Sticky BBQ Drumsticks are juicy and tender inside, and sticky on the outside. Drumsticks can be served hot or cold, making them great for a family BBQ, picnic or even a day at the beach.

Originally, this recipe was posted on October 25, 2021. It has been updated in May 2025.

Sticky BBQ Drumsticks piled on a tray.

The sweet and sticky sauce on these chicken drumsticks makes them a family favourite. Just make sure to have lots of napkins ready when serving these chicken drumsticks because you’re going to need them.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Keep in mind that we link these companies and their products because of their quality, not because of the commission we may receive from purchases.

What Makes These Chicken Drumsticks Juicy?

Before cooking the drumsticks, they are marinated for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 24 hours. This will make the drumsticks juicier and add flavour to the meat.

The longer marinating time will result in more flavour and a juicier drumstick.

Marinade Ingredients

There are ten ingredients in the marinade for this chicken recipe:

Chicken broth. We like to use low-sodium broth.
Soy Sauce. Again, we use low-sodium soy sauce.
Brown sugar. Our go-to is dark brown sugar, but light/golden/yellow sugar will also work.
Rice vinegar.
Fresh ginger.
Garlic.
Onion powder.
Dry mustard powder.
Salt.
Pepper.

The Sticky Sauce

The sauce to baste the chicken with is made with only two ingredients:

BBQ sauce.
Honey.

If you need the ingredients for this recipe, try ordering online with Walmart Delivery Pass!

What Kind Of BBQ Sauce Is Used?

Your favourite BBQ can be used to make this sauce. We like to use our homemade BBQ sauce. One of our favourite sauces to use is Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce.

A store-bought BBQ sauce can also be used for this recipe.

If you like to have a spicier sticky sauce, adding a few drops of hot sauce to the BBQ sauce will add heat to the sauce. Or you can use a spicy BBQ sauce.

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead?

Yes, this recipe can be made ahead. We make the marinade and pour it over the chicken in a freezer bag. Then freeze it until ready to use. It can last in the freezer for up to three months.

Take the chicken out of the freezer the night before you want to cook it and place it in the fridge to thaw.

Also, this recipe can be made in a double batch and then divided into a few freezer bags for more than one dinner.

Perfect For Camping

These Sticky BBQ Drumsticks are perfect for camping. Once you pour the marinade over the drumsticks in a freezer bag, all you have to do is freeze it right away. Once frozen, place them in the cooler on ice. The chicken will marinade as it thaws so you can take these camping and allow them to thaw and marinade at the same time.

Make the basting sauce ahead of time and store it in a small mason jar or airtight container in your cooler until ready to use.

No BBQ? No Problem

If you don’t have a BBQ that’s OK. You can cook these in the oven at 375°F and broil the last 5 minutes after you baste the drumsticks.

I have also made these in the air fryer. They come out crispy on the outside and still nice and juicy inside.

What to Serve With Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks can be served with any BBQ side dish. Some of our favourites are macaroni or potato salads.

Another favourite side dish for this chicken is mac and cheese.

Leftover Sticky BBQ Chicken

Store the leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating these drumsticks is easy. They can be reheated in the oven or air fryer.

They can also be reheated on the BBQ over indirect heat.

Have you tried this chicken recipe? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote