Grilled Asian Citrus Drumsticks
This season, consider bringing a touch of the Far East to your next barbecue by grilling chicken that has been marinated with flavorful Asian ingredients. Brushing the thickened marinade on during the second half of the grilling process, coats the chicken with a mouthwatering sweet and sticky citrus glaze. And for perfectly grilled chicken, do try my sister Ronnie’s trick which is partially baking the chicken in the oven prior to grilling. Guaranteed succulent chicken every time and best of all, no flare-ups on the grill!
Recipe Adapted from: Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs via Cooking Light Magazine-June 2005
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs via Cooking Light Magazine-June 2005
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 10 chicken drumsticks
Asian Marinade
- 1 cup orange juice fresh-squeezed if possible
- 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh-squeezed if possible
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh-squeezed if possible
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned brown rice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 green onion sliced
- Oil for grilling
Garnishes
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 orange sliced
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 1 lime cut into slices
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place drumsticks in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients .
- Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat . Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to 1 day), turning occasionally and spooning marinade over chicken.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chicken in another 9 x 13-inch baking dish that has been lightly coated with olive oil spray. (There will be a thin coating of marinade clinging to the chicken .)
- Bake drumsticks for 15 minutes, uncovered .
- While chicken is baking, make glaze. Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Continue boiling for about 10 minutes or until marinade is reduced and thickened into a glaze, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool .
- Prepare grill for direct-medium heat. Lightly oil rack. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes .
- Brush chicken all over with glaze. Turn chicken over once for even cooking, brushing with additional glaze. Grill chicken for approximately 10 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F .
- Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes, covered to bring up to temperature.
- Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Garnish with green onion, orange, lemon and lime slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: chicken may be marinated up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat cooked chicken covered at 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until hot. May be frozen for up to 4 months. Marinade may be prepared up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.
Partially cooking chicken before grilling prevents flare-ups. I learned this trick from my sister Ronnie who is a fantastic cook. Chicken that has been marinated with ingredients containing sugars (such as the orange juice and hoisin sauce) can easily burn on the grill. Starting the cooking process in the oven and then brushing with the marinade during the second half of the grilling process produces more evenly cooked chicken with succulent meat and a delightfully crispy skin. Try it!
Weather not cooperating? This chicken will also be quite delicious made in the oven. Bake chicken with the marinade at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. (turning occasionally and basting with pan juices) For a crispier skin, broil for about a minute, turning for even browning. Optional: before broiling, remove chicken from the oven and boil the marinade (as directed above). Brush on chicken on all sides and broil for about a minute. Watch carefully.
Other grilled chicken dishes you may like are: Sweet ‘n Tangy BBQ Chicken, Chicken ‘n Vegetable Souvlaki and Grilled Za’atar Chicken with Tzatziki.
