Saucy Rossy BBQ
Chicken

Greek Yogurt Marinated Charcoal Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks marinated in Greek yogurt, Smoked Peach hot sauce and Sassy Chicken rub, grilled two-zone over lump charcoal on a Napoleon and pulled at 190°F.

Time~1.5 hrs + marinade Prep4 hr 15 min YieldServes 4 CategoryChicken Watch4:43
Greek Yogurt Marinated Charcoal Chicken Drumsticks — watch on YouTube

Watch the full cook on YouTube

Method

  1. 1Mix Greek yogurt with a little 2% milk, roughly 8 parts yogurt to 1 part milk, until smooth.The milk only loosens the thick Greek yogurt so it coats the chicken evenly instead of sitting on it in clumps. You want it smooth, like a thick sauce. Yogurt tenderizes gently, because its mild lactic acid works on the surface without turning the meat mushy the way a strong acid marinade can.
  2. 2Stir in Spicy Boys Smoked Peach Hot Sauce until it is fully incorporated.Mix it in completely before the chicken goes in so every drumstick gets the same heat and flavour. The smoked peach sauce brings smoke, sweetness and heat, but any favourite hot sauce works in its place.
  3. 3Add the drumsticks and toss to coat, then add Royal Nova Company Sassy Chicken BBQ Spice and toss again.Adding the rub after the chicken is coated means it sticks to the marinade on the meat and seasons the yogurt at the same time. Make sure every drumstick is fully covered, including around the knuckle.
  4. 4Cover and refrigerate for 4–8 hours.Four hours gets flavour into the surface, and eight gives the yogurt longer to work. Yogurt is gentle, so going longer will not ruin the chicken, but you gain little past a day. Keep it in the fridge the whole time.
  5. 5Light lump charcoal in a chimney and set up the Napoleon charcoal grill for two-zone cooking, with the coals spread evenly on one side.Two-zone cooking gives you a hot side and a cooler indirect side where the chicken cooks through without burning. Lump charcoal burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes but swings in temperature more. The cast iron grill grate holds heat and adds colour and char marks to the chicken.
  6. 6Take the drumsticks out of the marinade without drying them or wiping it all off, and hit them with a touch more Sassy Chicken seasoning.The coating of marinade left on is what browns and chars on the grill, so do not wipe it away. Let heavy excess drip off, though, because thick clumps of yogurt burn instead of browning. The extra rub freshens the surface flavour after hours in the marinade.
  7. 7Lay the drumsticks evenly on the indirect side and flip them roughly every 10 minutes for 70–80 minutes in total.Consistent flipping cooks them evenly and builds colour and bits of char on every side. Plan on at least 60 minutes, and more like 70–80. Swap the pieces nearest the coals with the ones further away so they finish together.
  8. 8Cook them to about 190°F internal.Chicken is safe at 165°F, but drumsticks are dark meat with plenty of connective tissue and are much better taken higher. These went to about 190°F, and anywhere close to 200°F is fine. In that range the collagen has broken down and the meat is tender and pulls from the bone while staying juicy. Probe the thickest part without touching the bone.
  9. 9Brush on a thin layer of BBQ sauce, let it tack up for a few minutes, then add another layer and pull the drumsticks.Sauce goes on at the end only, because the sugar in it burns over charcoal if it is on for the whole cook. A thin first layer and a second once the first has tacked on give a glaze that sticks instead of dripping into the fire. The second layer is where the BBQ sauce flavour really comes through.

Watch it on YouTube

What each ingredient is doing

Chicken drumsticks
Dark meat with plenty of connective tissue, which is why they are better at 185–195°F than at 165°F. Cheap, forgiving and hard to dry out. Bone-in thighs or whole legs take the same method. Legs need a little longer.
Greek yogurt
Ziggy's Greek yogurt here. Its lactic acid tenderizes gently, and its milk proteins and sugars brown well over charcoal. Plain full-fat yogurt works. Regular yogurt is already thinner and will not need the milk.
2% milk
Only there to loosen the yogurt, at about one part to eight. Any milk works, or a splash of water.
Smoked Peach Hot Sauce
From Spicy Boys in New Brunswick. It is smoky, sweet and hot. Any fruit-forward hot sauce works, and a plain vinegar hot sauce gives a sharper result.
Sassy Chicken BBQ Spice
Royal Nova Company's chicken rub, used twice: in the marinade and again before grilling. Any chicken rub works.
BBQ sauce
Any sauce you like, brushed on thin in two layers at the end. A thick sauce clings better than a thin one.
Lump charcoal
Burns hotter and cleaner than briquettes and lights quickly in a chimney. Its temperature moves around more, so keep an eye on the grill over an 80-minute cook.

