Perfect for your cookouts, barbecues, and backyard parties, these easy and flavorful GRILLED BBQ CHICKEN LEGS will be an instant favorite you’ll come back to all summer long!
Cookouts, picnics, and backyard barbecues are always a great way to gather friends and family, while enjoying the amazing summer weather. It’s also a great time to enjoy the amazing flavors of summer food! These delicious Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs are the ultimate cookout dish for any summer gathering.
Chicken legs are a fantastic grilling option, especially if you’re feeding a crowd. They’re very economical (typically less than $1 per pound!), kid-friendly, and really easy to grill in batches or all at once. When placing your chicken legs on the grill, place the large, meaty ends closest to your heat source in order to adequately cook the chicken. When turning the chicken, simply rotate, keeping the meaty side closest to the heat source.
To amp up the sweet and spicy flavors of the chicken, I added an easy rub to the chicken before putting it on the grill. I’ve used this rub on both chicken and pork (see my amazing recipe for Easy Grilled Pork Loin with Sugar and Spice Rub, below!) . It’s such a fantastic way to add extra flavor when grilling!
Whenever you grill up some delicious BBQ chicken, an amazing barbecue sauce is a MUST! To compliment the sweet flavors of the rub, the smokey and slightly spicy flavors of my homemade Smokey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce is the perfect match for this chicken. You’ll want to brush the sauce on each chicken leg right after turning. You will turn the chicken three to four times, so feel free to layer on the sauce. It will add such amazing flavor with each and every layer.
Once your chicken comes off the grill, you’ll have saucy, juicy and flavorful chicken, perfect for your cookout. Grill up extra, as these chicken legs always go fast!
Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 - 2 lbs trimmed chicken legs (about 10-12 legs)
For Rub:
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2/3 c. Smokey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan, simmer the smokey chipotle barbecue sauce. Set aside to let the sauce cool.
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Preheat gas or charcoal grill. For gas grills, set your heat to medium.
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While grill is heating, mix together rub by combining brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil in small bowl. With your hands, coat each chicken leg with the rub.
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Place coated legs on the grill, with the meaty end closest to the heat source for even cooking. Cook <g class="gr_ gr_95 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="95" data-gr-id="95">at</g> medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side, turning the legs 3-4 times, for a total of about 18-20 minutes. After turning the legs each time, brush on the <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_spell gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="110" data-gr-id="110">smokey</g> chipotle barbecue sauce.
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Remove from grill and let set 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.
Recipe Notes
To ensure food safety, use a meat thermometer to measure the cooking temperature of the chicken. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Get the printable recipe for my Smokey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce here.
If you loved this recipe, check out Erin’s other fantastic grilling recipes, like this:
Easy Grilled Pork Loin with Sugar and Spice Rub and Grilled Peaches
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william says
Hey Erin. I really like your rub recipe. I’m going to make it up for my next cook out. Also great tip about the economics of cooking for large crowds! Chicken legs are indeed a cheaper way of satisfying everyone.
Carol says
Cool Chicken legs, they should be very very delicious, just a question, can I use an electric smoker to do this, I like to going out for grilling with my family this week.
best charcoal smoker says
i love bbq specially smoked food, your recipe looks very delicious and i am going to try it on this weekend with my friends on weekend outdoor party.
Leva Ogeman says
I’m having a BBQ Garden party in two weeks and I’m out looking for inspiration. I was thinking Pork, but I want to make it special. This is my first party in my new home (I just moved to Stockholm), and I want to to stand out. I’m no expert chef, but I like to cook. Thanks for this post and the inspiration. Much needed 😉
Boopidoopi says
Made these chicken legs last week with the smokey Chipotle bbq sauce…came out really good. Thanks for the recipe.
Aubrey Cota says
So happy to hear that!
Nikki malin says
This recipe was super easy and delicious. Make sure you use good BBQ sauce. I grabbed the wrong one at the store, but the chicken was juicy and charred on the outside. The husband loved them. Thank you for making Sunday night dinner easy.