Oven Baked Whiskey Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

Oven roasted barbecue chicken legs, smothered in a sticky, whiskey barbecue sauce. These chicken drumsticks are tender, juicy and full of flavor.

Chicken legs are one of my family's favorite ways to enjoy chicken, so I prepare them quite often. For the longest time these Easy Peasy Roasted Chicken Legs were my go-to-drumstick recipe, but recently we've been enjoying these oven baked barbecue chicken legs. 

These yummy drumsticks are seasoned and marinated in olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning and dry Italian dressing, then baked and smothered in a sticky Whiskey barbecue sauce and baked again until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. 

This recipe is easy to make, but make sure to line your baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. The whiskey barbecue sauce takes a little bit of time to make, but so worth it in the end. Any extra sauce can be added to a mason jar and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. If your family loves chicken drumsticks, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Now let's get to the recipe. 

Start by adding the chicken legs to a large zip lock bag. Add the olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning and dry Italian dressing. Close the bag and mush the bag to coat the chicken legs. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 - 2 hours. 

Combine the barbecue sauce ingredients into a medium size sauce pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray with non stick spray or brush with olive oil and place the chicken legs on the baking sheet.

Roast the chicken legs skin side down for 20 minutes. While the chicken cooks, place the barbecue sauce over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce until it reduces a bit (about 20-25 minutes).

Remove the chicken from the oven and increase the heat to 425°F. Brush the chicken legs with barbecue sauce, flip the chicken legs and brush the other side with sauce. Return the chicken to the oven and roast the chicken for 10 minutes, then brush with more sauce. Return the chicken to the oven and roast an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is sticky and has dark spots. 

Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a serving plate and add additional sauce if needed. 

Yield: 10

Author: Tina Butler | Mommy's Kitchen

Oven Baked Whiskey Barbecue Chicken

Oven roasted barbecue chicken legs, smothered in a Whiskey Barbecue sauce.

Prep time: 2 HourCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 2 H & 40 M

Ingredients

• 8 - 10 - chicken legs
• 1 - tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 - teaspoons Montreal seasoning
• 1 - (0.7 ounce) packet dry Italian dressing

Barbecue Sauce

• 1 (16 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce, use your favorite
• 1 1/4  cups ketchup
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons Whiskey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

1. Remove the chicken legs from package and pat dry with paper towels. In a large Ziplock bag, add the chicken legs, olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning and dry Italian dressing.
2. Close the bag and mush the bag to coat the chicken legs. Marinade in the refrigerator for at 1 - 2 hours
3. To make the sauce, in a medium size pot, combine the bottled barbecue sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, paprika, molasses, Dijon mustard, Whiskey, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and garlic.
4. Simmer the mixture over medium heat for about 25 - 30 minutes to blend the flavors, stirring occasionally. If the sauce thickens too much add a bit of water.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside until ready to use. 
6. Preheat oven to 400°F
7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray with non stick spray. Place the chicken legs onto the baking sheet.
8. Roast the chicken legs skin side down for 20 minutes.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven and increase the heat to 425°F. Brush the chicken legs with barbecue sauce, flip the chicken legs and brush the other side with sauce.
10. Return the chicken to the oven and roast the chicken for 10 minutes, then brush with more sauce. Return the chicken to the oven and roast an additional 5 - 10 minutes or until the chicken is sticky and browned.
11. Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a serving plate and serve with any additional sauce.

Notes:

After you’re done cooking the chicken, if the skin isn’t as crisp as you like, move the oven rack up and turn on your broiler. Keep an eye on the chicken, it takes just a few minutes to get crisp. The Barbecue sauce will store for up to 1 - week in the refrigerator. Cool sauce and add to a quart size mason jar or plastic container. 

Grill on Outdoor Grill:  If you want to grill the chicken legs, marinade for at least 2 hours, prepare the barbecue sauce as directed and grill on your outdoor grill until chicken reaches 165 degrees or the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through.  

https://www.mommyskitchen.net/2021/08/oven-baked-whiskey-barbecue-chicken.htm

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inspired by: Cooking with Janica

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