Go Back
–+ servings
Grilled barbecue chicken drumsticks with charred skin and caramelized glaze on brown butcher paper

Classic Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

Grilled chicken drumsticks seasoned with oil and chicken rub, charred over direct heat, basted with barbecue sauce in layers to build a sticky glaze, then finished on indirect heat to 185°F for fall-apart tender dark meat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
  • 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil
  • 2-3 tbsp chicken seasoning or rub your favorite
Glaze
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce your favorite

Equipment

  • Grill
  • Instant-Read Thermometer
  • Basting brush

Method
 

  1. Mix olive oil with chicken seasoning in a large bowl. Add drumsticks and massage until fully coated.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Place drumsticks over direct heat and cook, flipping every 4-5 minutes to develop even char.
  3. Once charred, baste tops with barbecue sauce. Flip and baste other side. Continue flipping and basting until each side has been coated about twice, letting sauce caramelize 30 seconds before each flip.
  4. Move glazed drumsticks to indirect heat. Cook until internal temperature reaches 185°F.
  5. Remove from grill and rest a few minutes before serving.

Notes

185°F for dark meat: Drumsticks need 185°F for the collagen to break down into gelatin. That is what creates the juicy, fall-apart texture.
Sauce timing: Build the char on plain seasoned chicken first. Adding BBQ sauce too early burns the sugar.
Layer the glaze: Two coats per side with 30-second caramelize time between flips builds a thick, sticky glaze.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!