Everyone loves a tasty drumstick at a cookout, and it’s not hard to learn the way to grill chicken legs.

Wings and legs are the all-time favorite game-time snack food, so fire up the grill and follow these simple tips for great drumsticks to beat the band.

How to Grill Chicken Legs: Cheer Time

Let’s hear it for barbecued chicken legs . . . or marinated chicken legs . . . or lightly seasoned chicken legs. You decide. There are hundreds of recipes to choose from, from sauces to rubs to marinades to nothing but good old grill. To get complete coverage of the legs, try using a one-gallon plastic zipper bag when applying marinades, sauces, or rubs.

Depending on your preference, you can either remove the skins or leave them on; if you don’t plan on eating the skins after they are cooked, you may want to consider removing them before you apply any flavorings. No since throwing away all that great-tasting flavor. Either way, let your drumsticks sit in the seasonings for at least one hour.

How to Grill Chicken Legs: Half-Time

Clean and preheat the grill. Then place the drumsticks on the hottest part of the grill and sear all sides; after searing, move the legs to a cooler part of the grill. If you are using a gas grill, simply turn the heat down; if you are using a charcoal grill, you may need to heap the coals to one side to give you a cooler area for barbecuing.

Again, if you are using a gas grill, feel free to put the lid down; if you are using a charcoal grill, you need to decide how much char flavor you want on the drumsticks. If you want a less smoky flavor, keep the lid up. If you are using a rub or seasoning that is not oil-based, you may want to lightly spray the grill rack to keep the legs from sticking.

How to Grill Chicken Legs: Game Time

Once the drumsticks are on the grill, you need to watch them carefully; plan on checking them at least once every 5 minutes. Rotate the legs when a side has turned a nice brown, crispy color. Chicken legs take 20-30 minutes to cook, depending on the level of heat you are using; a meat thermometer in the meatiest part of the drumstick should have a reading of at least 165 degrees.

Now that you have demonstrated your chicken leg grilling skill, call the guys in for the game and eat up.

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