September 29

Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks on the BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

1  comments

Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks on the BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

Asian-Glazed Chicken Drumstick
When was the last time you ate a chicken drumstick that made lasting memories in your mouth? These sticky, spicy chicken drumsticks are beautiful on the plate and a delight to eat.

Our go-to method for grilling chicken on a chicken flipper is to dry rub the meat at the beginning and grill it until it's done, flipping the meat frequently throughout the process. It's the classic Meadow Creek chicken method that crowds around the country have grown to enjoy and crave.

This glazed chicken drumstick recipe is an entirely different approach and the perfect way to introduce some exciting flavors into your grilled chicken. Instead of seasoning the chicken with a barbecue rub, we put it on the grill with nothing on it, then about halfway through the cook we dip it into an Asian style glaze and return it to the grill to finish it. 

I'm cooking this recipe in my Meadow Creek BBQ26S, a versatile backyard charcoal grill with a pivoting double-sided grate. The method works perfectly on the BBQ26S—the meat cooks thoroughly without charring the sugary glaze.

The flavor, texture, and presentation are off the charts and the BBQ26S makes it nearly effortless! Who would have thought a lowly chicken drumstick could be this good?

Glazed Chicken Drumstick on BBQ26S

This grill uses what I call semi-direct heat—the food is separated from the fire by vertical distance, to give us a cross between direct and indirect heat. The grate is two-sided, pivots in the middle, and is distanced far enough from the fire to make it easy to cook bone-in chicken without burning the outside. A really marvelous invention, actually!

Dipping Chicken Drumstick

Instructions for Grilled Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Here are the steps we will follow to grill the glazed chicken drumsticks.

  • Prepare the glaze (instructions below).
  • Fire the BBQ26S Chicken Flipper with 10 pounds of charcoal briquettes at 350–375 degrees (see instructions below).
  • Hook the grate onto the open lid and load the grate with the bone-in chicken drumsticks.
  • Flip the chicken every 3–5 minutes or as needed to keep it from charring (see firing instructions below).
  • After 30 minutes, dip each drumstick into the glaze and set it back on the grill to finish. The meat should have reached an internal temperature of around 160 degrees.
  • Cook the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 185–195 degrees, flipping it every 5–8 minutes as needed. The frequency of the flip will depend on how hot the fire is at this point.
  • Brush the top side of the chicken with a little more glaze before removing it from the grill.
  • Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve it.

Ingredients

  • 28 chicken drumsticks
  • 3 batches of the glaze recipe below
  • Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Glaze Recipe

This is my wife's paleo recipe with conventional ingredients in parentheses. Mix all of the ingredients in a small pot on the stove and simmer it for 20–30 minutes, stirring it as needed to keep it from burning.

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or corn starch)
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Firing Meadow Creek BBQ26S

Firing the BBQ26S Chicken Cooker

I'm cooking with Chef's Select charcoal briquettes and using my propane torch to light the coals.

Steps for Firing the Grill

Start with enough briquettes to fill the charcoal pan when spread out. Heap the charcoal in the center of the pan and torch the middle of the pile for 6 minutes or until about 1/3 of them have white edges as shown below. Remove the torch and let it burn for 15 minutes, then use a shovel or hoe to mix the lit coals with the unlit ones and spread the heat evenly in the pan.

  • If you don’t have a torch, you can use a charcoal chimney to light some of the coals, then dump the lit coals into the grill and mix them with the unlit ones.
  • Take your time to evenly distribute the burning coals to help the meat cook evenly across the entire grate. An even bed of coals is key to uniform cooking.

Vent Adjustments, Flip Frequency, and Lid Position

I cook more by instinct on this grill than by temperature. This means I use the lid to help control my fire and I base the vent adjustments and frequency of flipping on how fast the chicken is cooking. It's easier for me to explain the principles than the exact process, but here are some pointers to help you control the fire:

  • To get an idea of how hot the grill is running before you add the meat, set the grate on the grill, close the lid, and take about 15 minutes to stabilize the temperature. Start with the top and bottom vents open and incrementally adjust the vents to stabilize the temperature at 350–375 degrees.
  • It's okay if the grill is running a little hotter than you wish before you add the meat because the cold meat will absorb some excess heat.
  • The temperature of the fire will depend on the amount of charcoal you're using, how you lit the coals, the weather, and the amount of air you're giving it. As the grease starts dripping into the fire, it can fuel the fire too.
  • The frequency of the flip will depend on how much heat you have. You'll want to keep an eye on it, especially in the beginning until you figure out how fast it's cooking. Adjust the flipping to keep the meat and skin from charring.
  • Learn to focus on how quickly the chicken is cooking and respond accordingly.
  • If you keep the lid closed, you may need to fully open the vents to give it enough air.
  • If the fire is too aggressive, you can close the lid and/or throttle the bottom vents down to control flare-ups. If the meat is not cooking fast enough, give it more air by opening the lid and the bottom vents.
Chefs Select Charcoal Briquettes

Coals lit with torch

Chefs Select Charcoal Briquettes

Coals mixed and spread


Grilling the Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Here are some photos of me grilling the chicken on my Meadow Creek BBQ26S. The step-by-step recipe is listed above.

Prepping Chicken Drumstick

Stretching the skin over the meat 

Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks on the grill 

Grilling Chicken

My BBQ26S has the optional stainless steel body and the handsome pedestal base. The stainless steel makes it easier to maintain and the pedestal base is perfect for a patio or deck.

Dipping Chicken

Dipping the chicken

Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

The chicken dipped in the glaze

Grilling Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

The double-sided grate hooked onto the lid

BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

Flipping the chicken on the BBQ26S.

BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

Almost done!

BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

The coolest grill grate in the history of grill grates

BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

The entire rack pivots effortlessly.

BBQ26S Chicken Flipper

Edge view of the double-sided grate

Final Glaze

The final glaze

Final Glaze

Close-up of the final glaze

Grilled Chicken Done

Removing the grilled chicken from the grill

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Glazed grilled chicken drumsticks ready to garnish

Asian-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Ready to eat

Asian-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Who thought a chicken drumstick could be this good?

Firing BBQ26S Chicken Cooker

These revolutionary grills really are one of the barbecue world’s best-kept secrets—an experience hard to explain, but impossible to forget.

Each Meadow Creek grill is handcrafted in the Amish community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with the integrity of workmanship that has made this culture legendary. Our entire line of smokers and grills is designed to give you many years of trouble-free fun and flavor.


Tags

bbq26s chicken cooker, chicken cookers, country style ribs


You may also like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}