Apple-Smoked Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chicken drumsticks sit in a thick spiced yogurt marinade, then cook low and slow at 250°F over apple wood until they hit 175°F internal. The yogurt sets into a deep red-brown crust, the smoke gets right down to the bone, and the whole thing needs one bowl and a spoon. A short blast of high heat at the end tightens the skin.

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 10)
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or sweet paprika)
• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 3 chunks apple wood chunks (or 2 cups apple wood chips)
• 3 tbsp ghee, melted (or melted butter)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, Kashmiri chili powder and salt. Add the drumsticks and turn to coat every surface. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
2. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F (120°C) and add the apple wood chunks to the coals or wood tray. Wait until the smoke runs thin and blue, not white and billowing, before the chicken goes on.
3. Lift the drumsticks out and let the excess marinade drip off — you want a clinging coat, not puddles. Arrange them on the grate at least 1 inch apart, thick ends toward the hotter side of the smoker.
4. Close the lid and smoke undisturbed for 1 hour 15 minutes. Resist opening it; the yogurt coat needs uninterrupted low heat to set into a crust.
5. Brush the drumsticks all over with the melted ghee and continue smoking until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part (not touching bone) reads 175°F (79°C), another 30 to 45 minutes. Dark meat is juiciest at this temperature, not at 165°F.
6. For crisper skin, open the vents or add a few coals to bring the smoker to 350°F (175°C) and cook 10 minutes more, turning once.
7. Rest the drumsticks on a platter for 5 minutes, then scatter with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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