Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Radishes & Asparagus

If you make it past the little family table anecdote I am about to recount, then you will find a simple dinner recipe that needs to go on your week’s menu plan.

It’s inspired by maple season, of course, but combines classic French flavours – lemon, garlic, mustard and tarragon – into a sticky glaze for pan-roasted chicken drumsticks. Spring vegetables roast alongside the chicken and are tossed in the pan juices just before serving.

We’ve been loving it with roasted radishes, potatoes, asparagus and sweet potatoes; basically, whatever we can get our hands on this time of year.

On a side note, I had forgotten how much I enjoy chicken with tarragon and now I must remake an old favourite for entertaining, Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. The roasted garlic perfumes the whole house and marries with cream and tarragon for a sauce that garners your guests’ full attention.

But back to my story, and then the recipe. Read on!

Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Radishes & Asparagus :: Simple Bites

We’ve always been a roast chicken kind of family – as in, it’s a mainstay of our dinners – usually this hugely popular Lemon & Oregano Roast Chicken. Roasting a chicken is always a comforting sort of simple cooking, whether it be for a Sunday night supper or a harvest feast in the garden with friends.

For the longest time, carving a roast chicken was simple, too: the boys each received a drumstick, I carved up the breast for Danny and myself, and the leftovers were reserved for soup. For some reason, the drumstick was the kids’ highly preferred cut, and that was all fine and dandy…until Clara came along, took notice, and demanded her fair share.

From then on, every time I carved a roast chicken there was a drumstick dilemma. Two drumsticks, three kids, and a mama who just wanted to enjoy dinner in peace. (I know, I know, talk about a first world problem.)

One night, the children came to the table and each one had a drumstick on their Skip Hop Zoo plate. Clara scanned the table and then looked at me in astonishment. “Mama! How did you get THREE drumsticks from a chicken?”

Well you and I both know what happened; earlier at the butcher, I had opted for a family pack of drumsticks instead of the usual whole chicken. I didn’t have a carcass for soup, but I had the cold drumsticks leftover for school lunches. And best of all? No squabbling.

Sometimes, it’s the little things, and today, the little things are these Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks.

Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Radishes & Asparagus :: Simple Bites

Easy Maple Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Radishes & Asparagus

An easy sheet-pan supper that is perfect for spring and loved by the whole family.
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gluten-free
Essential Ingredient: Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
  • 1/2 pound radishes
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 small cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 2-3 branches fresh tarragon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Pat chicken with paper towel until it is thoroughly dry. Season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange on an oiled rimmed baking sheet with plenty of space between the drumsticks.
  • Trim the tops and roots of the radishes, and cut the larger ones in half. Toss with one teaspoon of olive oil. Scatter on the baking sheet among the pieces of chicken. Place the pan in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, mince the garlic and then pulverize on a cutting board until it is a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the maple, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
  • When the 15 minutes are up, remove the pan from the oven. Brush chicken and radishes generously with the maple-mustard sauce. Return the pan to the oven and roast the chicken for another 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, trim the asparagus to spears 3-4 inches long. Reserve the ends for soup or vegetable stock. Place asparagus in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  • When the second 15 minutes are up, open the oven, slide the pan out and tip the asparagus onto the pan. Quickly arrange it around the chicken and return everything to the oven.
  • Roast asparagus for between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on how thick it is. It should be bright green. Remove the pan from the oven and turn off the heat. Sprinkle chopped tarragon over the entire pan.
  • Using a sturdy pair of tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Toss the radishes and asparagus in the pan juices and keep them warm in the oven.
  • To serve, arrange the roasted vegetables around the platter of chicken and serve hot.

Notes

May be made with honey as a replacement for the maple syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal

april-eat-seasonal-collage

Eat Seasonal: April

Our seasonal eating group of bloggers are back, with more inspiration for cooking and baking this month:

Happy seasonal eating in April, friends!

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28 Comments

  1. This is a great story — I often have drumstick dilemmas in my house, too. 🙂 These look amazing and I love the flavors you’ve got going on. This is such a bright, beautiful dish!

  2. 5 stars
    Such an amazing recipe – love the idea of roasted radish and asparagus and the color combination is phenomenal. Love that your little one asked you how you got THREE drumsticks from a chicken – too cute 🙂

  3. Hi Aimee, This looks delicious! I love the flavor combinations. Do you think it might work with chicken breasts, as well?

  4. 5 stars
    My husband and I just had this for dinner tonight…So simple and so delicious! I served it with some sweet potato biscuits.

  5. 5 stars
    I was inspired from your post of fresh asparagus, which I had just picked up while doing my weekly shop. The link to this recipe was perfect timing, so I made this for dinner tonight. I used halved small red potatoes instead of radishes, added some green beans (because I didn’t have enough asparagus), and used chicken breasts as that’s what I had on hand. My family and I loved how the flavour from the mustard and maple syrup infused onto everything. I am also happy that there was only one dish to wash up afterwards. This will be added to our rotational meals. Thanks

  6. 5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner Aimee, and it was fantastic. My partner couldn’t stop raving about the maple mustard glaze and I loved the taste of the veggies with it too. Definitely going into our weekly rotation! 🙂