Sweet-&-Sour Chicken Drumsticks

From EatingWell: July/August 2007 — Subscribe Now!

Chicken drumsticks stay deliciously moist when grilled—even with the skin removed. Minty sweet-and-sour dipping sauce adds a refreshing twist to “ordinary” grilled chicken. Make it a meal: Serve with brown rice and slices of fresh pineapple.

4 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
8 chicken drumsticks, (about 2 pounds), skin removed, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Broiler Variation, below.)
To prepare dipping sauce, combine orange zest, orange juice, water, honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and coriander in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the saucepan and return to a boil, whisking until thickened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in mint.
Sprinkle drumsticks with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the drumsticks until crispy on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total. Serve the drumsticks with the dipping sauce on the side. Broiler variation: Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat broiler to high. Prepare sauce (Step 2). Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle drumsticks with salt and pepper (Step 3), then broil, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total.

Tips & Notes

To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Don't use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 255 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 93 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 1 g fiber; 389 mg sodium; 315 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (27% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1 other carbohydrate