Easy and delicious Crunchy baked bbq chicken drumsticks - the best recipe for crispy chicken drumsticks right from your oven!
An easy baked chicken drumstick recipe that is bursting with BBQ Chicken Drumstick lick-your-fingers-clean flavor without grilling or frying - just bake, baste, and enjoy!
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!
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Table of contents
- How To Reheat Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- How To Get Crispy Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven
- Tips To Perfect Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- What BBQ Sauce to Use for Chicken Drumsticks
- Keto Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Recipe FAQs
- Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
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 in the butt.
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!
These baked chicken drumsticks are low carb (grab a gluten free, low carb bottle of sauce), keto diet approved, and insanely easy - anyone can make them!
This recipe is 100% from my husband - he is a fantastic cook. He can work his way around a chicken (or really, any meat) better than anyone on earth.
He made this chicken the other night on a whim- he found some chicken drumsticks we needed to use up in our fridge, and wanted to come up with something smoky and crunchy- but it was raining and he didn't want to fire up the grill.
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.
How To Reheat Baked Chicken Drumsticks
I am often asked how to freeze and reheat my recipes - and reheating crunchy baked chicken is one of my most popular questions!
These methods work with these baked chicken drumsticks - but also my baked chicken wings, air fried chicken wings, and fried or grilled chicken drumsticks!
How To Bake Leftover Chicken Legs
To bake chicken legs again after refrigerating, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat chicken leg with BBQ sauce - just enough to coat entire leg, about 1 tbsp.
Place chicken leg on cooling rack over baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until piping hot.
Broil for extra 1-2 minutes to crisp.
How To Grill Leftover Chicken Legs
My absolute favorite way to reheat baked chicken drumsticks is to pop them 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.
How To Pan Fry Leftover Chicken Drumsticks
- 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.
How To Get Crispy Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven
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!
Tips To Perfect Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
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.
What BBQ Sauce to Use for Chicken Drumsticks
One of the most frequent questions I get about these crunchy baked chicken drumsticks is what type of BBQ sauce to use.
This recipe was actually developed to work with ANY BBQ sauce you like - with one small caveat.
This recipe works best with slightly thicker sauces - anything too watery might make a big mess as it will roll off the chicken instead of coating it.
As long as you use a slightly thickened sauce, any BBQ sauce you love should work!
-Make sure you use a sauce you really love- since its flavor will dominate in this dish - and let the sauce slowly glaze and become crunchy.
-This makes the sauce really more like a bark or crust, and not just like it was spread on as an afterthought.
It also helps seal in the chicken's natural juices, so the drumstick is insanely tender and never dry - just like my husband's famous oven smoked ribs recipe!
Keto Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
This recipe can be made to be 100% keto compliant, since it just involves a spice rub and sauce.
If macros are too high in the spice rub, omit garlic and onion powder (though only do this if you are very strict with intake - as they provide so much flavor).
Use any keto approved BBQ sauce you love - or try a spicy sauce like Nando's Peri Peri Sauce.
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:
- Easy Sautéed Squash and Zucchini Recipe
- The Best Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe
- The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
- Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes Recipe
- The Best Crab Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs Recipe Ever
- The Best Easy Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
- Easy Greek Tzatziki Recipe
- Easy Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe
You can find our complete side dish recipe archives here.
Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
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!
Recipe FAQs
Chicken drumsticks can keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.
Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
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Crunchy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Easy and delicious Crunchy baked bbq chicken drumsticks with a crisp and slightly sticky bark are the best baked bbq chicken recipe that the whole family loves! An easy baked chicken drumstick dinner that is bursting with BBQ Chicken Drumstick lick-your-fingers-clean flavor straight from the oven.
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken drumsticks (about 12)
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cups bbq sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Thoroughly pat chicken dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix together spices (all ingredients but chicken and bbq sauce)
- Coat chicken in dry rub, let sit 30 minutes to overnight.
- Add chicken to oven on a cooling rack sitting atop a baking sheet.
- Let chicken bake about 40 minutes before adding bbq sauce- until skin is crispy and fat has started to render. Flip chicken drumsticks every 10 minutes to ensure it crisps evenly on all sides.
- 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 (about 30 minutes.)
- When chicken is ready, turn on broiler and broil for two minutes on each side to give a little extra crunch to chicken skin.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1 drumstickAmount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 192mgSodium 1060mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 38g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
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SJP
I followed every single step but couldn’t get a crisp on
I did try to switch to convection on 375
Maybe I can add more broiling time too
Laura Gerhard
same for me. Tasted great, but not at all crunchy/crispy.
