Description
This recipe for Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks delivers juicy, flavorful chicken with a crispy exterior by butterflying the drumsticks for even cooking and grilling them with BBQ seasoning and sauce. Perfect for a backyard barbecue, these drumsticks are seasoned, rested, and grilled to perfection with caramelized BBQ sauce glaze for a smoky, tender finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 6 chicken drumsticks
Seasoning
- BBQ Seasoning, such as Signature Sweet & Smoky Rub, to taste
- BBQ Sauce, such as Spicy Buffalo BBQ Sauce, for basting
Optional
- Vegetable oil, as needed for the grill or brushing (optional)
Instructions
- Butterfly the Drumsticks: Pat the chicken drumsticks dry. Place one drumstick on a cutting board with the meatiest side facing up. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut along one side of the bone without slicing through completely, then make another cut along the other side of the bone to loosen the meat. Fold open the meat and lay the drumstick face-down. Repeat this process for all drumsticks.
- Season and Rest: Generously season the butterflied drumsticks with BBQ seasoning. Place them uncovered on a wire rack in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, to allow the flavors to penetrate and the skin to dry slightly for better crisping.
- Preheat the Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat around 400°F, using direct cooking with a grill that has a lid. This temperature will ensure proper searing and cooking throughout.
- Bring to Room Temperature: Remove the drumsticks from the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling so they can come to room temperature, ensuring even cooking on the grill.
- Grill Skin-Side Up: Place the drumsticks skin-side up on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes to develop grill marks and heat the meat evenly.
- Flip and Continue Cooking: Flip the drumsticks over and repeat grilling with the lid closed, flipping every few minutes to cook evenly on all sides. This process will take approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on your grill’s heat and size of the drumsticks.
- Baste with BBQ Sauce for Finish: When the internal temperature reaches about 155-160°F, start basting the chicken with your chosen BBQ sauce. Leave the grill lid open to allow the sauce to caramelize and char, flipping and basting repeatedly until the chicken reaches 180-185°F, ensuring a moist and flavorful finish.
Notes
- Chicken drumsticks contain more fat than white meat, which helps keep them moist and forgiving when cooked to higher temperatures.
- Don’t hesitate to cook drumsticks to an internal temperature of 180-185°F for crispy skin and tender meat that easily falls off the bone.
- Butterflying the drumsticks helps them cook evenly and faster.
- Allowing the chicken to rest after seasoning improves flavor absorption and skin texture.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure accurate cooking temperatures for food safety and quality.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken drumstick
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
