The good news is in! Chicken skin and dark meat actually holds some nutritional value.
When everyone was avoiding fat, the chicken drumstick got a bad rap. Poultry dark meat was shunned for the leaner white meat—and most people discarded chicken skin as well.
Here’s the facts: Chicken dark meat is richer in nutrients and contains more zinc and iron than white meat. Zinc is a trace mineral that’s found in every cell of your body and is needed for growth and reproduction. Zinc supports the immune system, heals wounds, and helps maintain your sense of taste and smell. Iron is critical because it helps transport oxygen throughout the body. Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails.
Dark meat is also rich in vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and minerals like selenium and phosphorus. And, it contains more taurine than white meat.
I love chicken drumsticks because they are a great tasting finger food. I like a barbecued drumstick hot or cold. I’ll even eat a drumstick for breakfast.
I like to purchase eight drumsticks, specifically so I can have leftovers. I also wrap the ends of the thigh with bacon because many times the skin is short, exposing the drumstick meat to grill heat, which dries it out. With that background, the recipe is below.
Bacon-Wrapped Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 drumsticks (preferably antibiotic and hormone free)
- 8 slices of center-cut bacon
- 8 toothpicks
- Sea salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- Pre-heat the grill to a low to medium temperature (about 300 degrees)
- Pull the chicken skin toward the fat end of each thigh
- Rub each thigh with sea salt and pepper
- Wrap one slice of bacon around the end of each thigh to cover exposed meat
Cooking
- Spray your grill with non-stick coating, make for grilling
- Arrange the thighs on the grill
- Turn thighs every 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how your grill cooks
- Cook until no pink juices are coming from the drumsticks
Total cooking time is 30 to 45 minutes.
Enjoy the entire drumstick and the bacon as well. Savor every bite!
