Sticky Chicken
This Sticky Chicken recipe is pure Southern comfort, sweet, savory, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Drumsticks and thighs are simmered in a rich caramelized butter-sugar glaze with onions, garlic, and Creole Trinity & Herb Seasoning for deep, slow-cooked flavor. The result? Golden, glossy chicken that lives up to its name, sticky, flavorful, and downright irresistible.
Perfect for Sunday dinner or any night you want something hearty and home-cooked, this dish tastes like it’s been passed down through generations (and it might just become one of yours).
What You Need to Make Sticky Chicken
- ½ stick butter
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 8 chicken drumsticks, cleaned and deskinned
- 4 chicken thighs, cleaned
- 1 container Holy Trinity mix (or 1 onion + 2 celery stalks, diced)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Hefty coating of Creole Trinity & Herb Seasoning
- Water, enough to fill halfway up the chicken
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
How to Make Sticky Chicken
1
Caramelize the Base
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts and turns a deep golden brown, this caramel base is what gives the chicken its signature sticky glaze.
2
Brown the Chicken
Add the cleaned chicken pieces to the pot. Season generously on both sides with Creole Trinity & Herb Seasoning. Let the chicken brown on all sides, turning as needed. The surface should become slightly sticky and caramelized. Remove the chicken once browned and set aside.
3
Build the Flavor
Add the diced Holy Trinity (or onion and celery) to the same pot with a splash of water. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom, that’s pure flavor! Stir in minced garlic and cook until softened.
4
Simmer and Thicken
Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in enough water to fill halfway up the chicken. Add the Better Than Bouillon and stir gently. Cover the pot halfway with a lid and simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour, longer if you can. The sauce will reduce, thicken, and become glossy while the chicken turns tender and rich.
5
Serve and Enjoy
Once the chicken is sticky, caramelized, and falling-off-the-bone tender, serve it hot with rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up every last bit of that sauce.
Sticky Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 drumsticks cleaned and deskinned)
- 4 chicken thighs cleaned
- 1 container of holy trinity diced or 1 onion and 2 cleverly sticks
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Hefty coating of my seasoning Creole Trinity and herb
- Water enough to fill chicken half way
- 1 tbsp better than bouillon roasted chicken
Instructions
- In a pot heat your oil, butter, and sugar. Stir and let it cook is turns brown
- Add in your chicken and season generously on both sides. Let the chicken cook till it browns and starts to get “sticky” and then flip on all sides repeating. Remove when done.
- Add in your onions and a splash of water and scrap up all the brown bits at the bottom. Add in garlic and let it cook till soft.
- Add back in your chicken, fill with water till halfway, add in bouillon. Cover with lid half on and half off and let it cook for at least an hour.
- If you have longer, great! The longer it cooks the better it gets
