BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumstick Recipe

Name: BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumstick Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 10 chicken drumsticks (about 3.5 pounds total); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

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Chicken drumsticks are coated in a homemade BBQ seasoning blend, brushed with BBQ sauce, and grilled outside on a gas grill! This grilled chicken drumstick recipe is the perfect summertime grilling recipe for your next backyard cookout!

BBQ grilled chicken drumsticks recipe cooked and on a round plate, on top of brown parchment paper, a dish towel is in the corner and a basting brush with bbq sauce is in the top left corner.

Making a grilled chicken drumstick recipe is a must for summertime cooking. Drumsticks are meaty and full of flavor, and are usually far less expensive than boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs!

For those reasons, I make grilled chicken drumsticks several times throughout the summer. BBQ chicken drumsticks are one of my favorite chicken recipes, and I love making my own BBQ dry rub for them.

My delicious grilled chicken drumstick recipe pairs well with my Pesto Pasta Salad, Feta & White Bean Salad, and my Roasted Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts!

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⭐Why you'll love this recipe
🥘Ingredients
🔪Equipment needed
📋How to make BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
🍗Substitutions
⏲️Storage
💭Top tips
🥗Side dishes
👪Frequently asked questions
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BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumstick Recipe
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⭐Why you'll love this recipe

This is a quick and easy recipe!
This recipe calls for basic ingredients that are regularly found in your pantry and spice drawer.
Grilled chicken drumsticks are the perfect main dish for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and every summer weekend in between!

🥘Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks - You'll want to purchase bone-in, skin-on, fresh chicken drumsticks from the grocery store. Chicken drumsticks contain dark meat and they are not the same as whole chicken legs. Grilled chicken legs contain both the thigh and the drumstick and are obviously much larger than a drumstick.
Homemade BBQ spice rub - The BBQ seasoning blend contains, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, yellow mustard powder, brown sugar, kosher salt and black pepper.
Olive oil - You'll use the olive oil to lightly oil the outside of the chicken and also to oil the grill grates.
Your favorite barbecue sauce - You'll need your favorite, bottled barbecue sauce or your own homemade BBQ sauce! I prefer a thick and sweet BBQ sauce. Rib Rack Original BBQ Sauce is my favorite!

*See recipe card for exact quantities.

🔪Equipment needed

Gas grill - I cook on a gas grill that uses propane as the heat source. This recipe has not been tested on a charcoal grill.
Large grilling tongs - You'll need tongs to flip the chicken while it's cooking on the hot grill.
Small mixing bowl

📋How to make BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Step 1: Preheat your grill using medium-high heat. You'll want the grill temperature to stay at about 400°F. A consistent grill temperature can be tricky to achieve. You'll have to play around with the level of heat and watch the thermometer on your grill.

Clean and oil your grill grates like you normally would. Remember, a little bit of oil goes a long way! I prefer to put a small amount of vegetable oil on a napkin. I then turn the heat down to low, and rub the oiled napkin onto the top of the grill grates using grilling tongs.

Step 2: Remove the drumsticks from the package. Pat both sides of the drumsticks dry with a paper towel. Lay them out on a flat surface. I laid them out on a baking sheet.

Step 3: Mix together the BBQ seasoning blend. Add all of the seasonings and the brown sugar to a small bowl and mix them together.

BBQ seasoning blend in a glass bowl with a whisk and a red and white striped dish towel in the corner.

Step 4: Lightly brush the olive oil onto both sides of the drumsticks.

Step 5: Liberally season all sides of the drumsticks with the spice mixture. I use my hands to really press the seasoning onto the drumsticks.

Uncooked chicken drumsticks coated in dry bbq seasoning on a sheet pan.

Step 6: Transfer the chicken drumsticks to the hot grill. Cook the drumsticks over medium heat, keeping the grill at about 400°F, for 20 minutes. Check the chicken every 5 minutes. Flip it a few times during the 20 minutes, and make sure it isn't burning.

Step 7: After 20 minutes, open the grill and carefully brush your favorite BBQ sauce onto the drumsticks, using a spoon or a basting brush. Return the drumsticks to the heat and continue cooking them for another 10 minutes.

Step 8: After 30 minutes of cooking time, check the internal temperature of the chicken using a digital meat thermometer. Grilled chicken drumsticks should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Step 9: The drumsticks should now have flavorful and crispy skin, and be juicy and tender on the inside! Remove the drumsticks from the grill and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.

🍗Substitutions

Chicken - This is a grilled drumsticks recipe, but you could use the dry rub in this recipe on chicken wings, grilled chicken thighs, or chicken legs.
Homemade seasoning blend - If you don't want to make your own seasoning, then you could just buy a BBQ seasoning blend.
Olive oil - The olive oil could be swapped out for any kind of vegetable oil.

⏲️Storage

Leftover grilled chicken drumsticks can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed, airtight container for 3-4 days. I prefer to remove the meat from the bone before storing them, but you don't absolutely have to do that!

Leftover BBQ chicken is delicious in salad, in a sandwich wrap or on it's own!

💭Top tips

Grilling is a hands-ON cooking technique. I find that I have to keep a very close eye on my food that is grilling to prevent burning. You never know when a flame can flare up and char the outside of your food.
Do not add excessive amounts of oil to anything that is getting grilled. The oil can drip down onto the flames and catch fire. This almost always results in heavily charred food and can be very dangerous!
If you're looking to add some heat to this recipe, then add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your seasoning blend.
If you have leftovers, remove the meat from the bone before storing in the refrigerator. I find it is much harder to remove meat from the bone once it has chilled in the fridge. If you remove it while the drumsticks are still at room temperature, you'll have meat that can easily be warmed up the next day and ready to eat!

🥗Side dishes

A delicious grilled chicken drumstick recipe like this one can be served with so many different side dishes! My favorite side dishes for BBQ chicken are baked beans, pasta salad, grilled vegetables, potato wedges, fresh salad and just about any cooked green vegetable!

👪Frequently asked questions

How long to BBQ chicken drumsticks?

I find that 30 minutes at 400°F is the perfect amount of time! Always check for doneness using a digital meat thermometer though. If your chicken isn't cooked through yet, then keep adding on 5 minutes to your cooking time until it's done.

Why are my BBQ chicken drumsticks tough?

If your chicken legs or drumsticks are tough, it is most likely due to the fact that the drumstick and leg contains more muscle than the chicken breast does. The muscle breaks down during cooking, making it more tender and easier to chew.