Sunshine Drumsticks

Five minutes of prep. Five hours of doing absolutely nothing. Twelve fall-off-the-bone drumsticks.

Skinned chicken drumsticks go into the crockpot with frozen orange juice concentrate, honey, sliced jalapeno, and quick-cooking tapioca that thickens the sauce as it cooks. By the time you come back, the chicken is meltingly tender and coated in a glossy, sweet-heat glaze.

This is weeknight dinner at its most effortless. Serve over rice to catch every drop of that sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Use frozen orange juice concentrate straight from the can. Don’t dilute it. The concentrated citrus is what gives the sauce its punch.
• The tapioca thickens the sauce so it coats the drumsticks instead of running off. Don’t skip it.
• Remove the jalapeno seeds for mild heat, or leave them in if you want some real zing.
• Skin the drumsticks before cooking. The skin turns rubbery in a slow cooker and nobody wants that.