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Home Mains Chicken

Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

By:Nagi
Published:11 Dec '20Updated:10 May '23
125 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

The warm, traditional Christmas spice flavours and brown sugar marinade makes this glazed Christmas Chicken extra moist and flavourful, as well as making it ultra sticky. It is in fact a variation of my popular and traditional ham glaze – only used on chicken!

Close up of pile of Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

Everybody loves the glaze on a Christmas ham. So one year, I tried using one version on chicken and people went mad over it!

Easier and cheaper than ham, with a much higher ratio of glaze to meat, this is so good I’ve actually had people tell me they love this chicken more than Christmas ham!!

It’s ultra-sticky on the outside, and just smells and tastes like Christmas. The flesh of the chicken is super tender and infused with flavours from an overnight marinade!

This is a great alternative to turkey for a Christmas main dish. That sticky holiday season glaze is finger lickin’ good!

Close up of Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

What goes in Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

Basically everything you put into a Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is used for this Christmas Chicken marinade – it’s loaded with Christmas flavours!

Ingredients in Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken
  • Chicken – Use bone-in, skin on thighs and drumsticks. We need the skin to make the chicken sticky in the oven, and the bone helps keep the meat juicy (and giving the cute impression of a “mini-ham”!!) If you insist on using skinless, boneless thighs or breast, see recipes notes for how to make it (it involves simmering the glaze to reduce it then basting);

  • Oranges – We use the zest and juice in the marinade for a subtle hint of citrus flavour – more holiday nuances! Don’t skip the zest by using bottled orange juice instead. Zest really brings an extra-special fresh touch to this dish;

  • Spices – Cinnamon, allspice, ginger and whole star anise – four common holiday spices;

  • Brown sugar – For wonderful caramel flavours, this is what makes the chicken sticky;

  • Dijon Mustard and vinegar – These provide the tang in the marinade to balance the sweetness. The mustard also thickens the glaze slightly so it clings to the chicken better; and

  • Olive oil – For a touch of richness to the glaze. Though any type of (reasonably neutral) oil will do the job fine here.


How to make Christmas Chicken

The making part involves a 24 hour marinade to really get all those wonderful Christmas flavours infused into the flesh before roasting in the oven until it becomes sticky and golden.

How to make Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken
  1. Make marinade: Mix the marinade together in a jug or bowl. Don’t shortcut it in the ziplock bag; you really need a whisk to dissolve everything properly (as I learnt!);

  2. Marinate chicken – Pour marinade over the chicken in a ziplock bag. Yes, I acknowledge ziplock bags aren’t environmentally friendly and I really try to minimise their use, eg. wash and re-use when I can. But for marinades, they are undisputedly the best way to get the flavour fully infused all around and through the chicken (with less marinade wastage). If you’re really averse to the use of ziplock bags, then scale the marinade up by 50% and use a non reactive bowl or container, and toss the chicken a couple of times while marinating;

  3. Marinate 24 hours for best results. Up to 48 hours is fine, bare minimum is 3 hours. The glaze is so fabulous, it’s still ok even if it hasn’t had time to fully penetrate all through the flesh;

  4. Roast 50 minutes – Divide the chicken and all the marinade between two trays. Make sure to line with foil AND then parchment/baking paper – you’ll thank me later, when you don’t have to scrub furiously with a scourer! Then bake for 50 minutes;

  5. Baste, baste, baste! Basting is the key to that sticky golden surface! Start basting at 30 minutes. At first, the pan juices will be watery but towards the end of the cook time will reduce and thicken. This is when you can really get a nice thick glaze on the chicken!

Glaze adjustment: The trick with any glazed or sticky chicken is getting the timing right, so the pan juices reduce and become syrupy in the time it takes for the chicken to cook through inside. There’s a lot of variables that affect this – oven strength, chicken size, tray size, and also economical chicken can be pumped with brine which makes then leech more liquid = more water to evaporate before it becomes a glaze.

The good news is, the fix is easy! The chicken will be cooked at 50 minutes. If the tray juices are still too thin, just take the chicken off the tray then pop the empty tray back in. The tray juices will take minutes to reduce into a syrup. Once it does, baste, baste, baste!

Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken fresh out of the oven

The flavour of this Christmas Chicken really is reminiscent of a glazed ham! Except, well, you know. Chicken, instead of ham. 😂 😂 But WAY more sticky glaze to go around than the sliver you get on each slice of ham (if any at all!).


