IT’S GAME TIME!! I have to say, aside from holiday feasts game days are the absolute BEST excuse to roll out the red carpet for all your favorite snacks, sides, dips, sauces, meats, drinks and everything in between. If there’s any game day traditions that I have, making sure to have PLENTY of sauced-up barbecued things within an arms reach and lots of paper towels ready to go is 100% one of them. In this post I’ll walk you through two recipes that have been on my mind and have my stomach raring for me to finish this post to get back to the game… Before we get into the post, I’d love to know if you guys have any fun game day traditions or tailgating essentials that you would like to share with me and maybe I’ll put it/them in a future game day themed post! leave a comment down below or on my instagram page to let me know! Ok, lets do this!
I present to you the some seriously beautiful chicken.
Ok, now that you’re hooked and have seen just how incredible the chicken is, it’s time to show you how this all came to be with a little help from The Home Depot and my Traeger Pro 575.
We’re first going to tackle the “Herbaceous Chicken”, so start out by slicing up the red onions, cilantro, Italian parsley, and a lime.
Season with a generous amount of salt, cracked black pepper, and a splash of olive oil, then add in the chicken drumsticks and give it a vigorous mixing of flavors with your hands…
After they’re massaged to perfection, lay the seasoned chicken down on a tray and let them sit for 1 hour in the fridge, covered. Repeat this process with the chicken wings and its respective flavors. > check ingredient list
Now that the chicken is ready to go, I’ve fired up my Traeger Pro 575 with their applewood pellets (perfect for bbq ribs btw) to 450f and will be grilling these beauties for about 30-45 minutes. 30 minutes for the wings and about 35-45 minute for the drumsticks depending on their size.
side note: The Traeger Pro 575 has a “WiFIRE” feature that allows you to control the grill through your smartphone! This is very very helpful when game day gets way too exciting to be stuck outside grilling and especially for long cooking times that need adjustment half way through. I knew the future would be delicious…lol
SAUCE TIME! Ok, chicken is on the grill getting all smokey and golden, this is the perfect time to get the tossing sauces RTG (ready to go). First up is the herb sauce for the drumsticks. Both of these sauces are insanely easy btw… For the green sauce, add in the cilantro, parsley, olive oil, avocado, a lime slice, and salt to taste.
Blend on the highest setting on your blender to achieve and smooth green puree.
Next up is the “Hot Wing” sauce. I’m not even going to make this one difficult because it really shouldn’t have to be for a sauce like this, but I understand that there are people out there that really take hot wing sauce to another level…this sauce is just what the doctor ordered, but won’t win an award with it…OK! Now that that’s over with, get a saucepan on medium heat and add in your apple cider vinegar and reduce by half.
add in the butter, smoked paprika, chili powder, honey, and tobacco sauce. Continue to cook on medium heat for 3-4 for minutes until ingredients blend together.
Now that the sauces are done, its time to coat up the chicken! The amount of sauce that you put on the chicken is totally up to you and your love for sauce…I tend to go a bit overboard, but that’s just me. Just make sure that every piece of chicken at least gets a solid kiss from the sauce. Hot wings are up first!
Time for the green sauce! Go green baby!
DONEZO! I love me some hot wings, but these herbed-up drumsticks really are a winner. Imagine this all shredded up and thrown into a taco? Maybe even a tostada OR warm chicken salad? I'm a big fan of versatility in recipes, so this recipe in particular is major keeper for that reason alone. The wings on the other hand are just a downright essential.
Another great day thanks to a little bit of creativity, some elbow grease, hungry friends and family, game day essentials, and my Traeger Pro 575. I also got a chance to play around with the Google Home Hub (on the right) that I got from Home Depot and its perfect to keep track of stats from other games without draining my phone battery! Plus like a million other things, lol. I hope you have a GREAT game day and next time you’re at your local Home Depot for an extra pair of wrenches or roses for the patio, check out what they have to amp up your game day essentials too!
Hot Wings:
- 4-5lb whole chicken wings
- 3 holland red pepper split lengthwise
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 4 tbsp paprika
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp canola or olive oil
Hot Sauce:
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 5-6 tbsp tobacco sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- salt to taste
Herbaceous Drumsticks:
- 4-5lb Chicken Legs (Drumsticks)
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 tbsp chopped cilantro and Italian parsley
- 1 lime, sliced
- 3 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp canola or olive oil
Herb Sauce:
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley and cilantro
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 of an avocado
- 1 lime slice
- salt to taste
