I’m a firm believer that more isn’t always better and this recipe has the flavor to prove it. Not only does it come together quickly and easily due to it’s minimal ingredients, it’s so good that I swear I could eat it every night and still get sad when my plate is empty. It’s also nice that it’s completely affordable at about $0.85 per finished drumstick. I stock up on these when they go on sale for $0.99/lb and store them in the freezer until we are ready to use them.
The main ingredients are just chicken drumsticks (though any kind of chicken would work, just make sure to adjust the cooking times to ensure the internal temperature of your chicken is 165℉) and your favorite BBQ sauce. Alternatively, I use this same recipe with hot sauce when I’m trying to save on a few calories. Just substitute in the hot sauce for the BBQ, no butter or other ingredients are necessary and you get that same delicious, crispy chicken with a nice kick. I personally use this hot sauce every time and I’ve never been disappointed.
| Cooking Equipment | Temperature | Time* |
| Air Fryer | 400℉ | 22 minutes |
| Oven | 400℉ | 40 minutes |
| Grill | 375℉ | 30 minutes |
I recently bought an air fryer after years of being on the fence about it and to say I’m in love is an understatement. It’s been a few months now (maybe 4?) and I can honestly say between cooking for our baby and ourselves I don’t think there has been a day I haven’t used it. This recipe is one of the top meals we use it for because the results of crispy chicken and sticky BBQ are perfect, it can also be done on the grill or in the oven. If you have been on the fence to purchase an air fryers, I would highly recommend it – even if you just want to test out a smaller one.
In terms of spices, my go to blend is salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and ground cayenne. You can use whatever you like the best or give this one a try. It gives you a little heat to go with the BBQ but you could substitute paprika is you don’t like too much heat. Either way the key is to use a good quality sauce since that flavor is going to shine.
I hope you enjoy this easy but flavorful chicken recipe!
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer optional (alternative cooking times for grill/oven in notes)
Ingredients
- 4 ind chicken drumsticks
- 4 tbsp bbq sauce
Instructions
- Butterfly chicken and lay flat in air fryer basket (see notes above on how to butterfly chicken)
- Season chicken with your favorite seasonings and rub into the meat. My favorite combination is salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and cayenne.
- Cook for 12 minutes at 400℉. Flip and cook for 8 minutes more.
- Brush on bbq sauce to the bottom side of the chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip over and brush bbq sauce onto the top side of the chicken, making sure the chicken is skin side up. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Once chicken is at 165℉ it's done and ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
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