Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
An easy-peasy, flavorful baked chicken drumstick recipe . You can have Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks without grilling or frying. Simply bake, baste, broil and enjoy! We even teach you how to turn this into a make-ahead freezer meal.
Why We Like This Recipe
Welcome to your new best-weeknight-meal-friend. Here are a few reasons way:
The ingredients are super simple and affordable.
This drumstick recipe is freezer friendly ! Save your future self time by making them a freezer meal .
By using a little broil action at the end, you can replicate grilled flavor without taking a step outside!
This recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free !
Ingredients Needed
To make sure your drumsticks are extra flavorful, we have created a delicious rub for them. Here is everything you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken drumsticks – We love the ones we get through ButcherBox .
BBQ Sauce – Use store-bought or our homemade BBQ Sauce.
How to Make Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Season the Drumsticks
You’ll take those lovely seasonings and mix them up in a small bowl. Pat your drumsticks dry and give them a swim around in the seasonings until they are covered. It’s kinda fun!
Bake Them
Line a baking sheet with foil for easier clean up.
One of the most important parts of baking these is placing them on a baking/cooling rack on top of the foil-lined sheet pan. This allows the hot air to get to all sides of the drumsticks to help create a crispy exterior.
Baste With BBQ Sauce
After the chicken has cooked for a bit (details below), you’ll start basting the chicken with BBQ Sauce. This basting step is what differentiates these Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks from our Slow Cooker BBQ Drumsticks or Instant Pot Drumsticks .
When you add a layer of BBQ sauce and give it a bit of time to cook, it starts to caramelize and get that sticky-sweet taste you crave.
Serve
Let them sit for at least 10 minutes before eating. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side. Serve with Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese , Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes , Microwaved Corn on the Cob , and Buckeye Brownies !
Make it a Freezer Meal
Freeze For Later: Season the drumsticks and place the seasoned chicken in a freezer bag. Try not to stack the drumsticks in the bag; instead, place them flat, side by side. Use parchment paper to divide layers, if needed. Seal and freeze flat. If you want, you can pour BBQ sauce into a small freezer bag or container, seal, and freeze alongside the chicken.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the chicken using one of these safe methods . Follow the cooking instructions in the recipe below.
Recipe FAQs
Can these be made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot? Yes! We have written full posts on both. BBQ Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks Crockpot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Can I make these crispier? You can broil at the end for a few minutes to caramelize the drumsticks even more. Can I use the rub on chicken breasts? Yes. You can use this rub and our BBQ sauce on chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Cook in the slow cooker on Low for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours or in the Instant Pot for 7 minutes with a quick release. Shred and serve on buns for easy BBQ chicken sandwiches.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
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4.9 from 8 reviews
Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
An easy-peasy, flavorful baked chicken drumstick recipe. You can have BBQ Chicken Drumsticks without grilling or frying. Just bake, baste, broil and enjoy! We even teach you how to turn this into a make-ahead freezer meal.
Yield: 5-6 servings (2 drumsticks per serving)
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 45 minutes Total: 55 minutes
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Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
About 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce
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Instructions
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Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe baking/cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
Make the Rub: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Season Chicken: Pat dry the drumsticks and then coat the drumsticks evenly with the mixture. Place the drumsticks on the baking rack.
Bake: Bake drumsticks for 25 minutes.
Baste #1: Remove the chicken from the oven, baste with the BBQ sauce on all sides, and bake for another 7-8 minutes.
Baste #2: Repeat the basting step, and bake another 7-8 minutes.
Baste #3 + Increase Temp: Remove pan and baste with sauce one last time. Turn up the oven temp to 425°F. Cook the chicken 5-7 more minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F or are no longer pink inside at all. (Optional: Broil at the end to caramelize the drumsticks even more, if you want it.)
Cool: Let them sit for at least 10 minutes before eating. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Freeze For Later: Season the drumsticks and place the seasoned chicken in a freezer bag. Try not to stack the drumsticks in the bag; instead, place them flat, side by side. Use parchment paper to divide layers, if needed. Seal and freeze flat. If you want, you can pour BBQ sauce into a small freezer bag or container, seal, and freeze alongside the chicken.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the chicken using one of these safe methods . Follow the cooking instructions in the recipe above.
Notes/Tips
We use this same rub and BBQ sauce in our Instant Pot and Crockpot BBQ Drumsticks .
You can also use this rub and our BBQ sauce on chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Cook in the slow cooker on Low for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours or in the Instant Pot for 7 minutes with a quick release. Shred and serve on buns for easy BBQ chicken sandwiches.
We get our chicken from ButcherBox.
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© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine:
American
Method:
Baking
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