BBQ Grilled Chicken Legs (Drumsticks) and Thighs

Juicy grilled chicken legs and thighs rubbed with spices and basted with BBQ sauce on the grill. Take the guess work out of how to grill perfect crispy skin, sticky, finger-licking good barbecue chicken every time.

There's something just so irresistible about delicious, perfectly grilled, juicy chicken with bbq sauce. Smoky, sticky, slightly sweet with tender, juicy meat and charred crispy bits of skin - it's always a crowd pleaser. Just the smell makes my mouth water. 

If you're at all intimidated about grilling, don't be! Grilling chicken drumsticks and thighs is a great place to start if you're a bbq novice. Dark meat chicken stays tender and juicy pretty much no matter what. This recipe is nearly impossible to mess up! I promise, it will quickly become one of your favorite go-to chicken recipes of all time.

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• Why you will love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Method
• Recipe FAQs
• What to serve with BBQ grilled chicken
• More of our favorite recipes for grilling season
• BBQ Grilled Chicken Legs (Drumsticks) and Thighs

Why you will love this recipe

• It's full of flavor with a simple spice rub and your favorite barbecue sauce.
• It's easy and can be done on a gas or charcoal grill. You can even bake it in the oven in a pinch!
• You can easily cook a lot of chicken pieces at one time to feed a crowd.
• Chicken thighs and legs are very forgiving and hard to overcook - this is a foolproof method!

Ingredients

• Chicken - When I make this recipe I use a mix of bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks. This always works because they take about the same amount of time to cook. You can also do this with chicken quarters or whole chicken legs which is just the thigh and the drumstick still attached in one piece. In general, bone-in, skin-on dark meat cuts are always the best, most flavorful options for grilling.
• Seasonings - A simple spice rub of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, ground ginger, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. I like to make my own dry rub because I can control the salt levels when pairing it with bbq sauce. If you're using a store bought or a different seasoning blend, a good rule of thumb is to use 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of chicken.
• BBQ sauce - If you want to make your own homemade bbq sauce, go for it! I usually use store bought and my favorite is Stubbs.
• Oil - a few teaspoons of avocado oil, olive oil or neutral oil of your choice.

Method

Start by patting the chicken pieces really dry with paper towels. The drier the chicken skin, the crispier the skin will get on the grill. If you have the time, place the chicken pieces on a wire rack over a baking sheet in the fridge and let them air chill for a few hours to get them really dry.

In a small bowl, whisk together seasonings until well combined. Add the chicken pieces to a bowl and sprinkle with spice mix. Use your hands to toss the chicken around and rub the seasoning all over each piece, making sure they are evenly coated. Place the bowl back in the refrigerator and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. When you're ready to cook, drizzle a few teaspoons of oil over the seasoned chicken and toss again to coat.

How to grill chicken legs and thighs on a gas grill

When you're ready to cook, heat the grill temperature to 400 degrees f. Place the chicken drumsticks and thighs skin side down on the hot grill grates, close the lid and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Open the lid and turn the drumsticks over to sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Check the thighs and if you have nice grill marks, flip them over, or let them go for a few more minutes.

Turn the heat down to about 300 degrees f, make sure the chicken thighs are skin side up and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Turn the drumsticks about every 5 minutes to make sure they cook evenly on all sides. The thighs you can leave skin side up the whole time after searing. After about 10-15 minutes, baste the chicken pieces with bbq sauce. Close the lid and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Turn all of the pieces over and baste the other side and cook for another few minutes until the sauce is sticky and caramelized.

Total cook time will be about 25-30 minutes. 

How to grill chicken legs and thighs on a charcoal grill

Set up two zones on the grill by lighting your charcoal on one side with a chimney starter. When the coals are white hot, pour them in an even layer over just one side of the bottom grate. The area directly over the coals is your hot zone and the other side is the cool zone for indirect heat.

Place the chicken pieces over the heat source, making sure the thighs are skin side down. Turn the drumsticks every few minutes until it's browned and crispy on all sides. Turn the thighs over and place them over the indirect heat once the skin is brown and crispy. Move the drumsticks over to the cool zone side of the grill, cover and cook for another 20 minutes, turning the drumsticks every five minutes or so. Brush the chicken with bbq sauce, cook for 1-2 minutes, turn and brush again and cook for another few minutes until sauce is sticky and caramelized.

Total cook time will be about 25-30 minutes.

​How to tell when chicken thighs and legs are done

Visually, the skin will be golden brown and crispy with grill marks and some charred bits. When you pierce the meat, the juices should run clear. The color of the meat is not always the best key indicator. Fully cooked chicken can sometimes be a little bit pinkish, especially near the bone. This is particularly true of young chickens whose bones and skin are still very permeable. No need to panic! 

The best way to tell when chicken is done is to use an instant read meat thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the thigh and the thickest part of the meat on the drumstick, being careful not to touch the bone. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees f, but it's recommended to cook thigh and leg meat to between 170-175 degrees f.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with BBQ grilled chicken

• Pasta salad, Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad, Potato Salad or Marinated Cauliflower Salad.
• Corn on the cob or this Sweet Corn and Bell Pepper Saute
• French fries, Crispy Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes
• Simple green salad and fruit

More of our favorite recipes for grilling season