Jerk BBQ Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks

I'm so excited to share this recipe for Jerk BBQ Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks. This is a special one, not only because it's a family favorite, but also because it features two of my most treasured recipes.

Before we get started, I have to brag for a moment. My signature Dry Jerk seasoning was recently honored in the July 2025 issue of Food & Wine, where it was named one of the "11 best dry rubs on the market for grilling and smoking." It's truly an honor, and I'm thrilled to share a recipe that uses both my award-winning dry rub and my legendary Jamaican jerk marinade.

Jerk BBQ Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks

These butterflied drumsticks are packed with flavor from our signature jerk seasoning and cook up with a fantastic crispy skin and juicy, tender meat.

Ingredients

  8-12 chicken drumsticks

  1/4 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable)

  My Homemade Wet Jerk Marinade: The secret to this recipe! You can get the recipe for this marinade sent straight to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter.

  My Dry Jerk Seasoning: Featured in Food & Wine magazine and available for purchase directly from my website store.

  My Jerk BBQ Sauce: The recipe is available on my website.

  Butterfly the Drumsticks: This is the key to even cooking and maximum flavor. Place a drumstick on a cutting board, skin-side down. Using a sharp knife, carefully make a slit straight down the middle of the meaty side of the drumstick, cutting almost to the bone. Splay the inner meat on both sides of the chicken leg’s bone to resemble a butterfly. Now, you can open it up like a book, exposing more surface area for seasoning and creating a flat-ish piece of meat. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks.

 Season the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine the neutral oil, a generous amount of my Dry Jerk Seasoning, and a few tablespoons of my Wet Jerk Marinade. Add the butterflied drumsticks and use your hands to rub the mixture into every nook and cranny of the chicken. Be thorough! Cover the bowl and allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

 Prepare the Grill: We're using only the best for this recipe: B&B charcoal in a Weber kettle. Arrange the charcoal to create a two-zone fire—one side with direct, high heat and the other with indirect, lower heat.

Grill the Chicken: Place the butterflied drumsticks directly over the hot charcoal. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, just long enough to get beautiful grill marks and a nice color.

  Finish Cooking: Once the drumsticks are seared, move them to the indirect side of the grill. Cover the kettle and let it cook for 20 minutes.

 Baste and Finish: After 20 minutes, baste the drumsticks generously with my Jerk BBQ Sauce. Continue to cook, covered, for another 5-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F. While drumsticks are safe at 165°F, I find that cooking them to 175°F results in exceptionally tender, pull-off-the-bone meat.

 Serve: Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy the incredible flavors and the perfect combination of crispy skin and juicy meat.