Grilled Chicken Legs with Tomato-Olive Barbecue Sauce

3.87 from 15 votes

Tender and juicy grilled chicken legs smothered in a rich tomato-olive barbecue sauce. A simple and delicious Mediterranean Diet recipe that everyone will love! I love the idea of a Greek barbecue sauce. The one below is great with chicken legs or any chicken parts destined for the grill, but also works really well with steak and pork chops.

Course dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Greek, Greek cuisine, Mediterranean diet

Keyword barbecue, chicken legs, Diane Kochilas, Greek food, Greek olive oil, grill, grilled chicken, kalamata olives, Mediterranean grill, ouzo

PREP TIME 10 minutes

COOK TIME 55 minutes

SERVES 8

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil plus 3 Tbsp. for brushing pita
2 large red onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
½ cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup Greek balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato puree
¼ cup tomato paste preferably Santorini
1/3 cup Kalamata olive paste
½ cup honey
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp. steak sauce
3 Tbsp. ouzo
Salt pepper to taste
8 chicken legs skin on, trimmed
8 pita rounds

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 1/3 cup of olive oiland cook the onions for about 10 minutes, until soft and glistening. Stir in the garlic. Pour in the vinegards, tomato puree, tomato paste, olive paste, honey, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, ouzo, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes untilthe mixture is a little thicker than ketchup. Remove from heat, divide and transger to two bowls. Let cool.
Light the broiler.
Toss the chicken legs with half the sauce. Place on a nonstick baking tray and broil 6 to 8 inches from heat source, turning on all sides, until browned, and tender, about 25 minutes total. Divide the remaining sauce into two batches and use one half to baste the chicken while broiling. Reserve the rest as a dipping sauce. Remove and keep warm for a few minutes.
Brush the pita rounds with olive oil and warm under the broiler on a baking tray or in a nonstick skillet for about a minute on each side.
Serve the grilled chicken legs with the pita and the remaining dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

For crispier skin on your grilled chicken legs, pat them dry with paper towels before seasoning. This ensures the skin gets golden and crispy on the grill.
Marinate your grilled chicken legs for extra flavor by letting them sit in the tomato-olive barbecue sauce for at least an hour before grilling.
Leftover grilled chicken legs? Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They’re great for salads or wraps the next day!