Butterflied drumsticks might be one of the best ways to cook chicken legs. By slicing them open down to the bone, you expose a ton more surface area for seasoning while helping the chicken cook faster and more evenly.
We hit these drumsticks generously with Meat Church Texas Sugar and once the chicken is nearly finished, we brush it down with Sizzlin’ Salvation Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce. We let that tack up into a sticky, caramelized glaze.
More seasoning. More smoke. More sauce in every bite. This simple technique takes an inexpensive pack of drumsticks and turns them into an absolute backyard BBQ winner.
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks
-
Meat Church Texas Sugar to taste
-
Meat Church Sizzlin’ Salvation BBQ Sauce to taste
- 1 T fresh minced parsley
Preparing the Smoker
Preheat your pellet grill to 350°. In this video we used a Traeger Woodridge with Meat Church Oak and Hickory Traeger Pellets.
Butterfly the Drums
Cut the chicken away from the bone so that the drum lays flat as seen in this video.
Seasoning
Season the chicken on all sides with Meat Church Texas sugar. Let adhere for 15 minutes.
Smoking the chicken
Place the chicken directly on the grates butterflied side down. Cook for roughly 40 minutes or until the drums reach an internal temperature of 170° with an instant read thermometer.
Saucing and Finishing
At this point you can dunk the drumsticks in Meat Church Sizzlin’ Salvation BBQ Sauce.
Turn the Traeger up to 425°
Place back on the smoker for 5 minutes or until the sauce is tacked up to your liking.
Serving
Remove from the smoker and let rest. Garnish with fresh minced parsley for a pop of color.
Serve with a cold beer and enjoy!
