These baked BBQ chicken drumsticks are roasted to perfection and lacquered with a finger-lickingly sticky BBQ sauce.
I am pretty sure sticky BBQ sauce is the true nectar of the gods. No, I am not talking about any ol' BBQ sauce, I am talking about BBQ sauce the bubbles and boils under intense heat until it thickens into a sticky jam, clinging to your chicken drumsticks with more fervor than a southern revival evangelist clinging to the good book as he proclaims God's will. I'm telling you, one bite and you'll be singing "Hallelujah!"
Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
These baked bbq chicken drumsticks are deliciously simple to make, and a sure family favorite. You can use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe, however, if you are motivated enough to make your own, I recommend my Homemade BBQ sauce recipe. The amount of BBQ sauce needed will vary depending on how thickly you apply it on the chicken, but figure between 1-2 cups.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven
There are multiple ways to make BBQ chicken drumsticks in the oven. Some recipes apply the BBQ sauce right at the beginning, others apply it at the end. The benefit to applying it at the beginning is that allows the sauce to thicken in a jam, however, the skin on the chicken stays rubbery and soft. The benefit to applying the sauce at the end is it allows the skin to crisp up, but the BBQ doesn't have time to caramelize and thicken.
My baked BBQ chicken drumsticks recipe overcomes these challenges by baking at a high temperature to firm up the skin, then broiling the sauce at the end to thicken it. Broiling the sauce is the real secret to this recipe because as the sauce broils it thickens into a jam, radically intensifying the flavor.
What Temperature to Bake Chicken Drumsticks
Recipes for baked chicken drumsticks vary from 375 degrees to 450 degrees. 450 degrees is the best oven temperature for baking chicken drumsticks because the high heat is needed to prevent the chicken skin from being rubbery and soft.
How Long to Bake Chicken Drumsticks
It takes 40 minutes at 450 degrees to bake chicken drumsticks. However, this cooking time can vary depending on the size of your drumsticks. Drumsticks baked at a lower temperature will take longer to cook. It is always recommended to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
How to Get Crispy Chicken Skin
Baking chicken drumsticks at 450 degrees is a great way to firm up the skin. However, if you want truly crispy skin the secret is to broil it.
Bonus Tip: I did not include this in the recipe, to keep it simple for everyone, however, if you want maximum crispiness, after 40 minutes of baking broil the drumsticks on all sides until the skin is crisp. Then add the BBQ sauce and broil until the sauce thickens into a jam.
Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
If the idea of messing with your broiler intimidates you, or you just decide that you don't have the energy for it, you can make this recipe easier by just applying the BBQ sauce directly to the drumsticks after 30 minutes and then return them back to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes. Easy peasy, hassle-free, and still delicious!
Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place chicken in a large bowl and add oil and seasonings then toss to evenly coat.
- Set drumsticks on a large rimmed baking sheet so they are not touching each other and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and set broiler to high.
- Generously slather BBQ sauce over the chicken and place on the middle oven rack and broil for 5 minutes, rotating and removing from heat as needed to prevent burning.
- Flip drumsticks over and slather the other side with BBQ sauce and repeat the broiling process again for 5 minutes.
- Chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees and BBQ sauce has thickened into a sticky jam.
- Let cool briefly and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Jenny and Luke
My husband was so happy with this recipe that he told me I needed to respond about how well it worked. The temperature of our chicken legs (pretty hefty sized) was 200 degrees after following directions. You would think it could be dry, but it was soooo juicy and the gooey bbq sauce after the broiling was delish! We used Sweet Baby Rays because this was last minute. Will try the recipe on here next time. Thank you for a simple and amazing chicken recipe for the holiday.
Kris
My kids LOVE your recipe and it's so delicious I won't cook it any other way now! Thank you for the awesome explanations and recipe!
Kay
PERFECT! My family approved 100%!!!!! Moist inside, crispy skin outside. Will make again, definitely.
David K
Perfect! I was searching for the ideal baked drumsticks recipe for a family party where we compete for the best entree. Drumsticks are ALWAYS a hit but never win because of the skin turning to goo.
Foodie, you were spot on and the results were over the top!
I don't like the SUPER sweet BBQ sauce so I use a thinner base. The results was a very Cuban chicken looking drumsticks! Middle rack for the final broil put the icing on this wonderful dish.
Thank you. I bet I win this year!!!!
Kris
Great explanations of cooking process, delicious recipe!
Lisa Gagliano Dawson
Not only was the result fantastic--Best BBQ Oven Chicken Ever--the directions were so clear and precise that it calmed my fears of having dry chicken after cooking it for 40 minutes in a 450 degree oven (something I had obviously never done before). The explanations behind the method made me feel more confident. The chicken was so moist (even when the skin looked dry) that I had no qualms slathering on BBQ sauce and broiling it some more. I got rave reviews. Finally, BBQ chicken from the oven without the nasty rubbery skin ruining it. Thanks Fox Valley Foodie for sharing your recipe and the great explanations!
Candace
This was great!