Cooking drumsticks, or any other meat on the bone can be tricky on a grill. You can't just throw the drumsticks on a hot fire directly over the flames, or you'll most likely end up with charred skin, overcooked on the outside and undercooked near the bone.
You could always try pre-cooking the drumsticks in the oven to get pretty close to done before throwing on a grill over hot coals to crisp the skin, create grill marks and add any sauces, etc. But why hassle with using 2 cooking methods and heating the house up with the oven when there's a much easier way to do it?
The best way for cooking chicken drumsticks is not a deep dark secret. In fact, it's pretty easy! Set your grill up with a 2 zone grilling method so that you can cook the drumsticks longer and slower over the indirect heat side. This will prevent them from burning or drying out and will help get them cooked all the way through to the bone without overcooking the meat or burning the skin.
Start with drumsticks that have been allowed to come to room temperature.
Heat one side of the grill to high heat for searing the chicken skin and the other side without any heat or coals to finish cooking the chicken. Cook the drumsticks over the direct heat side for about 15 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until all sides of the pieces start to brown and loosen from the grates.
Move browned pieces to the indirect heat side of the grill, close the lid and let those drummies roast away in the warm grill.
The time it takes them to cook through will vary depending on the size of the drumsticks, type of grill used and how hot the grill is maintained during the roasting period (shoot for 275°F - 325°F). Be sure to have an instant read thermometer to check temps on the drumsticks throughout cooking.
When the drumsticks hit about 155°F, you can move them back to the direct side of the grill if it's still around a medium high heat (375°F - 425°F). If it's not in that temp range, you may need to add more charcoal or bump up the gas burner.
Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the drumsticks and move them over to the medium-high direct heat side of the grill for a few minutes to set the sauce before serving. Make sure the chicken reaches 165°F before removing from the grill. If they start to burn or char more than you like, move the pieces back to the indirect side of the grill to finish.
After removing from the grill, let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Need some drumstick grilling inspiration? We've got you covered!
Grilled Drumsticks with Italian Salsa Verde
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Tomato Cucumber Salad
