Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Name: Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken drumsticks; 1 tablespoon cooking oil; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup BBQ sauce

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Grilled chicken drumsticks roasting over an open flame is as low-fuss as it is satisfying. This recipe is as easy to prepare as it is easy to customize to your own tastes. This meal is perfect for any season.

Grilled chicken drumsticks on wax paper with BBQ sauce in bowl.

Ingredients Needed

Chicken drumsticks
Flavorings of choice - BBQ sauce, chicken seasoning rub, or marinade.

Then, of course, you will need a hot grill to throw these on, and don't forget your charcoal!

How to grill them over charcoal

This is my favorite way to grill chicken, as the mild meat really takes on the flavors or the charcoal. It can be hard for novice grillmasters to cook drumsticks over charcoal since it lacks traditional temperature controls, but that can easily be overcome by the miracle of indirect heating.

To start, lite your charcoal in a charcoal chimney and after they are piping hot pour them along one side of the grill, leaving the other side vacant of coals. Set your grate on the grill and rub it lightly with cooking oil to prevent sticking.

Here is the key: Do not place the chicken directly over the coals, or they will quickly burn before the meat is cooked through. Instead, line up the chicken just off the coals to ensure they have enough heat to cook, but not enough to burn.

If your chicken is still threatening to burn, just back it up a little further away from the coals. The further you get from the coals the cooler your cooking temperature will be.

Flip and rotate your chicken every five to ten minutes, grilling for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

How to grill drumsticks on a propane grill

Grilling your chicken drumsticks over propane is easier because you have temperature control knobs. You will still want to rub your grates with cooking oil though to prevent sticking.

Aim for a cooking surface temperature around 450 degrees, but don't worry if you don't have a thermometer to monitor that. Basically, all you need to do on propane is to keep the heat as high as possible without burning the chicken. If your chicken is burning too quickly, just lower the temperature. Again, plan on grilling for about half an hour.

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken drumstick painted in barbeque sauce

If you are craving BBQ chicken drumsticks hot off the grill, have no fear, they are effortless to make. Begin by seasoning the drumsticks with salt and pepper, then grill as directed above.

In the final ten minutes start painting the drumsticks with your favorite barbeque sauce as your flip the chicken. The heat from the grill with thicken it slightly and make it wonderfully sticky.

Due to the amount of sugar in BBQ sauces you need to wait until the final minutes of grilling to coat the chicken in the sauce, otherwise, the sauce would quickly burn and your grill would be a complete mess.

Spice rubbed drumsticks

Sprice rubbed chicken drumsticks viewed from above.

When making spice-rubbed drumsticks the seasoning is added liberally prior to grilling and then cooked exactly as described in the recipe. Try any of these seasoning mixtures with your drumsticks:

Basic Chicken Seasoning
BBQ dry rub - Be careful with seasoning blends that contain a lot of sugar, as the sugar will easily burn.
Blackened chicken
Creole seasoning

Marinated drumsticks on the grill

Using your preferred chicken marinade, let the drumsticks soak in it for at least thirty minutes, up to a few hours. If your marinade contains a lot of vinegar, don't soak overnight as the vinegar can ruin the texture of the meat.

You can go easy on the seasonings when marinating chicken. Simply using salt and pepper is sufficient, or even a little paprika goes with most marinades. You want to stay away from overly strong flavors that will class with your marinade.

Once the chicken has finished marinating, discard the leftover marinade and grill the chicken as described in the recipe.

Marinated chicken drumsticks served on wax paper.

What to serve with grilled drumsticks

Expert Tips & Tricks

If you use a charcoal grill you really should have a charcoal chimney starter. These are not only the easiest way to start charcoal, it also ensures you use a consistent amount of charcoal each time which will improve your grilling.
Rubbing the grill grates with oil will help prevent the chicken from sticking while it cooks. Let the grates heat up before adding the chicken.

FAQs

How do I prevent my drumsticks from burning on the grill?

If your drumsticks are burning too easily lower the heat, or move the chicken away from the hottest part of the grill, and also flip the chicken more frequently.

How long do you grill drumsticks?

Grill chicken drumsticks for approximately thirty minutes, flipping them every five to ten minutes to prevent burning and ensure they cook evenly. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees.

Should I boil the drumsticks before grilling?

No, you absolutely do not want to boil the drumsticks prior to grilling. When the drumsticks are grilled properly they will be juicier and have more flavor. Boiling is done primarily as a crutch to ensure you don't serve undercooked chicken, but that can easily be avoided.

How do you tell if your chicken drumsticks are done?

The easiest way to tell when your drumsticks are done is with a meat thermometer. The chicken has finished cooking when it reaches 165 degrees. Alternatively, you can also tell by feeling the chicken, but this takes some experience. Raw chicken will be spongier to the touch, getting firmer as it cooks.