Perfectly Grilled Chicken Drumsticks are fast and easy with this never-fail recipe. Tender, flavorful, and budget-friendly, everybody from picky kids to grandma will love these crispy grilled drumsticks.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken Drumsticks (chicken legs)
Seasoning—salt, black pepper, and garlic powder mixture (All-Purpose Seasoning) OR
Optional seasoning of your choice
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Featured Comment from Jan: "
The best...the best..... chicken legs...ever....goodbye Bobby Flay...hello Doctor Dan....it is going to be an excellent chicken leg summer....thank you!"
You only need the correct grill and final internal temperatures to cook perfect chicken drumsticks. With only 10 minutes of preparation and simple seasoning, it only takes 35 minutes on the grill.
This grilled chicken drumstick recipe is part of a group of recipes that started with my work on Chicken for a Crowd. For oven-based recipes, see Baked Chicken Legs or Oven Baked Chicken Thighs. And don't miss Grilled Chicken Thighs.
👨🍳How to Grill Chicken Drumsticks—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Clean, oil, and preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°.
2. Prepare the chicken legs for grilling by trimming loose parts in the joint area and excess skin.
3. Pat dry with paper towels and season to your taste.
4. Place over direct heat with a closed lid.
5. Flip every 5 minutes until an internal temperature of 185°—about 30-35 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to grill chicken drumsticks
It will take 35 to 30 minutes, assuming a medium-high grill surface temperature of 450°, to reach a final internal temperature of 185°+, which is best for chicken legs and thighs.
Variables are the drumstick's size, initial temperature, and exact grill temperature. You can use a lower surface temperature, but it will add time and tend to dry more. You can not get acceptable results with a grill temperature over 500°.
Always remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature and never by time alone. You must use a thermometer to be sure you get to 185°+. Do not guess.
How to spice chicken drumsticks
Spice as you want. I use my All-Purpose Seasoning ·7:2:2), which combines kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. But other spice mixes may be used.
For BBQ chicken drumsticks, use a dry rub and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce the last 5 minutes to make great BBQ chicken drumsticks.
Chicken tips and options
Drumsticks and chicken legs are the same thing. But there are also chicken leg quarters with chicken legs and thighs attached. If you are doing leg quarters, please follow the Grilled Chicken Thighs recipe.
Just pat dry with paper towels, and do not rinse—which is unsafe. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more discussion.
Allowing the chicken legs to rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes while setting up the grill will help get the final internal temperature without burning the skin.
Grill setup
You may use either a gas or charcoal grill, but you must get the grill surface temperature correct, which is easier on gas. The grill surface temperature is temp on the grill's surface where the food cooks, not in the grill's hood.
The surface temperature should be 450°-500°, which is medium to medium-high on most gas grills—see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more details.
For a charcoal grill, you must adjust the venting, not build the hottest fire, and have a reserved cooler area.
🌡️The best final internal temperature is 185°
The best final internal temperature for chicken legs (and thighs) is 185°. The FDA minimum safe internal temperature is 165°, but there is too much connective tissue in chicken legs and thighs. At 165°, they will be tough and stringy—just not done.
To get moist and tender meat, you need to melt the connective tissue, which starts at 170° but is mostly complete at 185°. But cooking up to 195° will still be okay and may be beneficial, according to American Test Kitchen (subscription required).
Suggested serving
Severe with other grilled side dishes like Grilled Corn on the Cob, Grilled French Fries, Grilled Stuffed Tomatoes, or Grilled Mixed Vegetables. Or picnic salads like potato salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, Broccoli Salad, or Broccoli Slaw Salad.
Storage and reheating leftovers
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days. You may freeze for 4 months, but there is poor skin texture, so it is not recommended.
To reheat leftovers, heat in a 325° oven or air fryer for 10-15 minutes.
❓FAQs
Closed will be best and give you more control. Generally, grilling something less than ½ inch thick can be open. Between ½ and 1 inch can be open but is better closed. Over 1 inch should always be closed.
No, you will burn the skin long before the meat is cooked. They must be fully thawed first.
It is not needed. The skin will be crispier without it, but with oil, it will be softer and feel thicker.