What to serve with Christmas Chicken

I’m sharing this with Christmas time in mind, but I really do think this is a great one for all year round! Because the glaze is quite intensely flavoured, try it with a light, refreshing side salad, such as a Spring Salad (asparagus, peas, snow peas, lettuce), a French Bistro Salad or for something a little more substantial, this Bean Tabbouleh Salad.

For proper Christmas menu suggestions as well as my best Christmas side dishes, take a guided tour through my collection in my Christmas Recipes & Menus post. Otherwise, browse through my Christmas Recipes Collection at your leisure, newly organised by category to make it nice and easy for you to get your Christmas event planned and pulled-off!

I’d love to know what you think if you give this a try! Does it remind YOU of Christmas ham?? 🙂 – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of pile of Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr
Christmas, Main
Christmas, Holiday, Western
4.88 from 25 votes
Servings6 – 8 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Everybody loves the glaze on a Christmas ham. So one year, I used it for chicken instead and people went mad over it! Easier and cheaper than ham, with a much higher ratio of glaze to meat, this is so good I've actually had people tell me they love this more than Christmas ham!!
It's ultra-sticky on the outside, and smells and tastes like Christmas. The meat is super tender – we've practically slow cooked the chicken!

Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb chicken thighs, skin on, bone in (Note 1)
  • 800g / 1.6 lb chicken drumsticks , or more thighs (Note 1)

Marinade

  • 5 tsp orange zest (2 oranges)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (from the zested oranges)
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar (sub white wine, sherry or champagne vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar , lightly packed
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Serving and garnishes

  • 2 oranges , cut into wedges or halved then sliced
  • good value leafy greens – like endive, watercress, for the bed
  • orange zest curls (Note 3)

Instructions

Marinate Chicken

  • Mix Marinade ingredients in a jug. Pour over chicken in a large ziplock bag (Note 2). Massage to coat, then marinate chicken for ideally 24 hours (bare minimum is 3 hrs, 12 hrs is ok).

Cook

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
  • Line 2 trays with foil then parchment/baking paper (you'll thank me later).
  • Distribute chicken on trays, then pour the marinade over. Roast 30 minutes.
  • Roast for a further 20 minutes, basting with pan juices 2 or 3 more times until the chicken is deep golden and sticky. At first, the juices will be watery but in the final 10 minutes or so, they will thicken and darken. Once this happens, baste more frequently and heavily. (Note 4)
  • When the top tray is almost ready, switch the tray positions (ie move bottom tray up and put the top tray undenerath) so they finish at the same time. GOAL: Deep golden and sticky chicken!
  • Before plating up, baste again with the sticky juices.
  • Serving suggestion: Spread leafy greens on a platter, pile on sticky chicken. Decorate with orange slices or wedges.

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken – Skin is required for the glaze to really caramelise beautifully. Bone-in is best because the chicken pieces stay juicy for the cook time required to make the chicken sticky, and it also resembles a “mini-ham”!
Whole Chicken – I really wanted it to work but it didn’t! You would need to double or triple the marinade to brine a whole chicken successfully. I tried a paste form but the sugar caused the top of the chicken to get “too caramelised:” (ie burnt!) before the sides even got colour. However, if you spatchcock/butterfly the chicken, I am confident it will work because it cooks in almost the same time as the pieces I used!
For boneless skinless thighs and breast – Recipe needs to be amended as follows:
  • Pound breast to 2cm / 0.8″ even thickness;
  • Marinate thighs / breast per recipe, then remove chicken. Simmer reserved marinade in a saucepan until it thickens into a thick glaze – about 5 minutes on medium. Use the glaze for basting;
  • Cook chicken:
    • Oven – 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F (or until internal temperature registers 65°C/149°F for breast and 75°C/165°F for thighs). Baste at 15 minutes, 18 minutes then just before serving.
    • BBQ & stove – cook breast 6 minutes on medium high, basting regularly. Cook thighs on medium for 8 minutes.
2. Ziplock bag is best to get the chicken fully coated in the marinade. If you prefer not to use, you can use a bowl or non reactive container instead, but increase the marinade by 50% and toss the chicken once or twice during the marinating time. If you scale up the marinade, do not pour over the extra 50% when roasting – it will create too much liquid and make the glaze too salty.
3. Orange zest curls – Use a zester or sharp knife to cut thin strips. Twist around the handle of a wooden spoon or similar, then leave for 15 minutes+ then it will hold its curled shape.
4. Glaze adjustment – if the tray juices haven’t thickened to a syrup by the 50 minute mark (see post for variables that can cause this), then remove the chicken (cover with foil to keep warm) and return empty trays to oven. Tray juices will reduce in minutes into a syrup, at which point they can be used to glaze the chicken.
5. Storage – Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge and reheat to sticky, juicy perfection. Can also be frozen – thaw then reheat using microwave or loosely covered in the oven (180C/350F for 15 min or so). Because it reheats so well, this is a good one to make ahead entirely, though the caramelisation is slightly better when freshly made.
Make ahead – Combine chicken with marinade then put it straight in the freezer. Then thaw the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours, during this time the chicken will marinade. Cook per recipe.
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings. Note that this does not take into account fat from chicken left on the tray so the calories are higher than reality.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 564cal (28%)Carbohydrates: 21g (7%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 37g (57%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Cholesterol: 208mg (69%)Sodium: 792mg (34%)Potassium: 555mg (16%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 18g (20%)Vitamin A: 270IU (5%)Vitamin C: 26mg (32%)Calcium: 54mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: Christmas chicken, glazed chicken, holiday chicken, spiced chicken, sticky chicken wings
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

