Grilled Chicken Legs
21 Comments
Posted: 07/17/24
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Need a simple grilled dinner that that whole family will love? Then you need to make a batch of Grilled Chicken Legs with perfectly crispy, seasoned skin! They are so easy. Simply toss them in oil, seasonings and grill them. The result is a finger-lickin’ good chicken leg.
There’s something that just screams summer when you serve up hot, juicy grilled chicken drumsticks for dinner! I love all kinds of grilled chicken recipes and these chicken legs are so good!
What is better than that? Add some grilled corn on the cob and potato salad and everyone will be begging for seconds!
This recipe for chicken drumsticks on the grill is so simple – there is minimal prep time and the spice rub is all basic pantry ingredients! When you mix them together it gives this chicken a burst of flavor in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Chicken Legs Recipe!
- This is one of my go-to easy dinner recipes that my kids love. They are so easy to make, they are off the grill in 30 minutes.
- They are an inexpensive recipe to make that’s always a hit!
- Perfectly crispy skin! Don’t forget to pat the legs to dry them before putting the rub on. This gets you that crispy skin.
Grilled Chicken Legs Ingredients
- Chicken legs: I buy a two pound package that has about eight legs.
- Olive oil: This adds flavor and keeps them from sticking to the grill
- Seasoning dry rub: Sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder
See that right there. That’s all you need for this recipe. I love that I always have everything on hand and just have to grab some chicken legs!
Helpful Tools
- Grill
- Grill tongs
- Large zip top bags
- Meat thermometer
- Gimme Some Grilling BBQ Rub
Should I marinate chicken before grilling?
You don’t have to – the seasoning adds lots of flavor without waiting around for the legs to marinate. That said, feel free to coat them in the rub and then keep them in refrigerator – they’ll just absorb more flavor! You can do this up to 24 hours in advance.
How to Grill Chicken Legs
Mix Seasoning – In a small bowl mix together all of the seasoning ingredients and place aside.
Prep Chicken Legs – Pat chicken legs with a paper towel and then place in a resealable plastic bag. Add olive oil to bag and toss to coat. Pour in seasoning mixture into bag and toss until chicken legs are completely coated.
Grill – Place chicken legs on grill over direct heat that’s been preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill for 30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I actually prefer my chicken legs about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit so they fall off the bone and there’s no bloody spots around the bone.
How long to grill chicken legs
These chicken legs take about 30 minutes of total time on the grill over direct heat.
They need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, but we prefer them at 185 – 190 degrees Fahrenheit otherwise you sometimes end up with a little blood around the bone.
Cooking to a higher internal temperature will give you crispy chicken legs that are juicy and delicious!
Do I Grill On Direct or Indirect Heat?
For this recipe, use direct heat. This will get you some nice looking char marks on your drumsticks.
Not sure what that means? I’ve got you covered! When it comes to grilling, cooking food on indirect heat means that the heat source under the grate that the food is on is off. If it is direct heat, the source is on!
Is It Better to Leave the Lid Open or Closed?
Closing the lid for these chicken legs will give them enough heat to cook through in a timely manner. The longer that the lid is open, the more heat escapes and the longer it takes for your chicken to cook through.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs or Wings?
Yes, you can! You will have to adjust your cooking time a little bit if you want to use chicken wings but either or will taste great with this seasoning!
Wings and thighs must reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, just like legs.
What to serve with Grilled Chicken Legs?
We love pairing these healthy chicken legs with grilled vegetables. It’s the perfect way to use up the random assortment of vegetables in your refrigerator!
Since we have vegetables and chicken on the grill why not pair these baked potatoes on the grill too. They will take a little longer than the chicken so start them first!
Another great healthy option is this delicious grilled corn salad that’s packed with flavor!
Got a sweet tooth? Finish the perfect summer dinner with Lemon Blueberry Crisp!
What To Do With Leftovers
Store cooled grilled chicken legs in an airtight container up to three days.
Add to salads or make a delicious chicken salad sandwich.
How to Reheat Grilled Chicken Legs
Simply reheat grilled chicken legs in the microwave. To ensure they keep a crispy skin, you can bake or broil them for a few minutes after microwaving.
Pro Tips!
- Keep the grill temperature around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the meat to cook perfectly without causing the skin to burn or torch.
- Grill for about 10 minutes per side, flip over with tongs and continue grilling. Do this for about 30 minutes.
- When rotating the chicken legs, gently lift them off the grill grates with a pair of tongs to make sure the skin is not sticking to the grill grates.
