How To Make Bbq Chicken Drumsticks:
Drumsticks are a great dinner. They are easy to make too! All you need to do is mix your seasonings together well, and then rub the seasoning all over the drumsticks.
Bake in the oven, and then slather the BBQ sauce on the drumsticks when they are done. Serve with some potatoes and veggies and you are good to go!
Barbecue Baked Chicken Drumsticks
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Easy Barbecue Baked Chicken Drumsticks ~ Marinated Chicken Legs Make an Easy Dinner Recipe! Bake them and Finish with Barbecue Sauce for Juicy, Flavorful Drumsticks! We love to pair these delicious chicken drumsticks with Parmesan Orzo, Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables.
Do You Cover Chicken With Foil When Baking In Oven
When it comes to cooking, one of the most important things to do is make sure that the food you are preparing is cooked evenly.
This means that every part of the dish is cooked at the same time so that everything is properly seasoned and cooked through.
When it comes to chicken, being covered in foil can help ensure this. Additionally, using a nonstick skillet can help avoid sticking problems and make your cooking process more efficient.
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Making Ahead Storage And Reheating
Making Ahead: Because the chicken is seasoned with a dry rub and not a marinade with any acid or citrus, you can season the chicken and store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before baking so it comes to room temperature before its placed in the hot oven.
Storage: Leftover baked chicken will keep, stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating: Although you can enjoy chicken quarters cold or at room temperature, they can be reheated in the microwave or uncovered in a preheated 350ºF oven for about 10-15 minutes. You can also use an air fryer for about 5-7 minutes at 375ºF
Crispy & Juicy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Take your chicken dinner game plan to new heights! This baked chicken leg quarters recipe is an easy weeknight dinner sure to please your whole family.
This roast chicken quarters recipe is made with simple ingredients, requires less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep, bake in about 40 minutes and delivers flavorful thigh-drumstick pieces with juicy meat and crispy chicken skin.
As much as I love well seasoned baked chicken breasts, there are times when white meat just doesnt cut it! Dark meat chicken pieces have so much flavor and the best part is, they always turn out lusciously juicy
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Do You Cover Drumsticks When Baking
Do you cover drumsticks in the oven? No, you should not cover them. You want the skin to brown, and you want the chicken roasted. The drumsticks should be left on the bottom rack of the oven. I like to roast them for about 45 minutes, but you can do it longer or shorter depending on how you like your chicken.
If youre like me and want to get the most out of the roast, I recommend roasting it for at least an hour and a half. The longer it roasts, the more tender it will be and the better itll taste. Ive also found that its best to let it rest for a few minutes after you take it off the heat, so that the juices dont run down the sides and get all over the place.
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters Tips For Success
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture then, coat the chicken with olive oil before seasoning. These steps are very important if you want crispy, golden brown skin.
- If you dont like chicken skin, I suggest you remove it after the chicken is cooked. The skin protects the meat from drying when cooked at a higher temperature.
- If the chicken starts getting too brown too quickly, tent the chicken with aluminum foil.
- You can line a baking sheet with foil and insert a wire rack to lift the chicken. With or without a wire rack the chicken will cook to juicy, golden brown perfection.
- You can use bone-in, skin on chicken drumsticks or chicken thighs to make this recipe.
Check these other incredibly delicious and easy chicken recipes.
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How To Make Bbq Chicken Drumsticks In The Oven:
***Check out the recipe video in the recipe card below!
How To Make Bbq Chicken In The Oven
Taking cues from the grilled version of this recipe, the chicken gets a quick sear under the broiler to brown the skin, and then a longer roast in the oven until the chicken is completely tender.
A quick marinade in the barbecue sauce before roasting helps enhance the flavor and improve the tenderness of the chicken. The barbecue sauce bakes into the skin and caramelizes during cooking.
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How Long Do You Marinade Chicken Legs
At least 3 hours! Place the chicken into the marinade first thing in the morning and refrigerate covered, then bake before you are ready to enjoy dinner.