More photos from the weekend when our local dog photographer (Kevin from Unleashed Northern Beaches) was down at the dog beach doing Christmas photos! He brought some props down including this little green hat. So first, he got this photo….then…..

Dozer and Nagi Bayview Christmas 2020

…. Dozer lost the hat in deep water which required a rescue mission by yours truly, so THIS happened:

Dozer and Nagi Bayview Christmas 2020

And I wasn’t wearing my swimming costume on that day!! Ba ha ha!

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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125 Comments

  1. Annie Chong says

    December 1, 2023 at 8:59 am

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe and delicious. Made it twice already and will cook it for a third time for Christmas

    Reply
  2. Robyn says

    December 31, 2022 at 4:51 pm

    5 stars
    10/10 unbelievably good thank you Nagi

    Reply
  3. Christina Robison says

    December 25, 2022 at 11:04 am

    5 stars
    Thank you, Nagi! This was sooooo good. We had it tonight, Christmas Eve. and it was simply perfect. Made saffron rice and they looked beautiful together. Merry Christmas, Nagi!

    Reply
  4. Liz says

    December 20, 2022 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    Made this exactly according to your recipe and it was perfect. Such a great balance of flavours and a bit special. Using pieces is easier for a crowd – no carving!

    Reply
  5. Rachael says

    December 15, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    Just wondering if it would still work without the dijon mustard. It is rarely available where I live and the jar I had is now virtually empty. I still have wholegrain mustard and I can easily get American style mustard, but not dijon.

    Reply
  6. April says

    December 14, 2022 at 1:00 pm

    Thoughts on what this dish would be like served cold?

    Reply
  7. John McGee says

    December 12, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi you’ve done it again!!

    A delicious meal and highly recommend it.

    Reply
  8. Maxine Monteleone says

    December 10, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    Hi Nagi and beautiful Dozer! I have been a follower of your recipes ever since I came across your blog many years ago. Congratulations on all your success.
    Can I please ask your advice – I have an anaphylactic reaction to mustard ( of all types, and related substances like horseradish ). Are you able to suggest a substitute or should I just omit it?

    Thank you, Maxine

    Reply
    • Brooke says

      December 17, 2022 at 11:47 pm

      Hi Maxine. I’m not sure what Nagi’s answer will be, but I *hate* mustard to the point that I can’t even smell it. It’s more of a severe intolerance but I usually tell people I’m allergic so they don’t feed it to me. lol That being said, with this recipe, I’m sure you can omit it. Small amounts of mustard in recipes are usually just to alter the flavor and balance sweetness. I plan to make this and just omit the mustard. I might try adding a little cranberry sauce for the tartness since it goes with all the ingredients.

      Reply
  9. Jason Mete says

    December 10, 2022 at 5:01 pm

    What salads would be good to go with this? Something light and fresh?

    Reply
  10. Bronwyn Dunstan says

    December 10, 2022 at 1:08 pm

    Can this be served cold?

    Reply
  11. Douglas Higgins says

    December 6, 2022 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    Made this today. OMG!! I was NOT expecting it to be THAT good. I nearly ate the baking paper too!

