Butterflied Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks are a polarizing piece of poultry. They’re guaranteed to be delicious when attached to the whole bird, like in our classic roast chicken recipe, but when cooked by themselves, there are a few extra challenges. The awkward shape can make it tough to get an evenly brown color on all sides—especially when grilling—leaving some of the skin pale and unappetizing. The solution for even and quick cooking is the same as it is with almost any other meat: Butterfly it!
Butterflying the chicken leg gives the grill a chance to evenly cook the outside of the drumstick while also allowing more surface area for seasoning and smokey grill flavor. These get rubbed with a Creole seasoning-inspired blend, charred over high heat, then moved to indirect heat to finish cooking until they’re tender and juicy. Served with a tangy creamy Alabama white sauce, these grilled drumsticks are the perfect blend of spicy, smokey, and sweet that will impress the guests at your next backyard BBQ.
Successfully butterflying a chicken drumstick might take a little bit of practice to get it exactly right, but you should be able to get the hang of it by the third piece. Pat the legs dry with a paper towel and use a gentle swiping motion (with a sharp knife!) to cut through the meat and expose the bone. Use the knife to separate more of the flesh from the top of the bone until the leg opens up (like a butterfly!). Be careful not to separate the meat completely from the top of the bone.
Did you try butterflying chicken legs? Let us know how it went in the comments!
Ingredients
- 3 lb.
whole chicken drumsticks
- 1 Tbsp.
chili powder
- 1 Tbsp.
dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp.
kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp.
onion powder
- 1 tsp.
dried thyme
- 1 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp.
garlic powder
- 1 tsp.
smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp.
cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp.
canola oil
Alabama white sauce, for serving
Directions
- Step 1Prepare a grill up for dual-zone heat, heating the direct heat zone over medium-high heat to 375° to 400°. Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium heat and preheat oven to 350°.
- Step 2Pat drumsticks dry with paper towels. Using a gentle swiping motion (with a sharp knife!), cut through the meat and expose the bone. Using knife, separate more of the flesh from top of bone, until leg opens up (like a butterfly!).
- Step 3In a small bowl, whisk chili powder, brown sugar, salt, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne until combined. Add oil and mix until a paste forms. Rub seasoning paste all over drumsticks.
- Step 4Arrange drumsticks skin side up over direct heat side of grill (or arrange on grill pan). Cover and grill until meat is charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken and and continue to grill until skin side is charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Move chicken to indirect heat, cover, and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°, 12 to 15 minutes more. Alternatively, place grill pan in oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes more.
- Step 5Transfer chicken to a platter. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve with Alabama white sauce alongside.