Then all you have to do when its time for dinner is make the sides! How about Roasted Cauliflower or Baked Lemon Asparagus or a Greek Salad or the BEST Vegetable Casserole dont they sound delicious?!!
How To Make Baked Bbq Chicken Drumsticks
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
- Place the drumsticks into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix together to blend the seasonings.
- Using your hands , rub the seasoning generously all over the chicken.
- Place the seasoned drumsticks in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to give the seasonings time to work their magic.
Preheat your oven to 400°F
- Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire baking rack on top of the baking sheet. Place the chicken drumsticks on the wire rack leaving a little room between each drumstick .
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of your preheated oven for 35 minutes.
- Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the chicken legs with barbecue sauce. Return the drumsticks to the oven and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken drumsticks from the oven and turn the chicken legs over and brush again with BBQ sauce. Return to the oven and continue baking for another 7-10 minutes. *Add as many layers of bbq sauce to suit your tastes.
*You dont need a meat thermometer for this bbq chicken recipe, but if you want to check, the minimum internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Serve the barbecue chicken with your favorite sides or classic bbq sides, like cole slaw, macaroni salad, potato salad, and corn on the cob.
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Why This Drumstick Recipe Is So Good
- Super easy: Nothing much needed but a handful of spices, drumstick, and BBQ sauce. Simple and easy to put together and let the oven do most of the work!
- So tasty: the flavors of the spices used coupled with the BBQ will make these drumsticks finger-licking good!
- Healthy: No oil needed, you may even take off the skin and cook without it for a healthier option. Look for a low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce too!
How Long To Bake Chicken Legs

The truth is, nobody enjoys dry, overcooked chicken.
So, how long should you bake chicken drumsticks?
For perfect juicy and tender chicken drumsticks, bake for 45 minutes at 425ºF in the centre rack of your oven, covering with foil half-way through to prevent burning.
Its important to note, that you first need to bring your chicken drumsticks to room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients cook faster than cold ingredients, simply put.
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How Long Does It Takes To Cook Leg Quarters
Usually, it takes about 40 to 45 minutes to cook average size bone-in chicken leg quarters in a pre-heated 400º F oven however, exact times vary depending on the size of the chicken and how hot your oven runs. The most accurate way to know if the chicken leg quarter is done, is by checking the internal temperature of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165ºF.
Bake Covered And Uncovered
The Baked BBQ Chicken Legs and Thighs will first bake covered at 350° for 3o minutes. Once the time is up, you’ll pull the aluminum foil, increase the oven temperature to 375° and allow the chicken to bake for an additional 15 minutes.
This additional 15 minutes at a higher temperature, uncovered, will allow the BBQ sauce to thicken, bubble and better adhere to the chicken.
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Why Youll Love This Chicken Quarters Recipe
- Crispy and Juicy Chicken: Theres no need to stress about over cooking dark meat! Unlike chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs stay moist even when they have the crispiest skin!
- Easy Recipe: Quick prep, simple pantry ingredients, little clean up and delicious flavors!
- Budget Friendly: Bone in chicken quarters are inexpensive and often on sale. They are a great way to feed a crowd or large family on a budget.
- Effortless: Stir together some common spices for a simple seasoning mix and let the oven do its thing! Like most baked chicken recipes minimal work is required.
How Do You Know When Bbq Chicken Legs Are Done
When chicken legs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, they are done. However, some people cook chicken legs for too long or do not properly remove the skin from the bone before putting them on the grill or smoker.
To ensure that your BBQ chicken legs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, it is important to follow these simple steps:
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Bbq Chicken In The Oven
Sometimes I want everything about barbecued chicken except I don’t want to mess with the grill! Usually it’s when it’s pouring down rain or on the days when I just don’t have time to tend to the chicken on the grill.
That’s when this Baked BBQ Chicken comes into play! These chicken drumsticks are first baked in the oven, then coated with a BBQ sauce and baked a bit longer to caramelize the sauce.
