Description
Delicious oven-baked BBQ chicken drumsticks seasoned with a blend of spices and finished with a sweet and tangy sugar-free BBQ sauce for a healthier yet flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 12)
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups sugar-free BBQ sauce (or low sugar)
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: In a mixing bowl, add the chicken drumsticks along with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Use your clean hands to generously rub the seasoning evenly all over each drumstick to ensure full flavor penetration.
- Marinate: Place the seasoned chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse into the meat.
- Preheat the Oven: While the chicken marinates, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Optionally, line a roasting tin with aluminum foil to ease cleanup later.
- Arrange the Drumsticks: Transfer the marinated chicken drumsticks to a wire rack placed inside the prepared roasting tin, spacing them out to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
- Bake: Bake the drumsticks in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking to promote even browning on all sides.
- Brush with BBQ Sauce: After baking, remove the drumsticks from the oven and brush each one generously with the sugar-free BBQ sauce. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Flip and Sauce Again: Flip the drumsticks and brush the other side with BBQ sauce, then continue baking for another 15 minutes to build layers of sticky, flavorful glaze.
- Serve: Once fully cooked and caramelized, remove from the oven and serve immediately while hot and juicy. Enjoy your crispy and tender BBQ chicken drumsticks!
Notes
- Use a wire rack for baking to allow air circulation and achieve crispy skin all around.
- If you prefer extra crispy skin, broil for the last 2-3 minutes watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Sugar-free or low sugar BBQ sauce keeps this recipe healthier without sacrificing flavor.
- Marinating longer than 30 minutes (up to overnight) will intensify flavors further.
- Leftover drumsticks can be refrigerated and reheated for a quick meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 522 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 2014 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg
