A smoky-sweet Memorial Day menu for affordable backyard grilling

Memorial Day weekend doesn’t have to mean elaborate menus or expensive cuts of meat. Some of the best gatherings happen around simple grilled food.

There’s a nostalgic happiness around a backyard grill: cut grass, glowing charcoal, drifting conversations, overloaded paper plates, kids running through the yard with sticky hands.

This menu leans into easy gathering food: inexpensive chicken legs brushed with sticky smoky glaze, alongside grilled zucchini and sweet peppers lacquered with the same sauce. Meant for lingering outside as evening stretches on, with beer in the cooler and a seat waiting.

Smoky Orange Balsamic Glaze

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

1 large orange, zest and juice

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure

Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy. Makes about 1 cup. Use on grilled meats, vegetables or as a dipping sauce.

Glazed Drumsticks

Chicken legs are technically safe to eat at 165 degrees, but they’re far better when cooked to 185 to 190 degrees. The higher temperature breaks down connective tissue for juicy, tender meat that pulls easily from the bone.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

5 pounds chicken drumsticks

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Procedure

Season the chicken with garlic, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

For the grill: Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 425 degrees. Place chicken over indirect heat and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes, until nearly cooked through and the skin is crisp. Add wood chips if desired for extra smoky flavor. Brush generously with Smoky Orange Balsamic Glaze and continue cooking 10 minutes more, turning and glazing once or twice, until sticky, caramelized and cooked through to 185 degrees.

For the oven: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray. Arrange chicken on the pan and bake 40 minutes, turning halfway through, until browned and crisp. Brush generously with glaze and return to the oven 5 to 10 minutes more, until caramelized. Chicken should reach at least 185 degrees internally. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Glazed Vegetables

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis

16 ounce bag mini sweet peppers

1 small red onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure

Slice zucchini into thick diagonal slices. Halve peppers lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut onion into thick rounds, leaving slices mostly intact. Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the grill: Grill over medium-high heat 8 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and crisp-tender. Brush with glaze during the final few minutes of cooking.

For the oven: Spread vegetables on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking, until tender and lightly caramelized. Brush with glaze during the last 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.