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A close-up shot of the finished BBQ chicken drumsticks on a plate, with the recipe ingredients and steps neatly listed next to the image.
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Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

These drumsticks are brined for juiciness, grilled for a smoky flavor, and baked to perfection with a tangy homemade sauce.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: BBQ Drumsticks, Summer
Servings: 5 chicken drumsticks
Calories: 505kcal
Author: Katie

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 3 ½ pounds chicken drumsticks about 10
  • 2 quarts water
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • olive oil or other oil for greasing grates on the grill

Barbecue sauce

  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup chili sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider or distilled vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Brine chicken. Stir together water, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and add chicken or transfer brine to an extra-large 2.5-gallon Ziploc bag, add chicken, and seal. Place chicken and brine in the fridge for one hour.
    Raw chicken drumsticks submerged in brine inside a large plastic bag placed in a bowl, showing the preparation step before grilling.
  • Make barbecue sauce. While the chicken brines, whisk together the barbecue sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes.
    A saucepan filled with rich, homemade barbecue sauce being whisked, showing the sauce preparation process.
  • Grill chicken. Drain water and pat the chicken dry. Preheat a gas grill to medium heat and the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour a little bit of oil on folded paper towels and using large tongs, use the folded paper towel to quickly grease the grates of the grill. Repeat if necessary. Place chicken on the grill and cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
    Chicken drumsticks being grilled, with a light char and grill marks, part of the cooking process before adding the barbecue sauce.
  • Bake chicken and add sauce. Transfer chicken to a lined baking sheet. Bake chicken for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and brush barbecue sauce all over the chicken. Return chicken to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then remove chicken from the oven again and brush barbecue sauce on both sides of the chicken. Finish cooking the chicken for an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit checked with a meat thermometer.
    BBQ chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet after the first coating of barbecue sauce, ready to be baked further.
  • Serve. Brush chicken with additional sauce and serve immediately.
    BBQ chicken drumsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freshly baked with a final coat of barbecue sauce, showing the completion of the recipe.

Notes

I used Hickory liquid smoke flavor. We love the slightly smoky flavor of this sauce.
If you only have 15 minutes to brine the chicken, even a little bit will improve the flavor of the chicken, but I wouldn’t brine it for more than 2 hours. The chicken can get too salty for long periods of time in the brine. 
The method for cooking the chicken comes from Tyler Florence at the Food Network. He grills first to sear the bone-in chicken and finishes cooking and basting in the oven. . 
I used a gas grill, but other grills could be used. An indoor grill would work great as well. Without a grill, this could be seared in a pan and finished in the oven. It could also be grilled and cooked completely on indirect heat in the grill.
Preheat the grill before applying the oil to help grease the grates and prevent food from sticking. The oil can be applied several times. It also helps to clean the grates by using a thick grilling brush before preheating.
I love the Hefty brand’s Storage Slider Jumbo 2.5-gallon bags.  They free up a lot of fridge space and are perfect for brining chicken in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 6542mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 422IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg