BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks cooked in an easy homemade BBQ sauce and then grilled to crispy, smokey perfection! An easy recipe that’s always a crowd pleaser.

Easy chicken recipes are what I serve my family most often. These BBQ Chicken Drumsticks totally fit the bill!  Some of my other favorite easy chicken recipes include Baked Chicken Caprese,  Cashew Chicken Wraps.  I love cooking with chicken because it’s a healthier, lean meat and it’s inexpensive.

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

This chicken drumsticks recipe is one of the first that I shared on my blog many years ago.  It’s my mother’s recipe and something that we ate regularly growing up. It is literally just about the cheapest dinner you can make (I can usually buy a dozen chicken legs for about $4) and everyone always loves it!

This is the perfect meal to serve at a bbq or summer potluck because it’s so inexpensive and bbq chicken goes well with just about any side dish! You can expect everyone to ask for the recipe when you serve these BBQ chicken drumsticks; they are really that good.

How many calories are in chicken drumsticks?

There are roughly 75-80 calories in one raw chicken drumstick. Once they have been soaked  in the homemade BBQ sauce, these BBQ chicken drumsticks are estimated to contain roughly 200 calories a piece.

How to make BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:

• Make the bbq sauce. Add the tomato sauce, mustard, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce to a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a gentle boil.

• Cook drumsticks. Add the chicken legs to the sauce, cover the pot, and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until just cooked through.
• Grill.  Heat a gas grill on HIGH heat. Cook the drumsticks for a minute or so on each side, rotating them, until the skin is slightly crispy and charred. This also helps give the sauce a caramelized taste and texture.
• Serve.  Serve with your favorite side dish.

Best Sides for Chicken Drumsticks:

• Traditional Potato Salad
• Roasted Vegetables
• Cucumber Onion Salad
• Perfect Mashed Potatoes

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Recipe

5 from 22 votes

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

BBQ Chicken Drumsticks cooked in an easy homemade BBQ sauce and then grilled to crispy, smokey perfection! An easy recipe that's always a crowd pleaser.

Print Pin Rate

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 208

Prep 5 mins

Cook 40 mins

Total 45 mins

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 15 ounces tomato sauce
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard
• ▢ 12 large chicken drumsticks , washed and pat dry

Instructions

 

• Add all ingredients (besides the chicken) to a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then add the raw chicken drumsticks.
• Turn heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and ladle some of the sauce into a cup.
• Prepare your grill by oiling it well and bringing it to HIGH heat.
• Once grill is hot, add chicken drumsticks. (The chicken is cooked at this point, you're just wanting to char the skin a bit). Lather some of the extra BBQ Sauce on the chicken as you grill it, and rotate the chicken drumsticks as each side becomes lightly charred. If your grill is hot enough, this should only take a few minutes!

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 15gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 337mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 2.5mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1.3mg

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*I originally shared this recipe May 2014. Updated June 2019.