One of the most classic backyard BBQ dishes has to be chicken drumsticks. They're incredibly easy to prepare, found abundantly in every grocery store, and versatile enough to complement any flavor profile. Yet, despite their popularity, chicken drumsticks can sometimes lack excitement. But fear not, because we're about to change that. In this recipe, we're elevating these drumsticks to new heights by butterflying them and then drenching them in a tantalizing, sticky, and utterly delicious hot honey BBQ sauce. And here's the kicker: we're achieving all this magic using the Slow ‘N Sear kettle grill with our NEW FireBaskets for center zone cooking.
Trust us when we say, the result is nothing short of amazing. Each bite is a burst of pure delight, a taste of heaven, and will leave you craving more. We know that when you try these, you will not only fall in love with them but also fall back in love with the classic chicken drumstick. So, fire up the grill and get ready for an incredible feast.
INGREDIENTS
12 Chicken Drumsticks
Olive Oil
BBQ Rub
Hot Honey BBQ Glaze
½ Cup BBQ Sauce
½ Cup Honey
½ Tbsp Chili Flakes
½ Tbsp BBQ Rub
PREP
To prepare these delicious hot honey BBQ chicken drumsticks, you’ll first need to butterfly your drumsticks. This will not only help speed up the cooking process but also add more surface area, resulting in a more flavorful bite. To do this, take a sharp knife and slice down and around the bone, starting from the thicker end down to the thinner end. You want the drumstick to flatten out almost like a wing on either side. Once you have butterflied your drumsticks, apply a little bit of olive oil to both sides and then dust on your favorite BBQ rub for chicken.
With the chicken prepared, it’s time to set up the Slow ‘N Sear Kettle for cooking. We are using the NEW Firebaskets, but you can also do this using the Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe. To set up the Firebaskets for this cook, we filled up a chimney basket about ¾ full and then got them mostly lit. Next, place both the Firebaskets into the center of the grill, forming a circle, and then pour your hot briquettes into the Firebaskets, and let the grill come up to around 425°F.
COOK
Once the grill is hot, place the drumsticks onto the outer edges of the grill, filling up the outer ring indirect cooking zone. Lastly, add on a small block of hardwood for a kiss of smoky flavor, and then close the lid and begin cooking. With this setup, the heat is going to move upward until it hits the lid, where it will then be forced down over the drumsticks for an extremely hot and fast convection-style cook.
After only about 25 minutes of cooking, our drumsticks hit an internal temperature between 165°F-175°F, depending on thickness. We prefer to cook dark meat up to 175°F, so now is the time to start mixing together our hot honey BBQ glaze. To do this, simply place a small cast-iron skillet over the coals and then add in your BBQ sauce and honey along with the chili flakes and BBQ rub. Mix everything together until it is warmed up or lightly simmering, and then dip both sides of your chicken into the sauce before placing them back around the Firebaskets.
Once the drumsticks have been sauced, close the lid and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes longer to allow the sauce to set up a bit before removing them from the grill and enjoying the feast!