the honey for golden syrup or some other vegan sweetener and using all vegetables and a pulse of some kind, or include chunks of tofu
With similar ingredients, but a different recipe, try this. Super tasty!
Or for a simply gorgeous side dish, how about these gingery soy and honey apples
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thighs £2.75/600g pk, 1 thigh each, £2.29
- 100 g onion 62p/kg, 6p
- 1 tblsp oil 1p
- 200 g chickpeas a drained can, 30p
Sauce
- 40 g honey 41p/100g, 16p
- 25 ml soy sauce 49p/150ml, 8p
- 25 ml tomato puree 27p/200g, 4p
- 1½ tsps vinegar 1p
- 1 clove garlic 5p
- 1 tsp sriracha or sweet chilli sauce 79p/300g, 1p
Instructions
- Chop the onions and fry in a tblsp of oil until transparent and cooked through
- Add the chicken and brown well
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small dish
- Add the sauce to the chicken, leave off the lid and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through
- Drain the chickpeas and add to the pan, warm through. Keep the chickpea liquid and use as aquafaba to make meringues or mayonnaise
- Serve while hot, or store in the fridge until needed. This dish freezes beautifully, so good for batch cooking
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Increase or reduce the honey, soy sauce, tomato puree vinegar, garlic or chill sauce until it is as you like it.
- Swap out the chicken for a white fish, or prawns, leftover roast pork or whatever meat you have and want to use.
- Or use a vegetarian meat substitute like TVP
- Make it vegetarian by swapping out the chicken for potato chunks, butternut squash, pumpkin or a mix eg sweetcorn, green beans and mushrooms. Make sure to use some lentils, butter beans or chickpeas for the protein
- Make it vegan by swapping out the honey for golden syrup or some other vegan sweetener and using all vegetables and a pulse of some kind, or include chunks of tofu
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