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Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (Salt and Pepper)

bakedbbqchickendrumsticksDelightfully tangy baked BBQ chicken drumsticks combine crispy baked chicken legs with a smoky barbecue sauce that's cooked to perfection. This easy dinner is a family favourite go-to for nights that you can't fire up the grill.

12 chicken drumsticks
½ cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

In a small bowl combine the ½ cup BBQ sauce and 1 tsp. liquid smoke, mix then set aside.

Rinse and pat dry the 12 chicken drumsticks with paper towels. Arrange the drumsticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and using a brush apply the BBQ sauce to the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes more.

After 10 minutes remove the BBQ chicken from the oven. Use an instant-read temperature probe and verify that your chicken is at least 165°F (74°C). Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

  • Skin or no skin? The purpose of baking the chicken with the skin on it is to help seal the meat's juiciness. The chicken is more likely to dry out without the skin while cooking. If you don’t want to eat the skin, simply make an extra batch of BBQ sauce that you can use for additional flavour when you remove the skin (after baking) 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 don’t have parchment paper. Simply spray the pan before placing the chicken on it.
  • Start with a basic BBQ sauce: Choose a basic BBQ sauce with no additional flavouring for your first round with this recipe. Once you’ve tried the traditional flavour with liquid smoke, you can explore other BBQ sauce flavours, such as honey BBQ or hickory.

 Storing and Reheating:

  • BBQ chicken is great for leftovers. Transfer it to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
  • Baked BBQ chicken drumsticks are best reheated in the oven to keep that “just grilled” taste. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay them out on the baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 400°F (205°C) until they are warmed through.
  • This chicken is also super yummy and served cold on salads or in sandwiches.