23+ Best sauces for grilled chicken (Asian-inspired)
Fire up the grill with the best sauce for grilled chicken. With my homemade easy and healthy Asian sauce recipes for chicken like this Vietnamese grilled chicken drumsticks!
Servings: 6 drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken drumsticks about 6 drumsticks
- 1-1.5 tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Vietnamese sweet chili sauce:
- 1 whole serrano or fresno red chili pepper or 1-2 Thai chilies
- 0.1 oz clove garlic finely minced, about 2 small cloves
- 2 tbsp lime or key lime juice
- 2-2.5 tbsp peach jam or orange jam, keto honey, regular honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp chopped cilantro or scallions, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 425°F-450°F (218°C-232°C) degrees on your grill lid thermometer. That is medium-high heat on a standard gas grill. Clean and oil the grates.
- Use your fingers and carefully create a little space (little pocket) between the meat and the skin. Season the chicken with coarse sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder on all sides and the inner pockets.
- Combine the sweet chili sauce in a bowl and marinate the drumsticks with 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce for 30-40 minutes. I use about 1 tbsp sauce per leg. Save the remainder of the sauce for dipping use.
- Check grill temp if possible and place chicken on the grill. Flip about every 5 minutes with lid closed until internal temp of 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees. About 30-35 minutes.
- If there are flare-ups, move the chicken away from the direct flames for a few seconds.
- Once the chicken internal temperature reaches 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees. Brush with more sweet bbq chili sauce and continue grilling a few minutes more.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with the chili dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
- Use a clean and well-oiled grill.
- Don’t turn or flip the chicken too early so that each piece gets beautiful grill marks.
- Keep the lid closed on your grill to keep the temperature so that the chicken cooks evenly.
- You must use a thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees.
- Remember size and thickness of the drumsticks matter so when in doubt, go by the internal temperature not the cook time.
- To Air Fry: Preheat the fryer at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. Air fry the chicken legs at 380°F(193°C) for 20-25 minutes. Flip once half-way through.
- To Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the chicken on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 175ºF, flipping the drumsticks once half-way through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1drumstick | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 938mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg