Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Vietnamese BBQ Sweet Chili Sauce
by Grilled chicken drumsticks recipe with Vietnamese-inspired sweet chili bbq sauce! A sweet peach jam marinade with plenty of lime juice and garlic that’s jam-packed with sweet-savory flavor and makes for an excellent glaze. So tender, flavorful, and smoky delicious! Don’t let a summer go-by without these delicious BBQ grilled chicken legs! Air fryer and Oven instructions are included, too!
If you prefer a chicken version, my Vietnamese air fryer chicken wings will be sure to delight you!
BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumsticks/Legs – Happy Food!
Chicken drumsticks on a grill are just the sort of food that makes everyone happy! Once grilled, the succulent chicken tastes sweet, savory, tart, and smoky.
And that Vietnamese-inspired sweet chili sauce with fresh lime juice has an amazing tenderizing ability which makes the chicken drumsticks fall off the bone tender and super flavorful.
It’s the smell, the caramelized chicken skins, and the shiny sticky glaze…surprisingly easy to make and totally a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients for grilling chicken drumsticks/legs recipe
- Chicken drumsticks (or legs)
- Dry spice seasoning: coarse sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- Vietnamese sweet chili sauce: garlic, lime, Fresno or serrano red chili pepper, peach jam or keto honey, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, cilantro
How to Grill The Chicken Drumsticks:
- Gas grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 420°F-450°F). Place the chicken legs on the grill. Flip about every 5 minutes with the lid closed until the internal temp of 180°F-185°F degrees. About 30-35 minutes.
- Charcoal grill: Create two zones by pushing your charcoal to one side. This area will be your direct heat grilling zone and the other side will be the indirect heat area. Grilling the chicken drumsticks over direct heat and using the other side for any flare-ups or for smaller drumsticks that cook faster.
- Brush with sauce: Once the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 180°F-185°F degrees. Brush with more Vietnamese sweet bbq chili sauce and continue grilling for a few minutes more. Rest for 5-10 minutes and serve!
TIP: Per USDA, the safe minimum cooked chicken temperature should be 165°F (74°C). However, for tender, fall-off-the-bone juicy chicken drumsticks on the grill, you want them to reach 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees. Use a meat thermometer and don’t guess from the outside.
Cooking Indoors
Bad weather? Don’t have outdoor space for grilling? I got you covered! You can absolutely make this dish indoors!
- To Air Fry: Preheat the fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. Air fry the chicken legs at 380°F(193°C) for 20-25 minutes. Flip once halfway through.
- To Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the chicken on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 175ºF, flipping the drumsticks once halfway through.
Tip: You can also use the same sauce – Vietnamese sweet chili sauce – for Vietnamese Air Fried Chicken Wings!
Common FAQ
How long to grill chicken drumsticks
Preheat the grill to 425-450°F degrees on your grill lid thermometer. Place chicken on the grill. Flip about every 5 minutes with the lid closed until the internal temp of 180°-185°F degrees. About 30-35 minutes.
The internal temperature of the meat is the most important. Use a meat thermometer.
Internal temperature of chicken drumsticks
You need to make sure that the internal temperature reaches 180°-185°F for juicy, tender chicken drumsticks on the grill. Use a meat thermometer for this and do not guess.
Can I prepare in advance?
You can make the Vietnamese sweet chili sauce 1-2 days in advance. On the cookout day, you only need to season and marinate the chicken legs for 30-40 minutes. The chili sauce is also served as a dipping sauce on the side.
What to serve with BBQ chicken drumsticks?
Pair the grilled chicken legs with Japanese cucumber salad, Japanese potato salad, Air fried oyster mushrooms, Crispy rice paper dumplings, Asian cucumber salad, Vietnamese shirataki noodle salad, baby bok choy salad, or 40+ best sides for bbq chicken!
More Healthy Grilled Recipes
Marinated beef kabobs with broccoli, honey sriracha chicken, Thai chicken satay, Tsukune (Japanese grilled chicken meatballs), Lemon thyme chicken thighs, Vietnamese lemongrass pork, Vietnamese Pizza, and Chicken yakitori!