Temperature guide

StageTempWhat it means
SetupTwo-zone, indirectCoals on one side, chicken on the other.
Safe165°F / 74°CSafe, but drumstick meat is still firm and chewy at this point.
Pull~190°F / 88°CWhere these came off. Tender, juicy and pulling from the bone.
Upper rangeUp to ~200°F / 93°CStill fine for dark meat like drumsticks.
Time70–80 minutesFlipped about every 10 minutes.

Pitmaster tips

  • Loosen the Greek yogurt with a splash of milk. Thick yogurt clumps on the chicken, while smooth yogurt coats it evenly.
  • Mix the hot sauce fully into the yogurt before the chicken goes in, so every piece gets the same flavour.
  • Give it at least 4 hours in the marinade. The cook in the video used 4–8.
  • Do not wipe the marinade off before grilling. Just let heavy clumps drip away, because the yogurt coating is what browns.
  • Give the chicken a little more rub before it goes on. It freshens the surface after hours in the marinade.
  • Use two-zone heat. Drumsticks need more than an hour, and that long over direct heat burns the outside before the inside is done.
  • Flip every 10 minutes or so. Regular turning cooks the drumsticks evenly and builds colour on every side.
  • Take drumsticks well past 165°F. At around 190°F the connective tissue has broken down and the meat is tender.
  • Sauce in thin layers at the end, letting each one tack up before the next.
  • A cast iron grill grate holds heat and gives better char marks than a thin wire grate.

If it goes wrong

The outside burnt before the inside was done
The chicken was too close to the coals. Keep the drumsticks on the indirect side and swap the pieces nearest the fire with the ones further away.
The marinade burnt black
Too much yogurt was left on, or the chicken was over direct heat. Let the excess drip off and cook on the indirect side.
The meat is tough and chewy near the bone
It came off too early. Drumsticks at 165°F are safe but chewy, so take them to around 190°F.
The sauce dripped off or burnt
It went on too thick or too early. Wait until the chicken is almost at temperature, then brush on two thin layers.
The grill temperature keeps dropping
Lump charcoal burns down over an 80-minute cook. Keep the lid closed between flips, and add a few pieces of lit lump if the fire fades.

Ways to change it up

Different hot sauce
Use any favourite hot sauce in the marinade. Fruit-forward sauces suit the yogurt best.
Thighs or legs
Bone-in thighs or whole legs take the same marinade and method. Legs take a little longer.
Gas grill
Any grill works, according to the video, though charcoal is the recommendation. On gas, light one side and cook on the other for the same two-zone setup.
No sauce
Skip the BBQ glaze and serve the drumsticks with a garlic yogurt dip or tzatziki.

What to serve it with

  • A simple cucumber salad and fresh bread, as served in the video.
  • Corn on the cob.
  • Potato salad or grilled potatoes.
  • Extra hot sauce on the side.
  • A cold beer.

Storage & reheating

Cooked drumsticks keep 3–4 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Refrigerate them within two hours of cooking.

Reheat on the grill or in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, until hot through to 165°F. A fresh brush of sauce at the end helps. The microwave works but softens the skin.

Cooked drumsticks freeze for 2–3 months. Raw drumsticks can also be frozen in the marinade and thawed overnight in the fridge, where they marinate as they thaw.

FAQ

What internal temperature should chicken drumsticks be?

165°F is safe, but drumsticks are dark meat and are better at 185–195°F. These were pulled at about 190°F, and close to 200°F is still fine. At that range the connective tissue has broken down, so the meat is tender and pulls from the bone.

Why use Greek yogurt in a chicken marinade?

Its mild lactic acid tenderizes gently without turning the surface mushy, and it carries spices and hot sauce onto the meat. The milk proteins and sugars also brown well over charcoal, which gives good colour.

How long should chicken marinate in yogurt?

These marinated for 4–8 hours in the fridge, which is enough for good flavour. Yogurt is gentle, so a longer marinade will not ruin the chicken, but you gain little past a day.

How long do drumsticks take on a charcoal grill?

About 70–80 minutes over indirect heat in a two-zone setup, flipping every 10 minutes or so, and at least an hour. Go by internal temperature, not the clock.

What is two-zone grilling?

The coals are banked on one side of the grill and the other side has none. The food cooks on the cooler side with the lid closed, much like in an oven, so it cooks through without burning. The hot side is there for searing if you need it.

When should I put BBQ sauce on grilled chicken?

At the end, once the chicken is close to done. Most BBQ sauces contain sugar, which burns over charcoal. Brush on a thin layer, let it tack up for a few minutes, then add another.

Know your cook

More information, cause recipe back stories are stupid

No 500-word life story — just the good-to-know stuff on what’s actually in this cook. Here’s the rundown on every real ingredient, health and nutrition wise.

Chicken
Chicken is a lean, versatile source of complete protein, B vitamins (especially niacin and B6), and selenium. Skinless breast is leanest; thighs and skin add flavour and a little more fat. Always cook poultry to a safe 165°F.

General nutrition info only, not medical or dietary advice — portions, brands and add-ons change the numbers.

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