Pomegranate Molasses BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

Pomegranate Molasses BBQ Sauce

1 small can tomato paste (not ketchup)
½ cup pomegranate molasses
3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
¼ cup honey or brown sugar (less or more to your liking)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp sea salt
½ tbsp aleppo pepper – or use a chili you like (optional)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves about few sprigs
1 tbsp allspice berries
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup cup unsweetened pomegranate juice or water to thin out the sauce (more or less depending on the thickness you like)
few dashes of wistchire sauce
black pepper

Chicken Dry Rub

4 lbs chicken drumsticks .Cut two slits on each drumstick with a sharp knife
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp aleppo pepper or chili powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp all spice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups bbq sauce
a pinch of cinnamon

Directions

Pomegranate Molasses BBQ Sauce

Step 1

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and sauté until softened don’t let it burn. This step is just to flavor the olive oil.

Step 2

Add the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, blackstrap molasses, thyme, allspice, bay leaf, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, Aleppo peppers, S&P, and cinnamon stick. Stir to coat, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Taste the sauce before you add the honey or brown sugar. Adjust this step to your liking. Once it gets combined add a few dashes of wostchire sauce.

Step 3

Cook for 30 minutes on low gentle heat until all the flavors come together.

Step 4

Discard bay leaf, all spice, and cinnamon stick. we are going to use the sauce in the oven baked BBQ drumsticks for tonight’s dinner (recipe below), or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel.

Toss the chicken with the dry spices to coat. You can prepare up to this step up to 24 hours in advance. and store the chicken in the fridge.

Step 6

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

If the chicken was in the fridge allow it to come to room temperature first. Then bake the chicken for about 40 minutes before adding the BBQ sauce, until the skin gets a bit crispy and fat has started to render. Flip chicken drumsticks every 10 minutes to ensure it crisps evenly on all sides.

Step 7

With a food safe brush, lightly brush chicken with BBQ sauce, flipping its side each time you add another coat of sauce, about every 10 minutes until its gets to the crispiness you like. This process will take about 30 minutes.

Step 8

When the chicken is done, turn on your oven setting on broil. Watching carefully so its doesn’t burn broil the chicken for two minutes on each side to give it a little extra crispiness and char.

Serve with your favorite sides and Enjoy!

Photos and Recipe by Almond and Fig