Fire up the grill and bust out the spices for some crazy simple Grilled BBQ-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks!
Everyone could use a good BBQ spice rub in their lives. More often than not, I prefer a flavorful spice rub to sauce. Overdoing sauce and masking the flavors of the meat itself is easy to do, but with spice rubs you get the best of both worlds.

Quick Look: BBQ-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks
⏲️Ready In: 25 Minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 325 Calories / 51g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Chicken drumsticks, Paprika, Coconut sugar/Brown sugar, Black pepper, Ground mustard, Garlic powder, Cinnamon
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Nut free, Dairy free
⭐Why You'll Love It: A solid BBQ rub and quick grill time makes these chicken drumsticks a simple, economical high protein dinner!
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A simple spice rub is all you need for super flavorful grilled chicken drumsticks! Serve with a fresh summer salad like Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts or Watermelon Arugula Salad with Chili Honey Lime Dressing.
Another perk? With these drumsticks, you don't have to worry about basting or marinating or anything like that. All you've got to do is toss the chicken in the spice rub until it's properly coated and grill. Couldn't get easier, could it?
I know, I've gone a little overboard with BBQ recipes lately. Between my Peach Barbecue Sauce and BBQ Chicken Smothered Fries, this means, 3 out of my last 4 recipes were BBQ-related. Whoops! I tend to get a little stuck on one general idea and run wild with it.
Fortunately, this one's a little different since you have to fire up the grill. As I already said, sauces are all well and good but dry rubs are ideal for grilling. No messy dripping or anything like that.

I'm only half satisfied with these pictures. Honestly, I didn't think I was going to share this recipe until I took my first bite. Drumsticks can be rather boring, so I quickly put together a BBQ spice rub based on a few different recipes out there in InternetLand. Tossed the drumsticks in the rub, threw 'em on the grill, and after I started devouring them, I knew I wanted to share what I did.
So these pictures were thrown together pretty quickly so I could return to eating. #badfoodblogger but sometimes, that's life!
I enjoyed these plain, but I keep daydreaming about how good they'd be dipped in some Primal Kitchen Ranch. Worth a shot, yeah? Let me know if you try it!
More gluten free grilling favorites
Did you try this BBQ-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Grilled BBQ-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A solid BBQ rub and quick grill time makes these chicken drumsticks a simple, economical high protein dinner! Serve with a simple summery salad for an easy meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium - about 350 degrees F. Brush the grill grates with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking (optional).
- Combine paprika, coconut sugar, sea salt, black pepper, ground mustard, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir until completely combined. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels. Toss the drumsticks with the spice rub until completely coated.
- Grill the drumsticks for 10 minutes, then flip and grill for an additional 10 minutes. Maintain the temp at around 350 degrees F, and avoid opening the grill unless you're flipping the drumsticks-which you should only do once! If there are flare-ups from the chicken juices, reduce the temp slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 drumsticks



Mahir says
Hey it's Mahir. I tried the Bbq recipe at home but can't find the easiest way to make.Then found this blog and was fully helped to complete the recipe.Thanks alot for this amazing recipe.
Chelsea says
Glad I could be of help, Mahir!