Roasted BBQ Drumsticks with Cowboy Beans

I had been salivating over these cowboy beans for over a week and finally had had the time to make this them.  Hooray!  Let me tell you, these beans were awesome!  I would make them again in a heartbeat  If you are having a cookout or a picnic, these make a great side and they were super easy!

Now the chicken on the other hand…..it wasn’t bad but, I would make a couple of small changes next time.  The recipe comes from Cooking Light and I was dubious when I saw the sauce ingredients.  There were no seasonings other than a pinch of pepper in the “BBQ sauce”.  My gut told me to tweak it.  However, the first time I ever try something, I like to follow the recipe to the letter.  I want to know if it actually needs any fiddling before I go changing things.  Well this one DID!  Next time I would add a pinch of garlic powder, a pinch of chili powder, and a pinch of cayenne.  The sauce made as-is in the recipe, basically just tastes like tomato paste.  If you add some seasoning though, this could be a super easy go to dish that is no muss, no fuss!  I will be presenting the recipe just as it was when I followed it.

TIP for taking the skin off the chicken:

A common problem with drumsticks is the skin.  The skin is delicious but, it just isn’t good for you if you are trying to lose weight.  I learned a little trick about how to easily remove the skin from them and have never looked back.  With a paper towel in each hand, hold the end of the leg with one paper toweled hand and pull the skin back with the other paper toweled hand.  It pulls right off in like 2 seconds!  So easy!

Roasted BBQ Drumsticks with Cowboy Beans

Ingredients

8 skinless chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup unsalted ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 (15-ounce) can unsalted pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Combine tomato paste, soy sauce, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Brush half of soy sauce mixture over chicken; bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Turn, brush with remaining soy sauce mixture, and bake at 450° for 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ketchup, and next 6 ingredients (through paprika); bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add beans; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Serve with drumsticks.