Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks on the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
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Smoked BBQ chicken drumsticks are an easy and delicious meal that the whole family will love. They only take about 5 minutes to prep and an hour to cook, making them a great option for parties and quick dinners.
I love smoking chicken. The delicious smoke flavor infuses the meat, and the finishing touch of barbecue sauce adds a bit of sweetness that makes these drums so tasty.
Using my Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven is one of my favorite ways to smoke chicken. It has the flexibility and temperature accuracy of an oven but with the option of adding wood pellets to infuse your chicken with real woodfire flavor.
This post was sponsored by Ninja.
Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks on the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken drumsticks – I like to use skin-on chicken drumsticks for this recipe because the skin gets nice and crisp, but if you’re not a fan of the skin, you can alternatively use skinless drumsticks or remove the skin with a boning knife.
- BBQ rub – Any of these homemade rubs will work.
- BBQ sauce – Our homemade BBQ sauce will also work great.
Equipment you’ll need
- Smoker – I love the versatility of my Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven, but any grill or smoker that can burn wood will work.
- Smoke wood – The Ninja takes wood pellets, but if you’re using a different type of smoker any good smoke wood will work with chicken.
- Beautiful design with sleek features
- Super versatile, ability to cook in many ways
- Could be slighly larger
For a fun alternative, you can remove the skin and meat from the bones and make smoked chicken lollipops.
How to make Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
1. Fire up the smoker
For this recipe, I set the Ninja Woodfire to the “Smoker” setting at 350°F and added pellets to the grill to ignite.
The grill only takes about 10 minutes to preheat and ignite the pellets to get the smoke rolling.
2. Prep the chicken
While your smoker is coming up to temperature, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then season it with your favorite barbecue rub.
Sprinkle the rub on the chicken evenly, and be sure to coat all sides.
3. Smoke the chicken drumsticks
Once your smoker is preheated, place the drumsticks on the grates and let them smoke for about 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, it’s time to give them a lick of BBQ sauce.
I dunked them so each bit of chicken was well-coated, but you can alternatively use a basting brush if you prefer a little less sauce.
Once the drums are coated in sauce, place them back in the smoker for another 15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F internal.
What to serve with smoked chicken drumsticks
This versatile recipe can be served with any of your favorite barbecue side dishes.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes to serve alongside:
- Southern Coleslaw
- Bacon-wrapped Brussels Sprouts
- The Best Macaroni Salad for BBQ
- The Best Pasta Salad for BBQ
Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks on the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
PRINT RECIPE RATE RECIPE
Ingredients
- 5 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tbsp BBQ Rub - Our ultimate rib rub (which also goes great on chicken)
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce - Or use our homemade BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven to 350°F on the “Smoker” setting and add pellets to the grill.
- Pat your drumsticks dry and season them on all sides with the BBQ rub.
- Once the smoker is preheated, place your drumsticks on the grates and let them smoke for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the grates and coat them in your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Place them back on the smoker for another 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
About Your Pitmaster
Breanna Stark is a Texas-based competitive pitmaster and barbecue educator. She grew up cooking over charcoal and open flames while camping with her father, sparking a lifelong love of barbecue. Since 2014, she has competed in over 100 IBCA, KCBS, and CBA events, earning recognition for her award-winning chicken and Texas-style barbecue.
Passionate about recipe testing and development to create approachable dishes that help backyard cooks level up their barbecue skills. Breanna shares her expertise with over three million followers on social media.