After seven-plus years as a grill prepare dinner for a restaurant, I couldn’t assist however fall in love with that impossible to resist char and smoky taste (and the fun of watching all of it come collectively). Whether or not you’re utilizing an inside or outdoors grill, this Dry Rubbed Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs recipe is tremendous cheap and simple! I quick-brine for juicy hen, use a daring dry rub for a knockout style, then throw them straight onto a clear, blazing scorching grill. Fireplace it up for the summer season, or any time of the yr, and savor the sizzle!

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Simple Recipe for Dry Rub Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs
My course of for grilling hen drumsticks and thighs is easy however efficient. Like our grilled hen breast recipe, I begin with a fast brine utilizing salt, sugar, and water to lock in moisture and taste. Then I coat the hen in a daring dry rub filled with paprika, cumin, oregano, and a handful of different spices to create the right stability of smoky, savory, and barely candy flavors.
Now for the actual taste trick: rinse and dry the hen effectively after brining, brush it with oil so the rub sticks like a attraction, and grill it at simply the best temp to get that attractive char with out drying out the meat. I already know you’ll be amazed at how a lot taste this straightforward recipe packs into each single chunk!
I acquired a very nice deal on the hen drumsticks for this recipe. A complete 4.5 lb for simply $5! Should you can, I extremely advocate buying round for the most effective value when shopping for your hen. I didn’t use the entire pack, so I’m going to save lots of the remaining and make our air fryer hen drumsticks for dinner later within the week. 😋
Dry Rubbed Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs


Brine Substances
- ¼ cup kosher salt ($0.10)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar ($0.10)
- 2 quarts water ($0.00)
Rub Substances
- 2 lb. hen drumsticks (bone-in, pores and skin on (about 5) $2.92*)
- 2 lb. hen thighs (bone-in, pores and skin on (about 5) $3.57*)
- 1 Tbsp paprika ($0.25)
- 2 tsp floor cumin ($0.07)
- 2 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp brown sugar ($0.01)
- 1 tsp chili powder ($0.04)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.04)
- 1 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.16)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.08)
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Preheat the grill to 375°F. Collect and put together all components.
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Place the drumsticks and thighs in separate ziplock luggage. Divide the brine components evenly between the 2 luggage. Shut the luggage and gently therapeutic massage to assist dissolve the salt and sugar. Brine the hen for 30 minutes at room temperature or as much as 24 hours within the fridge.
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Make the seasoning mix by combining the paprika, cumin, dried oregano, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Take away the hen items from the brine, rinse, and pat dry on each side with paper towels.
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Brush each side of the hen with vegetable oil and rub throughout with the seasoning mix.
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Be sure your grill is preheated to 375°F. In case your hen has been within the fridge, permit it to return to room temperature for 10 minutes earlier than beginning the grilling course of.
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Grill the hen thighs for about 15 minutes per aspect, till they attain 160°F. Allow them to relaxation; the temperature ought to rise to 165°F. If not, return them to the grill for a couple of extra minutes.**
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For the drumsticks, prepare dinner them for quarter-hour on all sides, till they attain 165°F, then take away them from the grill. The bigger ones wanted an additional 5 minutes on every untouched aspect, totaling 40 minutes.
See how we calculate recipe prices right here.
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Small Bowl
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2 Ziplock Luggage
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Grill
**Relying on the dimensions of your grill, it’s possible you’ll must prepare dinner the hen in batches, leading to an extended prepare dinner time. I used a small inside grill, and it took one hour and ten minutes to prepare dinner all of the hen. Should you can prepare dinner all the things on one grill, the prepare dinner time might be 40 minutes.
A word on the serving measurement: One serving equals 2 drumsticks or 1 thigh. I used 5 hen thighs and 5 drumsticks, so the quantity proven within the images is technically 7.5 servings whole. Your yield could differ relying on the dimensions of your drumsticks and thighs.
Serving: 1serving (see notes)Energy: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 44gFats: 38gSodium: 4629mgFiber: 1g
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diet disclaimer right here.
find out how to make Dry Rubbed Grilled Drumsticks and Thighs step-by-step images


Collect all of your components and preheat your grill to 375°F.


