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Home » Recipes » Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce

Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce

Last Updated November 19, 2020. Originally Posted August 10, 2017 By Maggie Unzueta

This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chile Sauce is a robust and flavorful dish. It is the perfect balance of heat and sweet. Enjoy!
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This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Candy is dandy, but this chicken dinner is a winner. Some of our most beloved childhood candies in Mexico are made of tamarind and chili. They are the perfect blend of spicy and sweet. That’s exactly what I was going for in this dish. Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is my grownup version of some of our favorite Mexican flavor combinations.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

I’m using drumsticks because of the price. You can make this dish with whatever cut of chicken you like, but have you priced chicken breasts lately? Exactly! I’m sticking with drumsticks. They don’t need much seasoning. Just salt. The flavor will come from the sauce.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Onto the tamarindo… If you’ve never worked with Tamarind before, you can also BUY the paste ready to go. Then skip ahead. If you’re familiar with Tamarindo or you want to give it a try, it’s just like making Agua de Tamarindo, or Tamarind Water. Crack open the shells and remove the flesh from inside. Pour some water over them and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Come back in an hour.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Next, with your hands, remove the seeds and membranes of the tamarind. Set this aside until you’re ready to use.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Now for the chilis… I’m using Guajilloand Chile de Arbol. My friends, chile de arbol is indeed very spicy. Please be very careful and do not touch your eyes. It’s happen to me more times than I’d like to admit. Not contact-lens friendly, if ya know what I mean! Wash your hands thoroughly after touching them. Toast the chilis and cut into them length-wise, removing all the seeds and veins. This is where the heat resides.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Place them in a stockpot of water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Come back in a 15 minutes. The chilis will be soft and ready to use.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Place the chilis, tamarind, brown sugar, onion, and garlic in a blender along with 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Taste for salt.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the chicken. Brown on all sides. Then add the tamarind chili sauce along with the remaining chicken broth. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken up almost like a thick curry sauce.

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. Serve with rice and garnish with a green onions. Hope you enjoy!

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce

Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chile Sauce is a robust and flavorful dish. It is the perfect balance of heat and sweet. Enjoy!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 541kcal
Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • 5-6 Tamarind pods
  • 3 Chile Guajillo
  • 2 Chile de arbol
  • Water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ onion
  • 1 garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • Salt
  • Green onion optional

Instructions

  • For the Tamarind paste:
  • Crack open the tamarind pod, removing the shells.
  • Add them to a large stockpot.
  • Add enough water to cover the pods.
  • Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Turn off the heat.
  • Let stand for an hour, or until the tamarind flesh is soft.
  • With your hands, remove the membranes and seeds from the tamarind.
  • Set aside until ready to use.
  • For the Chilis:
  • Toast the Guajillo and chile de arbol chilis on a griddle, turning frequently.
  • Do not let these burn. Only 1-2 minutes on each side.
  • With kitchen scissors, cut the top of the chili, then lengthwise, and remove the seeds and the membranes.
  • Repeat this step for every chili.
  • Add all the a large stockpot along with enough water to cover the chilis.
  • Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Turn stove off and let sit for 15 minutes, or until soft and pliable.
  • For the Tamarind Chili Sauce:
  • Add the tamarind paste, softened chilis, 1 cup chicken broth, brown sugar, onion, garlic, and salt in a blender.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Taste for salt.
  • For the chicken:
  • Salt drumsticks.
  • Heat oil in a large pan.
  • Brown chicken drumsticks on all sides.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Slowly add the Tamarind Chili Sauce and remaining chicken broth.
  • With a spatula, gently stir the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan.
  • Return chicken to the pan.
  • Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
  • Serve with rice.

Notes

Crack open the shells and remove the flesh from inside. Pour some water over them and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Come back in an hour.

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 831IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

This Chicken Drumsticks in Tamarind Chili Sauce is delicious and full of amazing flavors. Spicy and sweet and ready to eat. By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen


Filed Under: Chicken, Mexican, Recipes

About Maggie Unzueta

Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle L

    August 11, 2017 at 9:04 am

    Yum! I love using tamarind 🙂

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:47 am

      Me too. Tamarind is so yummy.

      Reply
  2. Belle

    August 11, 2017 at 11:18 am

    That looks amazing! Adding this to our menu next week!

    Belle | One Awesome Momma

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:47 am

      I’m sure your family will love this dish! Enjoy.

      Reply
  3. Denay DeGuzman

    August 11, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    Maggie, all of your recipes look so darn scrumptious, including this chicken in tamarind chili sauce. I love all the detailed instructions. I’m pinning the top image to Pinterest to share the love!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:47 am

      You’re so sweet. Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Kate

    August 11, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    I really wish I could eat spicy food because this looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:46 am

      You can always tame this recipe down by using less chilis.

      Reply
  5. Cait Weingartner

    August 12, 2017 at 8:51 am

    This recipe looks incredibly tasty! I’m a big fan of drumsticks, and always swap them for any type of chicken wing recipe, since to me, wings just don’t have enough meat on them to be worth the mess and effort of eating them. I’m looking forward to making these drumsticks very soon!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:46 am

      Hope you do. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Lynn Woods

    August 12, 2017 at 10:14 am

    This looks so good. I love cooking with chilies!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:45 am

      Me too. I always have dried chiles in the cupboard.

      Reply
  7. Ashley

    August 13, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    I’ve never had tamarind. Definitely need to try this!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      August 15, 2017 at 10:45 am

      You must. Tamarind is delicious!

      Reply

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