Grilled chicken drumsticks are delicious and a budget friendly recipe! The skin gets crispy and the inside leads to juicy chicken. Toss them in 3-ingredient buffalo sauce for flavorful, spicy goodness, or you could use BBQ sauce to make them kid-friendly.
But I’m here to tell you that grilled chicken drumsticks are the real gem.
They’re incredibly easy to make, no marinating required. Budget friendly! The meat stays juicy and tender, infused with smoky flavor. And they acquire a crispy skin without frying.
Chicken drumsticks are an affordable cut of meat and with just a simple salt and pepper seasoning, they’re ready for the grill in a matter of minutes. And you could make grilled cauliflower to serve with them!
How to grill chicken drumsticks:
To prepare chicken drumsticks for the grill, pat them dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat your grill to medium heat. Once hot, place your chicken drumsticks on the grill over direct heat.
Close lid and let drummies cook, turning (I use this tongs) every 10 minutes. Drumsticks are done when they reach internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
How long to grill chicken drumsticks:
At 375 degrees F over direct heat on a gas grill, chicken drumsticks will take about 35 minutes to cook. You will want to use a meat thermometer to make sure their internal temperature is 165 degrees F, signaling they are done cooking.
Easy 3 ingredient buffalo sauce:
Making homemade buffalo sauce for chicken drummies is even easier than you might think. Buy your favorite hot sauce – mine is Frank’s Wing Sauce for it’s zingy, spicy, buffalo flavor. Add it to melted butter, with a big pinch of garlic powder, and you’ve just made homemade buffalo sauce. It comes together in less than 5 minutes!
Whisk together buffalo sauce ingredients until homogenous and set aside.
To prepare chicken drumsticks for the grill, pat them dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat your grill to 375 degrees F. Once hot, place your chicken drumsticks on the grill over direct heat.
Close lid and let drummies cook, turning (I use these tongs) every 10 minutes. Drumsticks are done when they reach internal temperature of 165 degrees F. They will take about 35 minutes to cook, but go by their internal temperature, not time.
Move drumsticks off direct heat, and brush liberally with buffalo sauce. Close lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.
I look forward to your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot; thank you for being a part of the Heartbeet Kitchen community.
Shelley D Zabroske
August 5, 2021
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is “delicious!” Soooo easy and so good!
Amanda Paa
August 5, 2021
yay, so glad you’re enjoy the buffalo chicken drummies!
Sabrina
February 4, 2021
thank you for this healthier non-fried version since buffalo sauce is such a nice flavor enhancer for chicken!