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These chicken drumsticks with citrus bbq sauce can be made on the grill but for a quick and easy BBQ dish made right at home, I made them in the oven. These are packed with the delicious barbecue flavors we love but get a real flavor boost from citrus. The use of blood orange olive oil, tangerine balsamic vinegar, orange juice and orange marmalade emphasizes those citrus notes throughout the dish. I love that you can make this in an hour. It just fills the house with BBQ smells. This will make a great back-to-school dinner when the temperatures are still warm and summer still lingers in the air.
To make this a real easy dish to pull together anytime, I make the citrus bbq sauce in advance and keep it in BBQ sauce jars (AKA, mason jars!) This way, I have it ready to go when I want cook chicken drumsticks on the grill, or make these BBQ chicken drumsticks in the oven. This sauce also works great on pork and salmon.
So, to get started on making the citrus barbeque sauce, gather all your ingredients. This is an easy sauce to make since you’ll just be adding all the ingredients to a large pot and letting them cook together for about 1/2 hour to let the flavors melds and the sauce thicken. The only thing you need to prep is the garlic. Just chop up three cloves and make sure they are finely minced. When the sauce has finished cooking, you’ll have about two cups.
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If not using right away, pour it into a mason jar and keep in the fridge until ready to use. The sauce will hold for at least a week in the fridge.
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I frequently get asked questions about making this sauce and cooking chicken. Here are the most common questions and answers.
While the tangerine balsamic vinegar adds another layer of citrus flavor in this sauce, if you don’t have it, substitute regular balsamic vinegar.
When you are ready to make BBQ chicken drumsticks, you just have to decide how you want to prepare them. As noted in this recipe, I made the BBQ chicken drumsticks in the oven on a rack. I bake them at a high temperature without the citrus bbq sauce for the first 4o minutes. This is because there is sugar in the sauce and that can cook faster than the chicken and can burn before the chicken is cooked through. At the 40 minute mark, I’ll baste the chicken drumsticks with the sauce and let bake 5 more minutes. I’ll baste a second time and put them under the broiler to get brown and bubbly. Nothing better than sticky bbq!
However, there are many ways to bbq chicken drumsticks. Besides making these BBQ chicken drumsticks in the oven, you can grill them.
BBQ grilled drumsticks. If you choose this method, here are frequently asked questions and answer on how to do that successfully. When I’m doing a backyard barbeque, I want to be sure my guests get delicious, fully cooked chicken. Here’s what you need to know.
I get this question all the time. Lot’s of my friends only eat white meat and if they do eat dark meat (like our drumsticks), they won’t eat the skin. Honestly, what a shame since it is the best part! BUT, I get it. When I’m watching the waistline carefully, I might pass on the skin too. However, when you are grilling drumsticks, keep the skin on. It protects the meat and keeps it moist. Guests can always remove it after the chicken is cooked. Note, if your guests are going to remove the skin, most of that delicious sauce is going to go with it so be sure to serve extra sauce on the side.
To get started on the chicken drumsticks, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top with a baking rack and spray it well with cooking spray. This will keep the chicken from sticking.
When you are ready to make the drumsticks, add them to a large bowl. Drizzle the the blood orange olive oil and add a good amount of salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Toss to coat all the chicken.
Place the chicken on the prepared rack and bake for about 40 minutes. You always want to check your chicken to be sure they are fully cooked. Use a thermometer. Insert in the thickest part of the drumstick. You are looking for 165 degrees F.
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At the 40 minute mark, you want to baste the chicken with the barbeque sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush on one side, then flip the chicken and baste on the other side.
Put the chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes then baste again on both sides.
I usually put these under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes to get really hot and bubbly. The chicken will get dark in spots and that is just fine.
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I simply pile them up on a platter with some fresh orange wheels or wedges and let my guests dig in.
Whether you bake or grill the chicken drumsticks, the sauce is going to make this dish. Be sure to have some great sides with the chicken. My healthy coleslaw or my spicy pineapple and basil coleslaw would be great. You might want to serve this with a fresh lime and blackberry fruit salad too.
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Did you enjoy this chicken dish? Be sure to try some of my other favorite chicken recipes.
Blackberry Glazed Chicken Legs with Ginger and Lime
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sage, Mushrooms, Baby Potatoes, and Apples
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Chicken Drumsticks with Citrus BBQ Sauce
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs. Chicken drumsticks, bone-in, skin on
- 2 Tbsp. Patricia and Paul Blood Orange Olive Oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Granulated Garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Orange cut into wheels or wedges to garnish
- Cooking spray
Citrus BBQ Sauce
- 1 Cup 1 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 1 Cup Orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. Onion powder
- 3 Garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Patricia and Paul Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Orange marmalade
- 1 Tbsp. Calabrian chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Top with a baking rack and spray it with cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle with the blood orange olive oil. Liberally sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Toss so everything is evenly coated.
- Place the chicken on the prepared rack. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the citrus BBQ sauce. Add all the ingredients to a large pot. Stir until well incorporated. Heat over a medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until it is thick, rich and the flavors are completely melded together.
- At 40 minutes, brush the chicken liberally with the citrus BBQ sauce. Let the chicken roast another five minutes and brush one last time. Put under the broiler to get real brown and bubbly and slightly browned in spots.
- Serve the chicken drumsticks on a large platter. This is perfect with Grilled Corn On The Cob with Garlic Butter and Grilled Baked Potatoes.