Step up your tailgate game by ditching wings slathered in goopy sauce for more meaty drumsticks bathed in a naturally sweet apricot glaze. If you’re looking to kick some calories from your game day feast, consider peeling off the skin from the drumsticks before sending them to the flames.
CHEF’S TIP: When spreading sauces that contain sugar on your meats, wait until the last few minutes of cooking. If you add them too early, you risk serving your bird with a burned crust.
Ingredients
½ cup dried apricots
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 zest of lime
1/2 lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp allspice
salt, to taste
12 chicken drumsticks
Directions
Place apricots and ¾ cup boiled water in a blender; let sit 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, lime zest and juice, garlic, ginger, chili powder, allspice, and salt; blend until smooth. If needed, add additional hot water, 1 tbsp at a time, to help with blending.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. Grease grill grate. Place drumsticks on grill and cook 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Slather on apricot sauce and continue to grill until meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F, about 5 minutes more. (Or bake drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 400°F oven until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, brushing on sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.)