The BBQ sauce gives all the flavors you’d find on the grill, but without any of the difficulties you might experience on the grill.
With oven baked chicken, you don’t have to worry about flare ups, turning the chicken every few minutes, uneven heat, or the chicken sticking to the grill.
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Legs are easy peasy and delicious!
Baked Bbq Chicken Tips
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How To Make Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks
What You Will Need

- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or Brown Sugar Alternative
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 chicken drumsticks skin on, bone in
- BBQ Sauce or Low Carb BBQ Sauce, to taste
Equipment Needed
- 1 gallon plastic baggie that closes
- Measuring spoons
- Meat thermometer
Time Needed
- Prep Time: 10 minutes to get the chicken ready, plus however many more minutes it takes for your oven to preheat
- Cooking Time: 40 minutes, turning your baking sheet halfway through cooking time if your oven does not cook evenly
- Broil Time: 2-10 minutes depending on how crisped up and charred you want the drumsticks
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Sear The Chickenbut Why
Searing the chicken for Baked BBQ Chicken prior to baking not only helps to develop depth of flavor but also gives the chicken texture. However, before you sear the chicken, you should take a couple of steps to ensure it is optimized for browning.
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to remove excess water, drizzle it with oil, and then sprinkle it with either TAK House Seasoning or your favorite poultry seasoning.
To sear the chicken legs and thighs, add oil to a large pan and place it over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the hot oil and cook it for 4 minutes without jostling or moving the chicken around. This will allow it to develop a nice sear. Then, turn the chicken over and cook it an extra 3 minutes.
Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes
- Skin or no skin? The purpose of baking the chicken with the skin on is to help seal in the juiciness of the meat. Without the skin the chicken is more likely to dry out while cooking. If you dont want to eat the skin, simply make an extra batch of BBQ sauce that you can use for additional flavor when you remove the skin for eating. *You can use skinless chicken if you prefer. You will follow the same directions listed above.
- Make some extra sauce. The BBQ will bake into the chicken, so if you like a saucier chicken make up some extra sauce to serve with the chicken. Make this in a separate bowl that has not had a brush/spoon in it that was used during cooking.
- Parchment paper makes clean-up easy! Trust me when I say you do not want to make a super easy meal, only to have to spend forever scrubbing baked BBQ sauce off a baking sheet. The parchment paper will keep the baking sheet clean and keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. Once you remove the cooked chicken, just crumple up the parchment paper and toss it! In a pinch you can use non-stick cooking spray if you dont have parchment paper. Simply spray the pan before placing the chicken on it.
- Start with a basic BBQ sauce: Choose a basic BBQ sauce that doesnt have any additional flavoring for your first round with this recipe. Once youve tried out the traditional flavor with liquid smoke, you can explore other BBQ sauce flavors you may like, such as honey BBQ or hickory.
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Barbecue Soy Chicken Drumsticks Are So Quick & Simple To Make Baked In A 3 Ingredient Sauce Packed With So Much Flavour This Chicken Is A Hit
Barbecue sauce mixed with soy sauce is like a shortcut to Teriyaki without any effort. Welcome to lazy persons EASY Barbecue Soy Chicken Drumsticks! There is so much flavour in this chicken recipe youd think the sauce alone was made up of 22 ingredients, except the sauce itself only contains 3! No marinating or simmering = zero effort.
Youre welcome.
Can You Overcook Chicken Drumsticks
Of course you can overcook chicken drumsticks, but did you know that some people like to overcook them?. They dont want the chicken to be pink and so they cook it in the oven. If youre looking for a quick and easy way to cook chicken, this is the recipe for you. Its quick, its easy, and it doesnt take a lot of time at all to make.
The only thing you have to do is put the chicken on a baking sheet, cover it with foil and bake it for about 20 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the meat is falling off the bone. You can serve it hot or cold, but I like to serve mine with a side of mashed potatoes.
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