Make BBQ baked chicken legs your go-to when you need dinner in a pinch. Tender, juicy drumsticks are coated in a homemade BBQ rub and roasted to perfection for a flavorful, fuss-free meal every time.
Key Ingredients
- BBQ Rub: Mix up a quick BBQ seasoning with pantry staples, including dark chili powder (or chipotle powder, ancho chile powder, guajillo chile powder), light brown sugar (or golden monk fruit), kosher salt, coarse black pepper, yellow mustard powder, paprika (or smoked paprika), garlic powder, cayenne pepper (or red chili powder), and red pepper flakes.The spice blend comes together in minutes; you can double or triple the batch to save for later. Store extras in a glass jar or container for 2-3 months.
- Chicken: Use bone-in chicken for this BBQ chicken recipe—drumsticks, thighs, breasts, or leg quarters all work. Adjust cooking times as needed and ensure the internal temperature hits 165°F (74°C), regardless of what you choose. Personally, I love drumsticks because they are super affordable and a crowd-pleaser for a quick weeknight meal, BBQs, or potlucks.
- BBQ Sauce: Brush the drumsticks with homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce. Sweet Baby Rays is my go-to, and they offer a sugar-free option. If you make your own, you can easily adjust the sweetness, tang, and spice level to fit your taste.
What’s the Best BBQ Sauce for BBQ Chicken?
The best barbecue sauce for BBQ baked chicken legs comes down to personal preference, but here are a few options to consider:
Sweet: Cheerwine BBQ Sauce, Pineapple Barbecue Sauce, Kansas-City Style Bull’s-Eye Original BBQ, Famous Dave’s Honey Hickory BBQ Sauce
Spicy: Pappy’s Moonshine Madness, Trader Joe’s Sriracha BBQ Sauce
Mustard-Based: Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
Vinegar-Based: Scott’s Carolina BBQ Sauce, George’s BBQ Sauce, Stubb’s BBQ Sauce
Smoky: Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Lilli’s Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Additions and Substitutions
- Switch up the seasoning. Use your favorite BBQ rub or try one of my go-to blends like this rib rub recipe, my copycat Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe, or mustard rib rub. Prefer store-bought? You can’t go wrong with Loot n’ Booty Gold Star Chicken Rub, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, or Plowboys Yardbird Rub.
How to Make BBQ Baked Chicken Legs
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Pat the chicken with a cloth or paper towels, and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the spices for the BBQ rub and combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 6-24 hours (at least 30 minutes).
Step 2: Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. Arrange the drumsticks on the wire rack in a single layer.
Step 3: Lower the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C) and roast for 25-30 minutes until they reach 165°F (74°C), flipping the drumsticks halfway through.
How do you know when the chicken is done?
The drumsticks are done cooking when they reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
Step 4: Brush the drumsticks with BBQ sauce and cook for 3 minutes. Flip them over, brush the other side, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the drumsticks from heat and set them aside for 5-10 minutes to rest.
Step 5: Optional: If you enjoy crispy drumsticks, set the oven to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes before resting.
Expert Tips
- Let it marinate. Toss the chicken in olive oil and spices, then cover and refrigerate for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes) to let the flavors penetrate and work their magic.
- Prepare the drumsticks. For crispy skin on your drumsticks, pat them dry with a cloth or paper towels before seasoning and roasting them. Do this to remove excess moisture on the surface of the chicken, which can prevent the skin from crisping up properly. Also, remember to remove the marinated drumsticks from the fridge 30 minutes before baking time. Chicken at room temperature cooks more evenly.
- Get the oven hot. Start with a hot oven by preheating the oven to 500°F (260°C), the same way you would preheat a grill. Then, lower the temperature and roast the BBQ chicken drumsticks at 400°F (204°C) for even cooking.
- Use a thermometer. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F (74°C).
- Don’t skip the rest. Remove the chicken from the grill and rest on a cutting board, allowing the juices to redistribute within the meat for moist and tender chicken.
If you enjoy BBQ baked chicken legs, try more drumstick recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
Do you need help deciding what goes with BBQ chicken? Pair them with classic side dishes like corn on the cob, baked beans with hamburger, Dutch oven mac and cheese, and vinegar coleslaw.
Serve BBQ baked chicken legs with baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, and French fries. Or lighten the meal with your favorite salad—blueberry goat cheese salad, cucumber beet salad, or arugula quinoa salad are great options.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover drumsticks in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the chicken cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. BBQ baked chicken legs freeze for 4-6 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken legs in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 15-20 minutes for the best results.
More Baked Chicken Recipes:
BBQ Baked Chicken Legs
- ⅓ cup dark chili powder
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks, bone-in and skin-on
- 2-3 tablespoons BBQ rub
- ½ cup BBQ sauce, homemade or store-bought
- Pat the chicken with a cloth or paper towels, and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the spices for the BBQ rub and combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 6-24 hours (at least 30 minutes).
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. Arrange the drumsticks on the wire rack in a single layer.
- Lower the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C) and roast for 25-30 minutes until they reach 165°F (74°C), flipping the drumsticks halfway through.Tip: The drumsticks are done cooking when they reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
- Brush the drumsticks with BBQ sauce and cook for 3 minutes. Flip them over, brush the other side, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the drumsticks from heat and set them aside for 5-10 minutes to rest.
- Optional: If you enjoy crispy drumsticks, set the oven to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes before resting.
- Let it marinate. Toss the chicken in olive oil and spices, then cover and refrigerate for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes) to let the flavors penetrate and work their magic.
- Prepare the drumsticks. For crispy skin on your drumsticks, pat them dry with a cloth or paper towels before seasoning and roasting them. Do this to remove excess moisture on the surface of the chicken, which can prevent the skin from crisping up properly. Also, remember to remove the marinated drumsticks from the fridge 30 minutes before baking time. Chicken at room temperature cooks more evenly.
- Get the oven hot. Start with a hot oven by preheating the oven to 500°F (260°C), the same way you would preheat a grill. Then, lower the temperature and roast the BBQ chicken drumsticks at 400°F (204°C) for even cooking.
- Use a thermometer. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F (74°C).
- Don’t skip the rest. Remove the chicken from the grill and rest on a cutting board, allowing the juices to redistribute within the meat for moist and tender chicken.
Matt W.
Tuesday 12th of July 2022
Seriously love this recipe, perfect for a grilling kind of dinner. I specifically like the combination of the garlic and cayenne pepper in the rub. Recipe flows nicely, my fiancé and kids loved it. My son had 3 helpings and my daughter had 2.
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 12th of July 2022
Our kids love this meal too; I am so happy you all enjoyed it!