Ivory
Yum! I know what will be on our dinner table tomorrow.
Ceci
I just made this...I don't know what I did wrong. It didn't come out crispy. I am happy to say that it came out perfectly cooked with an amazing flavor! I added white pepper instead of black and it gave it a bigger kick.
James
Add a little corn starch to your rub, that will help crisp up the skin for you.
Gloria
These were great. I love the crispy skins. The dry rub definitely adds another layer of deliciousness. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce and the chicken turned out very tasty. My fiancé loved them as well. Thanks for an awesome recipe.
Susan Ogden
Thanks for including how to rewarm them. I can't wait to try this.
Jenn
OMG! Too much crap, where is the recipe even at? Is it that stood video in the middle? No one gives a shit about you husband's needs to have chicken on grill but it's raining out....
Courtney ODell
Hey Jenn, I put a lot of info in my posts after reader requests to do so.
There is a "skip to recipe" button in the top left corner that will take you past all that. There is also this easy solution called scrolling.
There is no pleasing everyone online, and I'm frankly sick of being yelled at by rude people who can't simply read and click a button or who feel they are too important to spend five seconds time dealing with what someone else finds helpful. Do you know there is a real life person behind this site, and not some big corporation? I'm literally just a mom sharing my favorite recipes. Please consider how your negativity impacts others before you type. And I don't know, CLICK THE BUTTON THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU TO SKIP ALL THAT.
Ava
Excellent reply to an obnoxious person that has nothing better to do than be rude. My husband found your recipe and requested me to try it. I appreciate all of your information and look forward to following you.
Barbs
I was frustrated too, till I saw the button and realized how dumb I was lol
Thank you so so much for the recipe, im on my last layer now! I’ll be following these from now on and spreading the word!
Keisha Chance
You go girl!!!!!
Keshe
Handled so mommish ! I love it !!
Rose Martine
Looks beautiful and delicious! I do some prep ahead meals but not that many. I think this is very worthwhile and nice to know you always have a meal on hand!
G.R
Sorry wasn't the best on earth
Alisha Ross
Healthy eating for all around choice . I love to see what can make a difference in my everyday life so I can share with my wife some healthy habits . Something to grow on for a healthy tomorrow . Thank you for this program .
Jerryt1221
Made this for today’s dinner. It was fantastic
Tina Williams
I made this one time and it was great, did anyone else use wings & thighs as well? Did you change the cook time or temp?
Miranda
This is a very good recipe! I live alone, so I always look for quick and easy recipes for food for the week. This one fits the bill! It was so easy to make, and the chicken heats up very well. Highly recommend!
Nick
Have it in the oven right now almost ready to apply BBQ sauce. I hope it lives up to the hype!
Alexandra S.
OMG. Yummy! I've made this 4 times - clearly a winner!!! Per one of the other comments, I thought cinnamon would be a great add - I put it in almost everything to boost the flavor. It's amazing as an add-on in this recipe. I put 1 tablespoon of cinnamon into the dry rub in addition to all the other ingredients. No other changes - recipe is perfect!
Janet
I have made this twice. My family really enjoys it!
Linda Wray
I am also trying this tonight. It sounds wonderful!
Katie Paul
So, I was a bit frazzled today and accidentally added cinnamon instead of chili powder. The aroma was amazing and they turned out delicious anyways!
As others stated, know your oven. I have an older oven so I set mine to 375. Perfect. Thank you!
Moe
This was a really great recipe! I was looking for something that was savory but healthy at the same time and this recipe was just perfect for that. It made my apartment smell like yummy BBQ and the taste of the chicken was equal to the smell. I would definitely highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for something yummy and healthy!
Debbie
My kids and husband loved the chicken. making it again tonight. my daughter's boyfriend asked her "where did your mom get that chicken " he thought it was bought. enjoy
Suzan
LOVE this recipe! Sometimes the ones I grab off the Internet are iffy. This is fantastic. Thanks so much!
CJ
I just got done making this about an hour ago.
It's not bad, but the chicken just wasn't crispy, I made this thinking the chicken was going to be crispy.
Courtney ODell
Hey CJ,
Next time try turning the heat up about 50 degrees for the second half of cooking (this will slightly reduce cooktime, watch the internal temp with a thermometer). Sometimes my oven doesnt get hot enough to crisp. You can also broil them at the end for extra crunch!
Catherine Rogers
I'm trying this for dinner to night I hope they come out good