Brine the hen: Add 2 lb. bone-in hen drumsticks to at least one Ziplock bag and a couple of lb. bone-in hen thighs to a different. Equally divide the brine components (¼ cup kosher salt, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and a couple of quarts water whole) between the 2 luggage. Shut the luggage tightly and gently therapeutic massage the brine into the hen to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Let the drumsticks and thighs brine at room temperature for half-hour, or for as much as 24 hours within the fridge.


Season the hen: In the meantime, make the seasoning for the hen by combining 1 Tbsp paprika, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper in a small bowl.
As soon as the hen has brined for not less than half-hour, take away them from the brine and rinse effectively. Pat the hen dry on each side with paper towels.


Brush each side of the hen with 2 Tbsp vegetable oil whole. Now use your fingers to rub the seasoning mix everywhere in the drumsticks and thighs.


Grill the hen: Be sure your grill is preheated to 375°F. In case your hen was brined within the fridge, let it sit out for 10 minutes earlier than grilling. Place the hen thighs onto your preheated grill and grill on one aspect for quarter-hour.


Now flip them over and grill for an extra quarter-hour.


As soon as the inner temperature reaches 160°F, take away them from the grill and allow them to relaxation. The interior temperature ought to rise to 165°F; if it doesn’t, place them again onto the grill for a couple of extra minutes.


In case your grill is sufficiently big, you possibly can prepare dinner the thighs and drumsticks on the identical time. Cook dinner the drumsticks on one aspect for quarter-hour.


Flip the drumsticks over and grill for 15 extra minutes, till the inner temperature reaches 165°F. My bigger drumsticks wanted an additional 5 minutes on all sides, making the overall prepare dinner time 40 minutes (if the drumsticks and thighs are cooked on the identical time on the identical grill). Take away them from the grill as soon as they attain the proper inner temperature.
If it’s important to work in batches, your total prepare dinner time from begin to end might be longer than 40 minutes. I used a small indoor grill, and it took me 1 hour and 10 minutes to prepare dinner all of the hen proven right here.


Serve: As soon as all of your dry rubbed grilled drumsticks and thighs are cooked, serve and revel in!


- After brining, rinse and dry the hen effectively to keep away from overly salty flavors. This will even assist your dry rub stick higher to the hen.
- Cook dinner your grilled thighs and drumsticks in batches in case your grill is small. Grill the thighs first to allow them to profit from slightly further time to relaxation whereas the drumsticks end cooking. I used to be utilizing a small grill and needed to prepare dinner in batches when taking the images right here. The whole prepare dinner time was one hour and ten minutes for me. Should you’re capable of prepare dinner all the things on the identical grill, it’ll be nearer to 40 minutes of prepare dinner time.
- Rooster is finished as soon as the inner temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer, however keep away from hitting the bone as it could give a false studying!
- Should you brine the hen within the fridge, let the hen sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to take the nippiness off earlier than grilling.
- Customise your dry rub for these grilled drumsticks and thighs by including cayenne for warmth or adjusting spices to your style! You may also use your favourite store-bought rub for those who don’t have a brilliant well-stocked pantry.
- Wish to use your oven as a substitute? Comply with the recipe as written, however skip the grill and preheat your oven to 425ºF. Bake the drumsticks and thighs for about 40 minutes, or till they attain not less than 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer. For extra ideas and particulars, take a look at our oven-baked hen drumsticks recipe!
Serving Options
After I final made these dry rub grilled drumsticks and thighs, I served them with my home made Alabama white sauce and a easy pasta salad. The smoky hen with the tangy white sauce was the good combo. However for those who’re extra into sweeter sauces, a traditional BBQ sauce can be scrumptious with this hen, too. And if I had been bringing these grilled thighs and drumsticks to a cookout or gathering, I’d additionally make a giant batch of my tomato cracker salad to go together with it. It’s the type of meal that disappears quick!
Storage & Reheating
As soon as cooled, you possibly can retailer your leftover dry rubbed grilled drumsticks and thighs in an hermetic container within the fridge. They’ll be good for as much as 3-4 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and reheat within the oven at 350°F till the inner temp reaches 165°F. You may also freeze these grilled hen drumsticks and thighs for as much as 2-3 months. Allow them to thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.


