Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (2024)

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Easy and delicious Crunchy baked bbq chicken drumsticks – the best recipe for crispy baked BBQ chicken legs right from your oven, without added breading or extra steps!

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The Best Baked BBQ Chicken Legs

I love to grill anytime of year – summer, spring, fall – and even winter. There is something about delicious smoky, crunchy, and savory foods right off a hot grill that is so crave-able – but grilling can easily become a giant pain.

Thankfully, when I’m craving crunchy, smoky, and delicious chicken drumsticks, I can make them anytime of year, fuss-free!

This amazing baked chicken legs recipe isn’t done on the grill- we’re getting the crunchy, sticky, bark-covered chicken drumsticks from heaven – made right in your oven! This easy baked chicken drumstick method is then coated in layers of bbq sauce to develop a crunchy bark straight from the oven – as well as rich, smoky flavors.

If you’re on a keto or low carb diet – this recipe can be made with any keto bbq sauce you love.

Don’t Miss: For a crunchy baked chicken drumsticks recipe in an air fryer, check out my Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks recipe.

And if you’re looking to make drumsticks from frozen – with no defrost time – check out my Instant Pot BBQ Legs recipe! If you’re a mustard lover, don’t skip my Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe!

How to Bake BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

This method relies on developing a crispy baked crust on the chicken legs, which isn’t labor intensive, but you will need to watch your chicken drumsticks carefully and “mop” them with BBQ sauce, much like you would smoked chicken drumsticks.

• First off, I prefer to add chicken to oven on a cooling rack – not directly on a baking sheet. This helps to lift your chicken off the baking sheet, so air can move evenly around the chicken and crisp it instead of getting soggy.
• Let chicken bake about 40 minutes before adding bbq sauce- until skin is crispy, and fat around the drumstick has started to render and melt away.
• Try to flip chicken drumsticks every 10 minutes to ensure it crisps evenly on all sides.
• I prefer using tongs coated with heat resistant silicone coated tongs so they don’t stick to the chicken skin and BBQ sauce.
• With a silicone brush, lightly brush chicken with bbq sauce, flipping its side each time you add another coat of sauce, about every 10 minutes until sauce is used up (which will take about 30 minutes.)
• When chicken is fully cooked, turn on broiler, and broil for two minutes on each side to give a little extra crunch to chicken skin.
• Remove chicken when skin looks bubbly and shiny – watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn!

This recipe for baked chicken drumsticks is one of my favorites – but if you’re looking for how to make addictively delicious chicken drumsticks in an air fryer, be sure to check out my Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Recipe.

Crispy drumsticks are so delicious in the air fryer – and you can use the basting BBQ method we use here, but in the air fryer!

And don’t forget my favorite way to make french fries at home – my Air Fryer French Fries recipe goes perfectly with delicious chicken legs!

Tips to Perfect Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks & FAQs

This recipe is simple, but following a couple tried and true tips will help your baked chicken legs turn out perfect every time:

• Add Sauce Slowly Over Time. Layering bbq sauce slowly over chicken drumsticks as the chicken drumsticks bake helps the crust become crunchy and delicious.
• Don’t Rush the Magic! It’s hard to let chicken drumsticks cook for a while, especially when they smell as good as these BBQ Chicken Drumsticks do, but for the fat to render and the skin to become crunchy and irresistible, they need time! Let the chicken develop flavors and fight the urge to rush it too quickly, and let the fat and tendons break down on their own, resulting in perfect baked chicken legs.
• Layer the flavor! Adding layers and layers of flavor helps bring out the rich, smoky flavor you’d normally only get from a hot grill!
• Let it crisp. Let the sauce crisp a bit and develop a lovely crunchy bark by layering sauce on as it cooks – don’t just coat it with all the sauce at once.

To reheat on the grill:

• Get coals lit and arranged, or light gas grill and set to high, and bring to 350 degrees.
• Baste chicken drumsticks with BBQ sauce.
• Place chicken drumsticks in foil pouch.
• Add to grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until chicken is piping hot.
• Finish directly on grill for crunchier chicken drumsticks.

To Reheat in a Pan:

• To reheat chicken drumsticks in a pan, use a heavy nonstick pan.
• Melt 1-2 tbsp butter on high heat until frothy.
• Add chicken to hot nonstick pan over medium high heat.
• Pan fry chicken legs, moving frequently, until crispy.

FAQs

What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

This recipe is fabulous with classic BBQ sides like Sour Cream Cornbread and Baked Beans – as well as my favorite Easy Rice Pilaf – but I’m sharing my favorite other dishes to serve with baked chicken legs as well:

You can find our complete side dish recipe archives here.

Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

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