There are two common causes. First, if the chicken is older, the older meat may release some myoglobin, which can cause pinkness. The second reason is if the drumsticks have been frozen, the bone marrow can break down and come out into the meat. Neither is harmful and as long as the temperature is correct, it is safe to eat.
Food safety
Raw chicken and other poultry should be considered contaminated and handled with care. Wash your hands carefully before and after touching raw chicken.
We do NOT wash raw chicken routinely due to water splatter. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more information.
You must cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165° for safety, although for texture, cook to 185° for chicken legs and thighs. See the USDA for more information. You need to check this with an instant-read thermometer.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
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Ingredients
- 6 Chicken drumsticks
- Salt and pepper - to taste or seasoning of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to get a surface temp of about 450°. That is medium-high on a standard gas grill and medium on a hot gas grill. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Pat dry the chicken legs (chicken drumsticks) with paper towels. Rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before grilling if you have the time.
- Trim off excess skin and loose bones/tissue, especially in the joint area.
- Season to taste. Kosher salt and pepper will be fine, or you can use my 7:2:2 spice mix. Or use the seasoning of your choice.
- Check grill surface temperature and place chicken legs on the grill. Close the grill hood. Flip about every 5 minutes until the internal temp of 185° degrees—about 30-35 minutes.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Pat dry and season to taste. I like my All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2. Seasoning mixes or dry rubs work well. A light touch of cayenne pepper adds a bit of heat that most adults like but do not use with kids.
- Medium grill with a surface temperature of about 450°. Over 500° will not work well. 400° minimum.
- The final internal temperature of 185°+ is the key to this recipe. While 165° is safe, the texture will be much better at 185°.
- If you are cooking chicken leg quarters, use the Grilled Chicken Thighs recipe to learn to control the fat flair-ups.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
Editor's Note: Originally published June 26, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Robin says
Your recipes have greatly improved our grilling, thank you!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Robin,
Welcome to the blog.
That was the goal. Glad it is helping
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Erin says
PERFECTION!! I had never mastered the art of how to get delicious drumsticks and this method worked beautifully!! I just seasoned with some grill seasoning I had on hand and followed the directions and they were AMAZING. Crisp on outside, moist tender and delicious meat. Thank you!!
Lizette M Gonzalez says
Thank you so much.... I actually have it mixed in an old spice container and use it like that, but missing that kick... going to fix it!!! Thanks again... Stay safe!!!!
Lizette M Gonzalez says
Hello Dr Dan...
I have been using your recipe for a over a year now, but I always had it saved and never written down... For some reason... I did the recipe yesterday and it was different... Did you change it since Feb/March and also more or less how much cayenne do I add...
Liz
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Lizette,
Welcome to commenting.
The update this year was the re-editing of pictures and the table of content for easy navigation. There was minimal change to the wording to make it fit the TOC sections. The recipe has not changed for years.
I had an issue with people over seasoning and 3-4 years ago removed the suggested spice mix and went to just say "to taste."
When I said to mix a tablespoon of kosher salt with a teaspoon of pepper and granular garlic with the option of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. It is too much seasoning for 6 chicken legs. I said that many times but people kept over seasoning.
So there you have what was removed. Just remember it is enough for 12+ legs for most people (1/4 teaspoon of salt per lag is the most you want). The cayenne should be about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of pepper if you are using it.
The technique had not changed other than the seasoning.
Dan
Lizette M Gonzalez says
Thank you so much.... I actually have it mixed in an old spice container and use it like that, but missing that kick... going to fix it!!! Thanks again... Stay safe!!!!
Bob says
I did 7:2:2 once.....but never again,
Maybe 3:2:2 the next time.
Made 4 drumsticks on the grill because I was hungry.
Had the first 2 and decided this is way too salty.
Fridged the other 2 and will strip the salt before reheat.
I know some regions love salt, but this was too much for me.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Bob,
Sorry you over-salted your drumstick but I did say "to taste" six times in the post and never said how much to use. I have removed your low rating since it seems to be a user error.
Have a good day.
