It’s almost here! The Super Bowl! It’s time to sit back, munch out, have some cocktails and cheer on your favorite team! I really don’t get into football, so that means I’m just going to be eating and drinking myself silly. SWEET. Sounds good to me! These Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks were coated in crushed pretzels and baked in the oven to crispy perfection! These were so unique and flavorful! Plus, everybody loves a drumstick! They’re the perfect handheld game day snack! My family was so pumped about these! We crushed them pretty quick!

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Where does the honey mustard flavor come from and how does it work on chicken drumsticks?

Honey mustard has been around for a minute! The earliest version of this flavor profile dates back to Ancient Rome in 4th and 5th century cookbooks! One of the OG recipes combines honey, ground mustard seeds, herbs, oil, and vinegar, which was used as a glaze for roasted meats!

These flavors work so well because you’ve got the sweet, sharp, creamy, and tangy all in one amazing flavor profile! This is the perfect type of sauce to complement a crispy cut of chicken! And it just feels so snacky and party platter worthy! That pretzel crust really brought it all together too, especially with those salty little bits in there!

Did you know?

Chicken legs used to be the original game day chicken – long before wings were! Drumsticks and thighs were the go-to snack for football parties because they were cheaper, meatier, and it was easy to make a whole bunch of them at once! They’re perfect for pleasing a crowd!

Americans consume over 100 million pounds of chicken on Super Bowl Sunday, and that’s just in wings! That’s not including legs, tenders, dips, or thighs! Pretty wild, right!?

What ingredients do I need to make these?

For the honey mustard sauce:

Honey
Dijon
Whole Grain Mustard
Mayo
Apple Cider Vinegar
Garlic Powder

For the chicken legs:

Chicken Legs
Salt
Paprika
Black Pepper

For the pretzel crust:

Pretzels
Butter
Paprika
Cayenne

For serving:

Parsley

What equipment do I need?

How do I make them?

To get started on this recipe, first preheat the oven to 425 F and get out a roasting pan or a baking sheet with a rack over it. Line the bottom with foil for easy cleanup.

To make the honey mustard sauce:

Next, let’s make the honey mustard sauce. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients for the sauce and stir to combine.

Honey mustard sauce in a mixing bowl before being mixed to combine

Set aside until ready to use. Next, let’s prep the chicken legs!

To prep the chicken legs:

Pat the legs very dry with paper toweling and set aside on a plate.

Add all of the spices for the chicken drumsticks to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Generously toss the drumsticks in the spices.

Chicken legs after being coated in spices for baking

Once coated, toss them in the honey mustard sauce. Flip them around and make sure all sides are coated, then move them back to the plate to sit and marinate in those flavors for a bit while you make the pretzel topping! It won’t take too long!

Chicken drumsticks coated in a honey mustard sauce on a plate

Pro Tip: Raw chicken is a little bit different than other meats as it doesn’t really improve at all by sitting out at room temperature – unlike salmon, pork, and beef! That said, as long as your raw chicken isn’t sitting out for over a half hour, it’s fine! By letting them sit out for this small window of time while we make the crust, it’s bringing those temps down just a tad to help even the cook on them vs popping them back into a chilly fridge!

To make the pretzel crust:

Measure out your pretzels, put them into a gallon sized Ziplock bag, seal it and just start beating them up! Alternatively, you can add them to a bowl and mash them with a potato masher (the route I took), or you can pop them in the blender.

I chose to do the bowl method because I didn’t want the pretzel to get powdery, rather, I wanted some chunkiness left on the pretzel. I just felt like this would give a bit more texture to the bite!

Pretzels crushed up in a bowl to make a pretzel crust

After your pretzels are all crushed up, melt some butter, and dump it into the bowl along with the other ingredients for the pretzel crust. Stir to combine.

Next, toss the drumsticks in the pretzel mixture, taking the time to coat the entire leg, then move them to the prepared roasting rack. Stagger the legs, laying them out in opposite directions with just a bit of space between them! Now we’re ready to bake!

Honey mustard chicken drumsticks with a pretzel coating on top, ready to be baked

To bake and serve the honey mustard chicken drumsticks:

Bake the drumsticks for a while, until they appear golden and crispy. Once they temp out to 165 F, they’re ready to eat!

They’re going to be really hot, so let them rest for a few minutes, sprinkle with some fresh parsley, and serve! Enjoy!

Honey mustard chicken drumsticks on a plate with some parsley off to the side and a hand holding a leg up with a bite taken out of it

Tips:

If you want a bit of spice on these legs, consider upping the cayenne in the pretzel crust a bit. Another 1/4 tsp should do the trick! I wanted these to be family friendly, but there was a nice little heat there!
These drumsticks will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. To reheat them, air fry at 370 F for 5 minutes, turning halfway through.
These were super flavorful on their own but if you want, you could serve these with more honey mustard or some ranch sauce!
If you want to double this recipe for a party, make them on two baking sheets so you can bake them both at once! Two roasting pans would work too, if your oven has the capacity!

Check out some more of my game day friendly chicken recipes!

Need some side ideas to complete your spread?

Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks

The Wholesome Spoon

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 1140 kcal

Equipment