Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Name: Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp oil; 1 onion, diced; 1 bell pepper, diced; 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced; 6 jalapeños, finely diced; 1 lb baby portobello mushrooms, sliced; 1/2 head garlic, minced; 3/4 lb ground beef; 3/4 lb ground pork; 12 oz bag frozen corn; (2) 15 oz cans black beans; 6 large Roma tomatoes; 2 Tbsp chili powder; 1 Tbsp cumin; 1 Tbsp dried oregano; 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste; 3 cups chicken stock; 30 oz tomato sauce; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup fine or medium-ground yellow cornmeal; 3 Tbsp granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp honey; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 cups buttermilk; 1 large egg; 3 Tbsp melted butter

Food Recipes | Main Course | Sauces | Smoked

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These Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are so serious about BBQ they get hit with a generous dry rub AND some Western Carolina BBQ Sauce. We used the charcoal setup on our Charbroil 3-in-1 Pro Series grill to get that mandatory char and crispy skin, and we threw in some apple wood chips to round out everything with a little smoke.

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

SERVINGS

Ingredients

Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Neutral oil for cooking (canola, vegetable, etc)
5 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
14-16 drumsticks
Apple wood chips, for smoking

Western Carolina BBQ Sauce

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp ground mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Carolina BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Prep Charbroil 3-in-1 Pro Series grill for charcoal grilling. Preheat for 10-15 mins on high with grill hood closed. Turn off gas, then open hood for 3-5 mins or until charcoal has begun to turn white (it may already be white after the initial reheat).
While grill is preheating: Mix all dry rub ingredients in small bowl until well-combined. Place chicken drumsticks in a prep tub or on a large tray. Coat chicken with cooking oil—doesn’t need to be excessive, but make sure chicken is well-coated. Rub dry rub all over chicken drumsticks until well-coated.
Right before you add the chicken to the grill, remove grates (with proper gloves) and toss some apple wood chips to taste evenly over the coals).
Sear chicken on all sides for about 2 mins per side (with grill hood closed). Continue to rotate chicken to cook it evenly until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove from grill and serve immediately garnished with Carolina BBQ Sauce. Enjoy!

Western Carolina BBQ Sauce

While chicken is grilling: Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together to combine, then bring sauce to gentle simmer. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for 10-15 mins to integrate flavors. Do not over-reduce. If sauce gets too thick, whisk in water 1-2 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency.