These grilled chicken legs are the perfect recipe for flavorful, crispy, and tender chicken drumsticks for your summer BBQ!
This delicious grilled chicken recipe uses only a few simple ingredients: chicken drumsticks, olive oil, and spices. They are easy to prep and cook fast, you will have a delicious meal in just 30 minutes!
With crispy skin on the outside, and tender and juicy meat on the inside with a delicious smoky flavor from the grill, these grilled chicken drumsticks will be a hit in your next BBQ!
Serve this next to our Greek pasta salad, cauliflower with tahini, air fryer potato wedges, smoked mac and cheese, and air fryer home fries!
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- the flavor of this grilled chicken legs recipe is salty, savory, crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, its simply irresistible.
- Ease- these chicken legs are super easy to make! All you have to do is rub the chicken with the oil and spices, and grill it on each side for about 10 minutes or until it's cooked through!
- Time- making these grilled chicken drumsticks will take you 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook. You will have a delicious meal in half an hour!
- Meal prep friendly- this crispy chicken legs is great for meal prep!
- Diet-friendly- this chicken recipe is perfect for different diets if you are dairy free, gluten free, keto, or paleo.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this grilled drumsticks recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Chicken- use either chicken thighs or chicken breast for this recipe. we used chicken breast for this recipe, feel free to use whatever chicken part that you like most. We used boneless chicken breasts.
Olive oil- use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. If you don't want to use olive oil, you can use avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil!
Kosher salt– we used kosher salt in this recipe. You can use sea salt or flakey salt as well.
Black pepper- for flavor. Adjust the black pepper to your personal liking.
Garlic powder- use your favorite brand of garlic powder. You will need 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
Onion powder- use your favorite brand of onion powder. You will need 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
Paprika– use your favorite brand of paprika.
Cayenne pepper- you can add as much cayenne pepper as you personally like to the spice mix.
Instructions
Reheat the grill to about 200c (400f) while you are preparing your chicken.
Pat dry the chicken legs with paper towels to make sure the skin will turn crispy.
Make a simple rub for the chicken. Into a small mixing bowl add the oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and mix with a spoon until well combined.
Rub the spices mixture all over the chicken including under the skin for more flavor!
Once the grill is preheated to 200c (400f) clean and oil the grill to prevent the skin from sticking to the grill.
Place the chicken on the oiled grill and allow it to cook for 25-30 minutes flipping every 5 minutes or so. (don't flip too often to allow a crust to form) Cook until the internal temperature reaches 85c (185f).
Remove the cooked chicken drumsticks onto a large plate and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve it next to your favorite barbecue side dish and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Do not disturb the chicken! Let the chicken cook for at least 5 minutes without flipping it so it will have time to properly form a crust.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your chicken is cooked on the inside and prevents your chicken from drying out. The chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 85c (185f).
- Add the spices under the skin for optimal flavor. Especially for those of you who don't eat the skin, this will ensure that every bite is full of flavor.
- Dry the chicken with paper towels before you rub it with the oil and spices. This ensures you have perfect crispy skin on the outside and tender meat on the inside.
- Don't forget to oil your grill before adding the chicken. Oil the grill with a brush or with an onion to make sure that the skin of the chicken doesn't stick to the grill.
- Keep the lid of your grill closed. This will ensure your chicken cooks evenly and stops the heat to escape the grill.
Faq's
It takes 30 minutes to grill chicken legs on the grill. Flip the chicken every 5 minutes or so, and close the grill lid to let the chicken cool throughout.
Boiling the chicken legs before grilling is another method that works great. I don't use this method since you can get a perfectly juicy and cooked chicken without boiling it beforehand.
Rub your chicken with the oil and spices and grill your chicken on an oiled preheated grill, flipping the chicken every 5 to 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 185f.
Yep! This chicken dish is indeed keto. For a whole keto meal, serve this chicken with cauliflower rice or vegetables.
Storing
Let the grilled chicken reach room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezing
I do not recommend freezing this chicken. It has the best texture and juiciness while being made fresh. It is okay to reheat it a day, or two later, but the freezer might ruin the texture of this chicken and will dry it out.
Reheating
Reheat them in the microwave or in the toaster oven (or regular oven) until it is warm. Don't overheat to not dry the chicken.
Make it ahead of time
You can make this chicken in advance! Rub the chicken with the oil and spices, and place it in a bowl with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours. Then grill it according to the instructions and serve!
Substitutions
Chicken- you can swap the chicken drumsticks with boneless chicken, skinless chicken thighs, or swap them with chicken tenderloins.
Variations
Spicy- you can make this dish spicy by adding an additional pinch or two of cayenne pepper or adding chili flakes. Add it to your personal liking.
Seasoning- you can use your favorite mix of dried herbs or seasoning for this chicken!
Paprika- you can swap the paprika with smoked paprika.
BBQ sauce- smother your chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce in the last 10 or so minutes of grilling. Bbq chicken drumsticks are a hit and perfect for this recipe!
Glaze- for a sweeter twist, glaze your chicken with hot honey or regular honey.
Dip- Dip your chicken in your favorite sauce like boom boom sauce, tzatziki sauce, yogurt dill sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard, etc.
More chicken recipes
Air fryer chicken tenders- These air fryer chicken tenders are crispy, tender, juicy, and loaded with delicious flavor. They take under 30 minutes to make and are super easy to throw together for a quick lunch or dinner.
Marry me chicken- This marry me chicken is the perfect chicken dinner that is herby, creamy, tender, juicy, and goes perfectly with pasta or rice!
Chicken limone- This chicken limone is made by dredging chicken breast in flour and spices and then topped with a creamy lemon sauce that is filled with delicious flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Legs (30 Minute Meal)
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken legs
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil or any oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Reheat the grill to about 200c (400f) while you are preparing your chicken.
- Pat dry the chicken legs with paper towels to make sure the skin will turn crispy.
- Make a simple rub for the chicken. Into a small mixing bowl add the oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Rub the spices mixture all over the chicken including under the skin for more flavor!
- Once the grill is preheated to 200c (400f) clean and oil the grill to prevent the skin from sticking to the grill.
- Place the chicken on the oiled grill and allow it to cook for 25-30 minutes flipping every 5 minutes or so. (don't flip too often to allow a crust to form) Cook until the internal temperature reaches 85c (185f).
- Remove the cooked chicken drumsticks onto a large plate and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve it next to your favorite barbecue side dish and enjoy!
Notes
- Do not disturb the chicken! Let the chicken cook for at least 5 minutes without flipping it so it will have time to properly form a crust.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your chicken is cooked on the inside and prevents your chicken from drying out. The chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 85c (185f).
- Add the spices under the skin for optimal flavor. Especially for those of you who don't eat the skin, this will ensure that every bite is full of flavor.
- Dry the chicken with paper towels before you rub it with the oil and spices. This ensures you have perfect crispy skin on the outside and tender meat on the inside.
- Don't forget to oil your grill before adding the chicken. Oil the grill with a brush or with an onion to make sure that the skin of the chicken doesn't stick to the grill.
- Keep the lid of your grill closed. This will ensure your chicken cooks evenly and stops the heat to escape the grill.
Sixsisters says
This is so good!