    Reply
  12. Gazellina says

    December 26, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    I actually marinated and cooked a whole chicken 🐔… put foil on the first 40 min so I rill not burn, if for 10, baste, turn around… worked amazingly well

    Reply
  13. Yolanda Reid says

    December 25, 2021 at 1:56 am

    I plan to try this recipe, but cannot find star anise. I read online that whole cloves can be substituted for star anise. Would that work for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 19, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Hi Yolanda, Not sure what Nagi’s opinion is, but I replaced it with 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice, as star anise is one of the ingredients. Cloves would probably work fine too.

      Reply
      • Sheri Conell says

        December 11, 2022 at 8:02 am

        5 stars
        I also used Chinese 5 spice instead. Since it was ground, it probably changed the flavor, but we all loved it!

        Reply
  14. Alexie says

    December 12, 2021 at 6:05 am

    Hi Nagi!
    I want to cook this chicken for Christmas, along with your gratin dauphinois, which requires an oven at 350 (while the oven needs to be at 390 for the chicken). How do you suggest I proceed to cook both to serve at the same time?
    Thanks a lot.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 12, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      Hi Alexie – you can cook the gratin at a higher temperature just keep an eye on it and cover if it starts to brown too much. Or cook the gratin first, then keep it covered and cook the chicken, then pop the potatoes back in to reheat while the chicken rests. Good luck! N x

      Reply
  15. MARY says

    September 19, 2021 at 11:30 pm

    WOULD IT STILL BE GOOD WITHOUT THESTAR ANISE?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 20, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      If you don’t have it, you can just leave it out. It will still be delicious Mary 🙂 N x

      Reply
  16. Amy says

    September 10, 2021 at 9:28 am

    5 stars
    i just made this for dinner tonight. This dish’s flavors were exactly what I had hoped they would be! Sweet and complex with those warm spices, it was really a wonderful dinner.

    Thank you for consistently sharing flavorful, absolutely delicious recipes with us!

    Reply
  17. Helen says

    April 5, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    3 stars
    First Fail I have had on a Nagi recipe.(which guess is not bad as have made so many fab recipes already!)… not sure what I did but just could not get the sticky glaze on the chicken to work or the marinade to mix properly with chunks of cinnamon not mixing in.. am guessing by other reviews it was maybe ‘chef’ error mixed with an uneven cooking stove.. )-;

    Reply
    • Nanna Liz says

      December 28, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      4 stars
      Helen, don’t feel so bad. I experienced the same outcome on Boxing Day-Christmas celebrations with our families. The chicken tasted lovely just no sticky glaze. Followed Nagi’s suggestion to remove the chicken and keep warm whilst returning the pan with liquid back in the oven to reduce and go sticky. After 20 minutes it had reduced slightly but not sticky. Perhaps as Nagi mentioned in her notes, the chicken was pumped with brine. I also had trouble purchasing the chicken thighs with skin and bone attached. Was over the moon when I did locate some.
      Nagi, love you website and like Helen, this was my first fail too!
      Trust you both and all your loyal followers had a lovely Christmas.
      Best wishes for 2022, stay Safe, Healthy, Happy, and enjoy your cooking😀

      Reply
      • Helen says

        December 29, 2021 at 6:52 am

        Thanks Nanna Liz for lovely Christmas message to everyone (& your confirm that I am not the only failed cook at times… (-: ) .. I have since made other lovely Nagi with success so guess this one was just not destined for my cookbook…Regards Helen

        Reply
  18. denise labbe says

    March 5, 2021 at 1:41 am

    5 stars
    j adore votre site pas complique

    Reply
  19. Jerri Cheesecake says

    February 5, 2021 at 8:14 am

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe i’ve never had a orange glaze before and on the first bite i was a little unsure of it was a little potent, but it tastes great after that i’ll make this again someday.

    Reply
  20. Ulrike says

    January 31, 2021 at 8:06 am

    5 stars
    Made this for Christmas with duck legs and it was absolutely amazing. Had some extra oranges this weekend and decided to it try it with pork loins. As its not Christmas anymore I toned down the spices and used some red wine for the marinade. Mixed it up with the recipe for oven baked pork chops and included some potatoes on the same tray. Halfway through I also added broccoli and sweet potato to up the vegetable count. It came out beautifully! Thanks to your tip to double up on the foil and baking paper it’s the perfect one tray dish with very little washing up 😁 This will dfinitely become a Sunday lunch favourite 🤩

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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