How Long To Cook Chicken Drumsticks On The Grill

Chicken meat is pretty easy to cook as it is soft, and you do not have to deal with much fat. So here is the answer to the question, how long to cook chicken drumsticks on the grill.

There are many parts to choose from when it comes to chicken.

However, the most famous cut or part, the one we usually see in advertisements, is the chicken or the legs’ drumsticks. 

This part of the chicken comprises a decent amount of meat and the bone in the center.

 The bone helps make the chicken tender and is also a great handle when eating the chicken. 

When you think about it, it is easy to cook, and yes, that is true. However, it is also easy to mess up as you can either overcook or undercook it if you do not know how to time it properly.

There is a certain timing you need to follow when cooking your drumsticks on your grill. If you use direct heat, you need to be careful with a lot of things,

So with this guide, you will be able to make the best drumsticks without worrying about undercooking or overcooking the drumsticks. So let us get into the guide.

 

How Long Do You Cook Drumsticks On The Grill?

Most drumsticks sold in the supermarket are relatively different in size. Cooking drumsticks on the grill will depend on the thickness of the meat or the fats that are inside it.

So for a standard chicken drumstick, you need to cook it on the grill for at least 30 minutes. You can adjust the longevity of the cooking process depending on the thickness of the drumsticks.

There are many things to consider as well when it comes to cooking chicken drumsticks. The basis is to know the chicken’s internal temperature to know whether or not it is done.

For a regular chicken wing, you will need to cook it longer than steaks and other cuts of meat. You also need to remember that you need to flip the chicken every after 10 minutes.

This will prevent the chicken from overcooking on the other side and leaving the other side a bit raw. You need to make sure that the blood inside the bones cooks or removed completely.

Chicken is also one of the main types of meat where people accidentally get diseases such as salmonella because they have accidentally cooked the chicken with the wrong timing.

That is why it is also important to invest in a good meat probe to measure the chicken’s internal temperature. That way, you can be sure that the bacteria inside are killed.

So while the safest way to grill chicken is to cook it for 30 minutes, you still need to measure the chicken’s internal temperature to make sure that it is cooked properly with no bacteria inside.

 

How Do You Grill Drumsticks Without Burning Them?

 Chicken takes longer to cook than steak, but it is quite hard to manage as it is more prone to stick on the grill grates. That is why there are ways to cook drumsticks without burning them.

 To prevent the chicken drumsticks from burning, you can do some tricks when grilling. The first one is to prevent the chicken drumsticks from sticking to the grill grate when cooking.

 First, get a brush and make sure that there are no food residuals on the grill grate. Brush it thoroughly, get a paper towel, and spray some oil on the grill grates before wiping it.

This is done before heating the grill so that the oil does not drip or burn away. The oil will help the drumsticks cook properly without the skin sticking onto the grill grates when heated.

You can also wipe all sides of the chicken with oil before putting them on the grill. It’s either that you can make an oil-based marinade and let the drumsticks soak first in the marinade.

If that seems inconvenient or you do not want too many extra flavors in the chicken, you can do the oiled grill grates technique and then place a flame guard under the grill grates.

 

What Temperature Should Drumsticks Be Grilled At?

 When you are grilling drumsticks, you need to be careful and set the grill at the right temperature. That way, you will be able to manage them easier when you are cooking.

Keep in mind that the skin on the drumsticks is sensitive. They cook fast, so you need to keep the temperature low, but not too low, that the insides or the heat do not reach the bone.

It is a matter of balance, and depending on the thickness of the drumsticks, you can adjust the grill’s temperature between 300 degrees and 400 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking them.

 

To make the cooking process even more on the drumsticks’ insides, you need to make sure they defrost. So wrap them in aluminum foil and let them warm up.

You can do this by leaving the drumsticks at room temperature after wrapping them with aluminum foil. This will take about 30 minutes so do this part of the process ahead of time.

 

Do You Grill Chicken Drumsticks On Direct Or Indirect Heat?

People are confused about how to properly grill chicken drumsticks. There are two main ways to do that on a grill, and it is either you grill the chicken directly on the heat or with indirect heat.

However, there is a way to grill the chicken without them drying out. First, you will need to cook them over direct heat for the first 8 minutes and flipping them regularly to prevent burning them.

After cooking them over direct heat, you can switch to low and slow cooking by finishing the chicken drumsticks over indirect heat for 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

 

How Long To Cook Chicken Legs At 325 Degrees?

There are different temperatures where you can cook chicken at. At 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to cook the chicken for at least 60 minutes with the grill lid closed.

Then again, the time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. Make sure to keep a meat probe at reach to measure the temperature if the chicken has reached the right temperature.

For a higher temperature, such as 350 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to grill the chicken for about 35 minutes. Just make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Conclusion 

When cooking chicken drumsticks, make sure to follow the proper timing depending on the temperature you are cooking them on and the thickness of the meat on each leg.

You can also wrap the chicken drumsticks in aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.

You can put some marinade inside the foil while cooking to also prevent them from drying out. 

Brush a thin layer of oil on the grill grates to prevent the drumsticks from sticking onto the grill grates.

Use a flame guard as well when you think the flare-ups are too high to cook your chicken perfectly!

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