Name: Grilled Teriyaki Drumsticks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 8-10 chicken drumsticks; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 5 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp minced garlic or 1 tsp ground; 2 Tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 cup water

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Sticky, sweet, and savory grilled teriyaki drumsticks with crispy skin and bold BBQ flavor — an easy summer dinner perfect for camping, cookouts, and hungry teenagers.

Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with our delicious grilled teriyaki drumsticks! Grilled to perfection and generously coated in a blend of sweet and savory sauce, these drumsticks are guaranteed to be a hit on your next camping trip.

It’s grilling season and that means firing up the BBQ and enjoying fresh grilled chicken all summer long!

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Table of Contents

One of the many recipes that we will be enjoying are these sticky teriyaki chicken drumsticks!

We love the wonderfully crispy skin and beautiful grill marks that develop as the chicken cooks. You just can’t recreate those things with any other cooking method.

It only takes a couple of basic ingredients and a few simple steps to make these tender chicken drumsticks.

Outside of the marinating time, you can have dinner for the crew ready in just 30-35 minutes. Served with potato salad and grilled vegetables, this is the perfect summer dinner.

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Supplies

Teriyaki Drumsticks

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks – Juicy, affordable, and perfect for grilling, drumsticks soak up marinade beautifully and stay tender even with longer cook times.
Water (for sauce base) – Helps thin the sauce so all those sweet and savory flavors blend smoothly without overpowering the chicken.
Soy sauce – The salty, umami-packed backbone of teriyaki sauce that brings deep, savory flavor to every bite.
Brown sugar – Adds rich sweetness and helps create that irresistible sticky glaze.
Ginger – Brings a warm, slightly spicy kick that balances the sweetness and adds classic teriyaki flavor.
Honey – Enhances the sauce with natural sweetness and helps achieve glossy, caramelized grill marks.
Garlic – Adds bold, savory depth that makes the sauce incredible.
Cornstarch – The secret to thick, clingy sauce that sticks to the chicken instead of dripping into the grill.
Water (for cornstarch slurry) – Activates the cornstarch so the sauce thickens to the perfect consistency.

Note: Any kind of teriyaki sauce will work, but we love this homemade teriyaki sauce. It combines brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce in a way that our whole family loves.

Use your favorite sauce or make our homemade sauce with simple ingredients from the grocery store.

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic. Whisk together.

2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix well.

3. Pour the first mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat (about 5 minutes).

4. When the sauce begins to boil, add the cornstarch mixture and whisk continuously.

5. When the teriyaki marinade begins to thicken (about 2 minutes), remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

6. In a dish or large freezer bag, coat the chicken in 3/4 of the teriyaki marinade and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Tip: We like to make the sauce at home, place the chicken and the marinade in a freezer bag, and then pack it with the rest of our camping food to prepare while camping.

7. Place the chicken drumsticks on the grill and baste with reserved teriyaki sauce.

8. Cook for 15 minutes, turn, and baste with sauce again.

9. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.

Tips and Tricks

Use olive oil to season your grill before cooking. This will help to prevent the chicken from sticking. Lining your grill grates with aluminum foil will also help.
Though we love using our Traeger to make these drumsticks, they can also be made using a gas grill, charcoal grill, in the oven, or in a slow cooker.
The key to really tender meat is cooking it low and slow. The long cook time allows the connective tissue in tough cuts of meat to break down. Marinating your meat also helps this process along.
This recipe can be made with chicken breasts, chicken wings, and skinless chicken thighs too. Whatever cut of meat you are using, be sure the chicken’s internal temperature reaches the recommended temperature for food safety.

If you use different chicken pieces, cooking time will vary, particularly if they are bone-in pieces. Always use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken to determine whether the meat is cooked thoroughly.
Test this recipe out with different teriyaki sauces to find the ones your family enjoys most.
Instead of using your favorite teriyaki sauce, try making your own dry rub for these grilled drumsticks.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

The whole family is going to love this recipe for teriyaki chicken drumsticks. Serve these grilled chicken drumsticks with your favorite side dishes, or try them with our grilled vegetables or corn on the cob.

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