How to prep chicken drumsticks for grill

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Table of Contents Show

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Legs
How to Grill Chicken Drumsticks
How Long to Grill Chicken Drumsticks
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

These Grilled Chicken Drumsticks are delicious, quick to make, and are total crowd-pleasers. Ready in less than an hour, and with only 4 ingredients, these drumsticks can feed your whole family without breaking the bank.

Chicken drumsticks/chicken legs are awesome grilled on the BBQ hot and fast using two-zone grilling. They’re also crazy easy to make! Simply place them on direct heat until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Baste them with your favorite BBQ sauce, then move them to the indirect side of the grill until the internal temp reaches 175 degrees F.

This grilled chicken drumsticks recipe is extremely versatile, and you can play around with different rubs and seasonings as well as different BBQ sauces each time you make it. (If you’re looking for a smoked version, check out my Smoked Chicken Legs recipe!)

Word to the wise: When seasoning your chicken, do not use a sugar-based rub because the chicken will be on high heat for a good amount of time, and you don’t want the sugar to burn. Other than that, get creative with your seasonings and sauces. The Hey Grill Hey Store is stocked full with signature rubs and sauces so you can enjoy Susie’s awesome flavors delivered straight to your door.

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Legs

These chicken drumsticks on the grill only require a few simple ingredients for the easiest and best chicken legs you’ll ever have.

2 pounds chicken drumsticks
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Teriyaki BBQ Sauce. This recipe can be made from scratch using the one here on the site, or you can pick up your favorite teriyaki BBQ sauce from the store. Go with whatever works best for you.

That’s seriously it! You really can’t beat 4 ingredients for these chicken legs on the grill.

How to Grill Chicken Drumsticks

Remember how I said these drumsticks were a breeze to make? I wasn’t lying. Here’s how to get amazingly juicy drumsticks that are ready in less than an hour:

Preheat and season. Get your favorite grill up and running for two-zone grilling. Aim for between 375-400 degrees F for the direct side of heat. Season your drumsticks on all sides with garlic salt and pepper. If you’re wanting a bigger punch of flavor, my Signature Chicken Seasoning is amazing with just a kiss of heat.
Grill on direct heat. Place your chicken drumsticks on the direct heat side of your grill and cook them for 30-35 minutes. Flip them every 5-7 minutes until the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Get saucy! Move the drumsticks to the indirect side of the grill, and baste them with your favorite BBQ sauce (I love these with my Teriyaki BBQ Sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, and perfect on chicken).
Set the sauce. Grill for an additional 5-10 minutes until the sauce sets and begins caramelize and the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.

Give your drumsticks a moment to rest, and then dig in! My kids love how tasty these drumsticks are, and they love that these are good and messy finger food. Keep some paper towels on hand, and you’re good to go!

How Long to Grill Chicken Drumsticks

These chicken drumsticks take approximately 35-45 minutes to grill. They need 30-35 minutes over direct heat and an additional 5-10 minutes over indirect heat to set the BBQ sauce and reach 175 degrees F internal temperature.

My recommendation whenever you’re grilling or smoking meat? Cook to temperature and not to time. Invest in a good, reliable meat thermometer and check the thermometer more than watching the clock. It’s especially important to cook chicken to 165 degrees F as this is the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken. I always aim for 175 degrees F when grilling drumsticks because they have more connective tissue and the meat will fall off the bone if you cook them to this higher temperature.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

There’s nothing quite as delicious as juicy chicken cooked on the grill. If you’re looking for more great grilled chicken recipes, I have a few you’ll love on the site:

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Follow the recipe, and I’ll teach you the simple steps to making your own grilled chicken drumsticks at home. Hey Grill Hey is dedicated to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes and videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.

Here’s hoping you loved this chicken legs recipe. It’s kid-friendly and makes for the easiest weekday dinner. They were a huge hit in our family and I’m sure they’ll do the same for yours.

Quick note: This post was originally published in July 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.

Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)

Print Recipe Save to Pinterest

Preheat. Preheat your grill for two-zone grilling, with the temp on the grill to medium-high heat (375-400 degrees F).
Season. Season the chicken drumsticks on all sides with garlic salt and black pepper.
Grill. Place the chicken legs on the grill. Grill over direct heat for 30-35 minutes, flipping every 5-7 minutes. Grill until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F with an internal thermometer.
Sauce. Move the grilled drumsticks to the indirect side of the grill, and baste them with the Teriyaki BBQ Sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce). Grill for an additional 5-10 minutes on indirect heat until the sauce sets and begins to caramelize and the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
Enjoy. Remove the grilled drumsticks from the grill. Rest for a few minutes before serving with additional teriyaki BBQ sauce on the side for extra dipping. Enjoy!