Dan
Rene Carts says
Dr Dan - Thank you so much for keeping this website going! My dad always cooked perfect grilled chicken legs and thighs. Yet, now, decades later it’s been very difficult to get my husband to understand that drumstick are much better cooked longer (aka higher internal temperature) than the standard grill temperature guidelines. He was a high-rise, city boy, therefore, he wasn’t a grilling man. Yet, moving to acreage two years ago opened the door for grilling, etc. He has mastered steaks, pork chops, pork ribs, lamb, even short ribs, and other difficult cuts. However, his chicken legs/thighs were awful. I simply quit buying legs; it wasn’t worth the price of an argument.
Last night, May 25, 2020, I cooked our Memorial Day BBQ. And, having bought drumsticks, hubby was resigned to stay out of my way. He stubbornly waited until the end of the meal before even tasting the legs. He then smiled and admitted that they were the best grilled drumsticks he had ever had! I showed him your website and your explanation concerning fat and tendons. He got it!
Again, thanks a million! This recipe is spot-on perfect. I now will have drumsticks back on my “grilled meals” rotation. 😊
Kit says
This recipe is an absolute winner! We are under stay at home orders because of the virus and I am trying to cook from our freezer. Pulled out chicken legs yesterday morning and began the search for a recipe. So glad I stopped here! As promised the meat was done perfectly at 185°- tender, juicy, crispy skin, and the most gloriously sticky, charry BBQ sauce. Just seasoned with salt and pepper before following the grilling instructions, adding the sauce at the very end. Even our pickiest eater (the one who doesn’t like “real meat”) came to me hours after dinnertime to say again how good they were! Well done, Dr. Dan!
The McGrath Family says
Dr. Dan,
My family uses this recipe over and over for great success. Our bbq chicken with mashed potatoes was Midwest comfort food at its best last night! In such a scary time, such comfort is appreciated even more. Thank you and I hope this comment finds you and yours healthy and well.
Warmest regards,
The McGrath Family
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi McGrath Family,
Glad you are finding the blog enjoyable. I do love a good drumstick.
We are safe and in our "bubble" with only a weekly trip to the food store.
Hope you are safe and well.
Dan
Tom R says
Great recipe! My wife loved them, normally she doesn’t like drumsticks because of the ‘stringy’ things. Cooking to 185-190 was perfect and BBQ sauce the last 10 minutes made them delicious. I also made your 7-2-2 seasoning and used it on the drumsticks and again on some steaks. Glad to find your site!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Tom,
Welcome to the site.
Glad the drumsticks work well for you. Like most cooking, the key is in the temperature. 165 is just wrong for thighs and drumsticks.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Mother of 3 says
Excellent Recipe. Very well written; appreciated the why behind the how! Hubby thought they were cooking too fast and turned down the grill without my knowing...sure enough, they took longer that way! Wonderful, crispy skin. Added some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ last 10 minutes. Perfection! Hubby and kids licked the platter clean!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Mother of 3,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed reply.
Glad this works so well for you. I was thinking of kids as I did this but it is good for us big kids also.
Forgive the Hubby, that sounds like something I might do at times.
The "why" is how I taught my medical students for years. "What" is important but "why" will get you out of jams and help you adjust to ongoing developments.
Thanks for the note and rating. And again, sorry for the delayed response.
Dan
Jose says
Very novice here. When getting the grilling temperature to 450, is this initial 450 with lid open or closed.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jose,
Welcome to the blog.
You want the cooking area to be about 450 degrees. Since you are cooking with the lid closed (due to the thickness of the chicken). That means to adjust that way, closed. For more help on grill surface temperature see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/grill-temperature/
Please let me know if you have questions.
Dan
Mike M says
I use a chicken leg hangar. They come out perfect without turning or hovering over them.
Ammanda says
So so so good. Finally decided to go out of my comfort zone and try these!
Sarah says
This went great! Thanks for all the tips!
Tom says
Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try it tonight. First time grilling drumsticks. I'll let you know how they come out.
David Patrick says
Loved it. And so did my kids, ages 3,5, and 7. I brined the chicken first in a salt and sugar water brine for an hour, so I just used pepper while grilling. Delish! I'm looking forward to trying and gently ramping up the rub so my girls will like it.
Deb K says
First time my grilled chicken legs were 'crispy!' Followed your recipe exactly. Delicious!
Thank you!