The Briny Lemon: Grilled Rosemary Drumsticks with Tomato and Bean Medley

Fragrant rosemary is one of the best fresh herbs to pair with chicken. Here, I combined an ample amount with lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil to make a bright, very aromatic marinade for the drumsticks.

But let’s back up: Before marinating, give the chicken time to take a simple brine bath in salted water—the result is juicy, tender meat even after direct-heat grilling. You don’t have to brine it first, but I think the extra-succulent drumsticks make that step worth it.

The side dish in this recipe is an easy medley of black and green beans, tomatoes, scallions, and parsley, which come together easily and create a fresh (well, mostly—I used canned black beans), nutritious, and colorful bed to serve the chicken on.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup table salt
8 chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp and more for oiling grill grate
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
3 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
4 scallions
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups canned organic black beans
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Vegetables and Parsley

Preparation

In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in 4 cups of cold water. Add the drumsticks and submerge as much as possible. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
Drain the drumsticks and pat dry. Wipe out the bowl and add 1/4 cup oil, garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest. Whisk to combine. Return the drumsticks to the bowl and coat with marinade, rubbing some under the skin. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Chicken in Brine

Rosemary Marinade Mixture

Chicken Rubbed with Marinade

Light a grill for medium, direct-heat grilling, with off-heat space. Rub the grate with oil and grill the chicken, turning several times (moving off heat if flare-ups occur), until lightly charred and cooked through, 25-30 minutes, depending on size. Transfer to a plate and let rest 5 minutes.

After 1st Turn

Grilled Drumsticks

Meanwhile, cook the green beans in boiling water until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain.
Heat a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the scallions and season with salt and pepper. Sear, turning once halfway through, until browned on each side, 3-4 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken broth. Add the black beans and parboiled green beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, charred scallions, and parsley. Cook until hot throughout, about 2 minutes.