Ingredients
2 tsp. five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 chicken drumsticks
2 carrots, quartered
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil
Thinly sliced green onions, for serving
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorn
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1" ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 c. rice
Kosher salt
Pinch MSG (optional)
1 1/4 c. water
Preparation
Step 1Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients until smooth. Add chicken and turn to coat evenly in marinade. Allow to rest for 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.Step 2Preheat oven to 375°. In an ovenproof skillet, place marinated chicken, carrots, and onions in an even layer, then drizzle with remaining marinade. Roast chicken, flipping halfway and brushing with olive oil as needed, until internal temperature reaches 165° and until vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.Step 3Meanwhile, make rice: In a medium pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add all spices, ginger, and garlic and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat grains in oil, toasting until rice turns slightly more opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and MSG (if using), then slowly stream in water.Step 4Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and cover pot with a lid. Cook until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender, about 17 minutes.Step 5Serve chicken and vegetables with rice, garnishing with green onions if desired.
It was a funny moment of culture shock when my parents first discovered cinnamon was used as a prevalent sweet spice in so many North American desserts. To this day, they still can’t fully enjoy things like snickerdoodle cookies and cinnamon rolls and are wary of being ambushed by the presence of cinnamon in sweets. Thankfully, my palate was still elastic enough to be open to cinnamon’s androgynous greatness. I don’t know if my parents will like this five spice roast chicken drumstick recipe, but I sure enjoyed it. Paired with some nicely spiced rice and roast veggies that absorb all of that flavorful pan juice, it makes for a pretty hearty dinner. If you make this recipe, be sure to comment down below and let us know how you liked it!
