BBQ Lemon Pepper Chicken

A close up image of a drumstick within the pile of grilled drumsticks.

BBQ lemon pepper chicken drumsticks are exactly what your summer grilling dreams are made of. They're so easy to make and have deliciously crispy and flavorful skin on the outside and perfectly tender meat on the inside! Ready in 20 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings drumsticks

Calories 189kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

2 large lemons (it ends up being around ½ cup of lemon juice)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 chicken drumsticks

Instructions

Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a bowl (you should end up with around ½ cup).
Add oil, lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt and whisk until well combined.
Pour into a plastic bag and add chicken.
Seal the bag and shake well until the drumsticks are well coated with the marinade.
Refrigerate the chicken until you're ready to cook and remove it from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes prior to cooking.
Spray the grill with cooking spray and preheat it to medium-high heat.
Cook the drumsticks for around 15 minutes, turning them often. The cooking time will vary based on your grill and the size of the drum sticks. You'll want to have a really nice char on every side.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes and serve immediately after.

Notes

To get as much juice out of each lemon as possible, roll it on a hard surface with the palm of your hand before cutting into it. It also helps if they're warm — either store at room temperature or microwave for 8-10 seconds.

Adjust the marinating time. While you can totally get the chicken into the marinade well in advance(up to a few hours), don't worry if you're pressed for time. As little as 15-20 minutes before grilling adds plenty of flavor to these lemon pepper chicken drumsticks.

Pull the chicken out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before grilling to bring it a bit closer to room temp. You don't want to leave it out long enough to put it in the temperature danger zone, just to take off the chill.

Don't be afraid to get a nice char on the drumsticks. Grilling lemon pepper chicken creates perfectly crispy skin while still maintaining nice, tender meat inside.

Like any other meat, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before digging in to redistribute all those delicious juices.

Ingredients to prep ahead- You can juice the lemons and whisk together the marinade well in advance. Marinate the meat for at least 15 minutes before grilling, but 2-3 hours is best.

Leftovers and storage- Lemon pepper grilled chicken will keep for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to get the skin crispy again.

Nutrition