BBQ Chipotle Chicken Drumsticks

When I was younger, my mom used to make roasted chicken drumsticks in the oven and slather on bbq sauce. As kids, my siblings and I loved it. We would eat that with a side of her famous plain white rice or beans. There would always be some sort of vegetable, but we never cared for that.

BBQ Chicken breast is one of our go to meals to prep and I decided to switch it up. Using drumsticks instead of chicken breast. The great part about the drumstick, is that the meat is going to stay super juicy because of the bone. The sweet, spicy and sticky bbq sauce will have you licking your fingers and the desire to have more than two on your plate.

I served this with a side of my stove top macaroni and cheese, and it was just a great meal to have on a Sunday. This recipe is super easy, all you need are 2 main ingredients: drumsticks and bbq sauce! You can substitute with whatever else kind of spices or sauces you have in your pantry or fridge.

BBQ Chipotle Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 4 lb. pack chicken drumsticks (around 12 or 14 total)

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 ½ tsp chipotle chili powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic seasoning salt

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper

• ¼ cup worcheshire

• ½ cup Honey BBQ Sauce *you can use any store bought BBQ sauce

• 1 ½ tbsp chopped chipotles in adobo

Directions

1. To prep the chicken drumsticks, pat dry with a paper towel and place them on a baking sheet or in a large ziploc bag.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine the dry mix: brown sugar, chipotle chili powder, paprika, garlic seasoning salt, salt, pepper. Set aside.

3. Toss the chicken drumsticks with the worcheshire and season with the dry mix and rub it in to the drumsticks so they are all coated. Optional * It is best to let the chicken marinate and chill in the fridge with the dry rub for a couple hours.

4. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Meanwhile let the drumsticks come to room temperature, if they have been chilled for a couple hours.

5. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, combine the chipotles and bbq sauce in a small bowl.

7. Once the chicken is ready, place them on a preheated grill for about 3 minutes each side. Simultaneously baste the chicken using a basting brush or spoon when turning them over.

8. Place them on a serving platter or baking sheet. You can top with more bbq sauce or leave it on the side.

Note:

-If you don’t have time to allow for the chicken to marinate for a couple hours, you can just place them in the oven right away after you’ve preheated at 375 degrees.

-You will get residual juices from the chicken on the baking sheet when you remove them, you can add some of it to the bbq sauce for more chicken flavor.

-You can use any kind of bbq sauce that you’d like, I also like to use sriracha instead of chipotle peppers in adobo, or add a good amount of fresh cracked pepper.

-If you avoid the grill at all costs and just want to keep the cooking indoors, after step 6 you can crank up the oven to 425 and baste the chicken drumsticks with the bbq sauce. Place back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until you notice the bbq sauce starting to caramelize on the chicken.