Umami Tips/Summaries
- Use a clean and well-oiled grill.
- Preheat the grill to 425°F-450°F (218°C-232°C) degrees on your grill lid thermometer.
- Don’t turn or flip the chicken too early so that each piece gets beautiful grill marks.
- Keep the lid closed on your grill to keep the temperature so that the chicken cooks evenly.
- You must use a thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 180°F-185°F degrees.
- Remember size and thickness of the drumsticks matter so when in doubt, go by the internal temperature not the cooking time
23+ Best sauces for grilled chicken (Asian-inspired)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken drumsticks, about 6 drumsticks
- 1-1.5 tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Vietnamese sweet chili sauce:
- 1 whole serrano or fresno red chili pepper, or 1-2 Thai chilies
- 0.1 oz clove garlic, finely minced, about 2 small cloves
- 2 tbsp lime, or key lime juice
- 2-2.5 tbsp peach jam, or orange jam, keto honey, regular honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp chopped cilantro, or scallions, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 425°F-450°F (218°C-232°C) degrees on your grill lid thermometer. That is medium-high heat on a standard gas grill. Clean and oil the grates.
- Use your fingers and carefully create a little space (little pocket) between the meat and the skin. Season the chicken with coarse sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder on all sides and the inner pockets.
- Combine the sweet chili sauce in a bowl and marinate the drumsticks with 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce for 30-40 minutes. I use about 1 tbsp sauce per leg. Save the remainder of the sauce for dipping use.
- Check grill temp if possible and place chicken on the grill. Flip about every 5 minutes with lid closed until internal temp of 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees. About 30-35 minutes.
- If there are flare-ups, move the chicken away from the direct flames for a few seconds.
- Once the chicken internal temperature reaches 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees. Brush with more sweet bbq chili sauce and continue grilling a few minutes more.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with the chili dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
- Use a clean and well-oiled grill.
- Don’t turn or flip the chicken too early so that each piece gets beautiful grill marks.
- Keep the lid closed on your grill to keep the temperature so that the chicken cooks evenly.
- You must use a thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 180°F-185°F (82°C-85°C) degrees.
- Remember size and thickness of the drumsticks matter so when in doubt, go by the internal temperature not the cook time.
- To Air Fry: Preheat the fryer at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. Air fry the chicken legs at 380°F(193°C) for 20-25 minutes. Flip once half-way through.
- To Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the chicken on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 175ºF, flipping the drumsticks once half-way through.
Nutrition
This chicken came out to amazingly flavorful! I cooked on a charcoal grill and used honey as the sweetener for this recipe. I will keep this recipe on rotation. Thanks, girl!
You are welcome!
We had a bad flare up on our gas grill and had to peel off the charred skin. 🙁 But we basted again and let finish cooking at a lower temp and they were still the best drumsticks I’ve ever eaten. We’ll definitely keep trying this till we get the cooking method perfected. But flavor was amazing and I want to make the wings now too.
This is such an amazing recipe! Just loved the flavours. Thanks for the additional tips. They were so helpful.
I love the summery vibe that using peach jam adds!!! We love our Fredricksberg peaches and grilling here in Texas and these are a big hit in my cooking club.
We love these grilled drumsticks & the chili sauce is so yummy, that I’m obsessed with it!
These drumsticks turned out fantastic. The sweet spicy chili sauce is amazing! I want to put it on so many things.
My kiddos love drumsticks and they gave a thumbs up on the flavor of these, they were so good!
These drumsticks!! So tender and juicy! And that sauce! So good! I’ll be making these often!
wow that viet sauce is lovely. i love that is is so sticky and sweet and a little tangy. it is really appetizing!
Oh my gosh, these were amazing! Thank you for the tips on the best temperature to cook to for fall off the bone- they turned out perfectly. Will definitely be a regular meal this summer!!
Delicious and easy recipe!! I love the sweet and spicy flavor. Thank you for continuing making easy and delicious recipes and sharing with us!