I made this Quick Red Braised Chicken Drumsticks last night and it was an absolute winner so flavorful!

I was craving red-braised chicken but didn’t want to babysit a big pot for hours, so I tried this quicker wok version. It turned out seriously delicious! The chicken gets perfectly tender, the sauce is glossy, savory, and just the right amount of sweet spicy. That chili bean paste really brings the depth.

I used drumsticks and they were fantastic. House smelled amazing the whole time. This one’s going straight into my regular rotation.

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs chicken drumsticks (or thighs bone-in recommended)

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 Tbsp ginger, sliced thinly

• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce

• 3 Tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang)

• 1 Tbsp michiu / rice cooking wine (or Shaoxing wine)

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or rock sugar)

• 1 to 1½ cups water (enough to mostly cover the chicken)

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Directions

• Heat a wok or large deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, ginger slices, and green onion pieces. Stir fry for about 1 minute until super fragrant.
• Add the chicken drumsticks and sear them, turning occasionally until all sides are lightly browned (about 5-6 minutes).
• Pour in the light soy sauce, chili bean paste, brown sugar, and rice wine. Stir and cook for 2 minutes so the chicken gets nicely coated.
• Add 1 to 1½ cups water the chicken should be about 70-80% submerged. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the dark soy sauce, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken every 5 minutes.
• Uncover, turn heat to high, and let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Rotate the chicken so it gets coated all over.
• Remove from heat and serve!
• Serve over steamed rice with some veggies on the side. That sauce is liquid gold.

• Bone-in pieces really boost the flavor. The meat was fall off the bone tender.
• The chili bean paste gives a nice gentle heat adjustable if you want it milder.
• I let it reduce a bit extra because I love a thicker, clingy sauce.
• Leftovers were even better the next day. Tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did.

Super customizable too next time I’m adding carrots and tomatoes like I usually do with red braised dishes.

If you love bold, comforting Chinese flavors, you need to try this one. Way better than takeout!