Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are a quick and easy dinner idea that your whole family will love. You'll have tasty oven-baked bbq chicken drumsticks in no time - no need for the grill. As long as sugar free BBQ sauce is used this recipe is gluten free, sugar free, low carb, and keto!
Watch how to make BBQ Chicken Legs in the Oven
You'll love these Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
Easy
A simple and easy recipe, and no need for a grill! 🙂 Simply season the chicken and bake. Slather with the delicious BBQ sauce after baking then serve.
Tasty
There is just something about the combination of the dry rub and the BBQ sauce recipe (below) that make it super delicious. It will equally be delicious if you use your own favorite BBQ sauce for chicken too!
Healthy
The nutritional analysis in the recipe is used with our Dry Rub for Chicken Recipe and the BBQ sauce recipe below. It is low carb, there is no sugar added, and it is ketogenic. A serving size is 2 drumsticks. 🙂
What you'll need to make Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in Oven
Here are the ingredients needed for making these Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:
- Chicken Drumsticks - chicken legs are so economical!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dry Rub for Chicken: make our easy healthy smoky dry rub or use 3 tsp garlic salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
- BBQ Sauce: see our sugar free variation below, or use your favorite store -bought brand.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup unsweetened ketchup (we used Primal Kitchen brand)
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar substitute (we used So Nourished brand brown sugar substitute)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp liquid smoke (Love this stuff!! I add 1 to 2 tsp to pulled pork too! Yum.)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
How to make BBQ Chicken Legs in the Oven
Here's how to make baked bbq chicken drumsticks! They're super easy!
- In a large bowl toss chicken drumsticks with olive oil and dry rub. (You can do this step up to 24 hours in advance)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and place chicken drumsticks on the pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Remove from oven and place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Toss with bbq sauce and serve.
How long to cook BBQ chicken legs in oven
Cook drumsticks in the oven at 400 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the juices are no longer pink inside.
USDA recommends a safe cooking temperature for chicken is 165 degrees F. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to check. Check the temperature by inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the drumstick, being careful not to touch the bone.
BBQ Drumsticks in Oven (Sugar Free variation)
This is the sugar-free version of our yummy homemade BBQ sauce. If you don't want sugar-free, use regular ketchup and regular brown sugar. If you use sweetened ketchup, reduce the brown sugar called for in this recipe by 1/4 cup. Enjoy!
How to serve Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
Since the chicken is easy, here are some really easy side dishes to serve with the chicken drumsticks...
- Dill Pickle Slaw
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Recipe (Keto Salad)
- Italian Roasted Cabbage Slices (Low Carb & Keto Cabbage Recipe)
- Baked Zucchini Casserole With Cheese
- Keto Zucchini Recipe – Zucchini Carpaccio
Baked BBQ Chicken Legs storage
Store leftover BBQ chicken legs in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. They can also be frozen up to 4 months.
BBQ Chicken Legs in Oven FAQs
We prefer baking chicken legs at 400 degrees which results in crispy skin and a juicy inside.
Brush oil on the skin or use a 100% oil spray to coat them. Bake them on a rack on a baking sheet to allow the air to flow around the legs. Do not cover the chicken while baking.
No, drumsticks do not need to be covered in the oven. In fact, by covering you are trapping moisture in so the skin will not crisp.
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📖 The recipe.
BBQ Drumsticks in Oven
Ingredients
Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup dry rub for chicken (or use 3 tsp garlic salt & ½ tsp pepper)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (recipe below, or use your favorite store-bought brand)
(Optional) Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup unsweetened ketchup (we used Primal Kitchen brand)
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar substitute (we used So Nourished brand brown sugar substitute)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- In a large bowl toss chicken drumsticks with olive oil and dry rub. (You can do this step up to 24 hours in advance).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and place chicken drumsticks on the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Remove from oven and place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Toss with bbq sauce and serve
(Optional) Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
- In a nonstick saucepan pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce is very thick. Stir occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking.
- Makes approximately 1¼ cup. Note: if sweetened ketchup is used, reduce the brown sugar by ¼ cup.
Video
Kori's Tips
Helpful Hints:
- You can easily substitute any bone-in chicken. Thicker pieces may take longer than 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition
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Jennifer
Why have the Pinterest pin on the site if you can't save the pins?
seekinggoodeats
The pins are for pinning but we are experiencing a technical issue at the moment.
seekinggoodeats
Thanks for letting me know! I have reported it and hopefully it will be fixed soon! In the meantime if you have the floating Pinterest button hovering over the image you can pin that way. I just check and that worked. 🙂