Summer is the perfect time for tasty BBQ recipes and a crisp, refreshing salad. You might think of getting out and grilling some BBQ chicken, but sometimes it’s nice to stay inside and enjoy this oven-baked Halal Chicken with tangy and smokey homemade BBQ sauce; and if that isn’t enough, you can round out this delicious summer meal with a cool Greek inspired pasta salad.
If you want to use a premade BBQ sauce, then by all means, enjoy it and it can save you a ton of time on this recipe, but we made our own because it’s always nice to be able to adjust to your own tastes. We tossed a few packages of Midamar’s Zabiha Halal Chicken Drumsticks into the oven on a lined baking sheet, and while they bake, that’s plenty of time to mix together a sauce.
We stuck with a simple mix of some classics, ketchup, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce just to name a few key ingredients give it a mix of tanginess with a bit of spice, and brown sugar and honey add a delicious sweetness. While the sauce simmers and everything comes together, it’s a great opportunity to taste it and adjust your seasoning. This isn’t a complicated sauce, and a few tasty seasonings go a long way, plus it’s always fun to make your own sauce!
When the chicken is almost done baking, baste your drumsticks in this savory sauce, and let it bake for a little while longer until the sauce bakes to the outside and the inside finishes cooking through. This also gives you a chance to make the pasta salad.
We made a Greek inspired tortellini pasta salad, and it was the perfect complement to the warm and smokey drumsticks. It’s a simple mix of cooked tortellini with some Mediterranean classics like tomato, cucumber, feta, and olives and it is delicious! I love a cool pasta salad in the summer; it’s a cookout favorite for me personally and it always goes well with barbecue.
When the salad is done and the chicken’s cooked, serve it all together with some favorite chips and you’re all set to enjoy some cookout favorites, but from the comfort of your kitchen. After nice long bake, the chicken is super tender and juicy, and the sauce is savory, sweet, and smokey all at once and contrasts perfectly with the cool, refreshing flavors of the pasta and veggies.
What are some of your favorite summer recipes? We’d love to hear them in the comments and maybe give them a try for ourselves if we haven’t already. We hope you enjoy these two great summer recipes as much as we did!
