The BEST BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe is cooked in a simple homemade BBQ sauce and then grilled for that crispy skin we love. This is an easy and affordable recipe that’s always a crowd pleaser.
Bring on all the grilling recipes like Steak Kabobs, Cedar Plank Salmon, Fish Tacos, and Hawaiian Bowls.
Our BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are Finger-Licking Good
Our BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are Finger-Licking GoodThis easy BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe is my Mom’s recipe that she made regularly for us growing up. It’s one of the oldest recipes I shared on my blog.
Why you’ll love this recipe: it’s super flavorful since the chicken is first cooked bbq sauce, it pairs with any side dish, and is one of the cheapest meals (a dozen chicken legs only costs about $8). We love serving chicken legs at a BBQ or summer potluck and they get gobbled up so fast.
How to make BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:
Make BBQ Sauce: Add tomato sauce, mustard, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce to a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add Drumsticks to the sauce, cover pot and cook for about 20-30 minutes, or just until cooked through.
Grill and Serve: Heat a gas grill over HIGH heat. Cook the drumsticks for a minute or so on each side, rotating them, allowing the sauce to caramelize and the skin to crisp and char.
Serve Chicken Drumsticks with:
- Coleslaw
- Buttermilk cornbread or Flakey Biscuits
- Baked Potato Salad
- Pesto Tortellini
- Grilled Corn Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Baked Beans
- Whipped Feta with Roasted Vegetables
- Wedge Salad
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Recipe
BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 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 , pat dry
Instructions
- BBQ Sauce: tomato sauce, sugars, soy sauce, vinegar and mustard to a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add chicken drumsticks. Reduce 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.
- Grill: Clean grill and grease the grill grates well with oil. Heat to high heat. Once hot, add chicken drumsticks. (The chicken is cooked at this point, you're just wanting to char the skin). 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!
- Serve with your favorite BBQ side dishes.
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe May 2014. Updated June 2019 and June 2024.
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My kids love this recipe!
looks good. easy to make.
thanks.
This is almost exactly what I do with my grilled chicken (and similar to how I do grilled ribs). Cooking the meats first, then browning and caramelizing on the grill. The added bonus is the meat is never dried out.
Delicious !!! I made this BBQ for my daughter’s birthday dinner but used bone in chicken breasts instead of drumsticks. The whole family loved their BBQ chicken. Thank you for a new favorite recipe.
I’ve scanned thru your recipes & am very impressed. So much so that I have decided to subscribe. Blessings
I’m wanting to make this for a family party cooking up. How could I prep them earlier on the day? Could I cook them on the sauce and then refrigerate? Thanks!
I’d suggest preparing the sauce a day ahead and then cooking them just before eating (I just don’t love reheated chicken). But that would be fine too.
My kids devoured it. So simple and delicious. Thank you!
Great recipe I did mine under the broiler, no BBQ, keep an eye they cook really fast and they were delicious
These are so good! Everyone loved them. Will be making this recipe again very soon.
Loved the Barbecued drumsticks!!
TY!!!!!!
So delicious!! Such a quick easy recipe, perfect for a busy weeknight. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you! such a simple recipe and it came out just as expected.
Great recipe! So easy and delicious – and again, quite flexible to adjust to your taste! I added Frank’s RedHot sauce, and a bottled barbecue sauce for basting. My family raved about this – Excellent! 5 stars! Make this again, Mom! and much more! So thanks so much, Lauren, for the wonderful recipe and an inexpensive meal!
So good! Great to know they were cooked before finishing them off on the grill. Got lots of compliments.
Best sauce ever. I use it on any meat..
The left over sauce never goes to waste. I have it with rice.
Ok That was tremendous.
What do I do with all the leftover sauce,?
I’m gonna get some ribs for tomorrow….
Big question is… How long will the sauce keep?
It will keep in the fridge for a few days.
delicious I tried it and will definitely cook again
Very easy and very tasty! We used the sauce on the Jasmine rice and and it went very well. We will most certainly be using this recipe again soon.
Very good!! I also followed recipe as written and paired it with your mashed potatoes. Delicious! Thank you!!
Made for dinner. Simple and delish. Followed recipe as written. I would like to know what to do with left over bbq sauce .
We made these for dinner Sunday and everyone LOVED them! My kids all went back for seconds, they are so good! I used chicken legs and thighs.
Thanks Shelley! I’m really glad your family liked this recipe!
Do you think I could make these in a crockpot instead of stovetop?
Sure! Cook on high for about 3-4 hours of low for 6.
Oh my gosh! These look so good! My kids LOVE drumsticks more than anything! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
It’s such a kid-friendly meal! Hope you enjoy it!
Those drumsticks look so good! And that’s a cool app!
Thanks Amber! Hope you like the recipe, and you should definitely check out the app!
Such a great price on chicken wings, and this recipe looks AMAZING! Thanks for sharing! I had heard of Favado, but I hadn’t downloaded yet, but you’ve convinced me!
I know right? I love that the Favado app shows the best prices for the specific ingredients you’re looking for! It’s awesome!
Yummy recipe and I can’t wait to try this app! Thanks so much for the tip Lauren!
Thanks Pam! Favado is awesome!
I did this post too 🙂 And your chicken legs look amazing! My kids love chicken on the bone! Thanks for the recipe lady!
Wow had no idea about this app thx lauren
Awesome app! I signed up.
Thanks Liz! I know you’ll love Favado!
These look so good–perfect for summer!!
They’re seriously delicious! The homemade barbeque sauce is amazing!
I need to try this app- maybe it will help me with my grocery shopping and lack of skills finding deals.
Thanks Ali! You seriously should, it does all the “deal finding” work for you! Plus I love that it works with local stores!