- 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems (~1 bunch)
- 1 1/4 cups packed basil leaves (~4 oz container)
- 1/4 cup packed mint leaves (~0.75 oz container)
- 4 tablespoons of Red Boat fish sauce
- 3-4 peeled garlic cloves
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 lime
- plenty of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper (or sub with a mix of sweet paprika and cayenne or ancho chili pepper to desired spiciness)
- 2 tablespoons of apple juice (or 1 teaspoon of maple syrup if you’re not on a Whole30)
- Kosher salt
- 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks or thighs
Preparation
Step 1
Here’s what I gathered to make enough grilled drumsticks to feed 4-6 people.
I gathered the ingredients and made the marinade by combining the onion, cilantro, basil, mint, fish sauce, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and apple juice into a blender and pureed until smooth. I tasted for seasoning and added salt to taste. Since I was using it as a marinade, I was more heavy-handed with the salt than I normally would be if it was used as a sauce.
I placed the chicken in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and poured the marinade over it.
I let the chicken marinate overnight (marinate for at least an hour and up to a day).
The next day, I took the chicken out of the fridge an hour before I was ready to grill it. (If you are baking the chicken, roast on a wire rack for ~35-45 minutes at 400 F. Start with skin-side down, and flip skin-side up at the 20 minute mark.)
The gas grill was set on high and after the chicken was placed on the grates, the temperature was immediately decreased to low.
The chicken was grilled for approximately 25 minutes (or until the internal temperature reached 165 F) turning every 5-7 minutes. But be patient: Don’t go and flip the bird (legs, that is) before they naturally release from the grill surface — otherwise, you’ll leave a lot of tasty, crispy, marinated skin stuck on the grates!
I served the drumsticks with lime wedges.
Try this recipe — you won’t be sorry!