- Keep the lid closed as much as possible. This helps to cook the legs evenly.
- Got a flare-up? This can happen since chicken legs are somewhat greasy. If this happens, simply turn down the heat to low and move the chicken away from the flames.
- Cook the legs over direct heat when you are grilling. You can cook them over on the indirect heat side of the grill, but I think the skin is a lot crispier when you cook over direct heat.
- We recommend cooking until the chicken is about 185 – 190 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s safe to eat at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, but the higher temperature is better for darker meat. The chicken will fall off the bone and be so tender. Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken – it takes away the guesswork!
These crispy, juicy grilled chicken legs are sure to be a grilling season staple in your house! Double (or triple!) up the recipe if you are hosting a cook out and you’ll have everyone asking you to share this recipe!
More Grilling Recipes You Have To Try
- BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are another easy dinner idea!
- We love making Greek Marinated Chicken – you can use fresh or frozen chicken breasts! It’s one of our favorite marinades.
- A favorite BBQ sauce is our Sassy and Sweet BBQ Sauce – it’s easy to make and goes with all kinds of meat!
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Shop Now!Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling so I can see your grilling masterpieces!
Grilled Chicken Legs
Tender, juicy grilled chicken legs in a delicious seasoning that are grilled for a quick and easy dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken legs about 8 chicken legs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Rub
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients, set mixture aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Place chicken in a plastic resealable bag or bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat.
- Add spice mixture to bag or bowl and toss to coat chicken legs.
- Place chicken legs on preheated grill over direct heat. Grill for 30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I actually prefer my chicken legs about 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit so they fall off the bone and there’s no bloody spots around the bone.
Tips
- Keep the grill temperature around 350 degrees F. This allows the meat to perfect cook but does not cause the skin to burn or torch.
- Grill for about 10 minutes per side, flip over with a tongs and continue grilling. Do this for about 30 minutes.
- When rotating the chicken legs gently lift off the grill grates with a pair of tongs to make sure the skin is not sticking to the grill grates.
- Keep the lid closed as much as possible. This helps to cook the legs evenly.
- Got a flare up? This can happen since chicken legs somewhat greasy. If this happens simply turn down the heat to low and move chicken away from flames.
- Cook the legs over direct heat when you are grilling. You can cook it over indirect heat, but I think the skin is a lot more crispy when you cook over direct heat.
- We recommend cooking until the chicken is about 185 – 190 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s safe to eat at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, but the higher temperature is better for darker meat. The chicken will fall off the bone and be so tender.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 344kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 21g (42%), Fat: 28g (43%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Cholesterol: 120mg (40%), Sodium: 693mg (30%), Potassium: 289mg (8%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 525IU (11%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 12mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Pat Nugent says
Your rub mixture has great balance of flavors. I grilled these a little different. I did indirect grilling for the first 40 min and then over the hot coals for the last 5 min. Wow juicy this way.
Brooke Kill says
Thank you for the kind comment, Pat! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed!!
Travis Campbell says
first time doing legs on the grill awesome step by step…..amazing
Lisa says
Fabulous and our new go-to!!!
Courtney says
That is great to hear! Thank you for letting us know you enjoyed it!
N says
Tried tonight and everyone loved them!!
Courtney says
Great to hear! Thank you for rating this recipe! 🙂
Marcua says
This is so easy to make. We have grill grates and that helped with more indirect heat so the legs cooked all the way through. The rub was just right, not overpowering but a little smoke from the paprika.
Courtney says
That is great to hear!
Wendy says
Wow this recipe is so good! Excellent flavor and crispy skin. I followed exactly. I prepped the chicken and marinated it a couple hours in refrigerator to save time later. I will make this again and again. Thank you for sharing.
Courtney says
So great you love this recipe! Thank you for commenting and rating this post. 🙂
Susan says
So glad we tried this recipe! Easy, quick, and totally delicious chicken!
the Evinks says
Awesome to hear Susan! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
Joe says
Great and easy recipe. I did add 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin.
the Evinks says
Great addition! Thanks for rating and commenting on the recipe!
Malinda says
My whole family loved these chicken legs and they were so easy to make!! Thank you!
Megan Mitzel says
Awesome! I’m so glad they were a hit!
Alison LaFortune says
Definitely making again! Perfectly grilled chicken.
Megan Mitzel says
Glad you loved it!
Danielle says
Tried these tonight and it was amazing. The whole family enjoyed!
Megan Mitzel says
Great! I’m so glad you loved them, they are definitely a favorite in our house!