These oven-baked Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks are an easy choice for game day, weeknight meals, and summer BBQs. Each juicy baked drumstick is slathered in our finger-licking good homemade buffalo sauce.
Serve these drumsticks with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing, or with a classic side dish like Oven-Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. And if you love buffalo chicken, bookmark this page because I guarantee you'll want to use this buffalo sauce for wings, appetizers, and basically every other chicken dish that you make.
Jump to:
Easy Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
These Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks check all of the boxes—they're delicious, an all-around family favorite, healthy, and take just about 5 minutes to prep. After baking the crispy drumsticks in the oven, slather them with our super simple buffalo sauce made from Frank's Red Hot Sauce and brown sugar.
That's it! Another reason to love these drumsticks is that they are so versatile. They can be baked, grilled, or even air fried. Any way you decide to make them, they're sure to turn out amazing. We've also included the best buffalo chicken sauce, perfect for a drumsticks recipe, wings, or your favorite appetizers.
Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks Video Tutorial
If you love all things buffalo, be sure to check out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Sauce. It's delicious on burgers, steaks, chicken, and this drumstick recipe. You'll also love Franks Buffalo Chicken Dip, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken, Buffalo Taquitos and the Best Buffalo Chicken Wings.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken Drumsticks - drumsticks are great because they are inexpensive and really simple to cook. If you are serving them for dinner, plan on about 2 drumsticks per person.
- Salt and Pepper
- Brown Sugar - I like to use dark brown sugar but light brown would work, too.
- Frank's Red Hot Sauce - this recipe is specifically formulated for Frank's Red Hot Sauce. If you use another sauce, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how hot it is.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks In The Oven
- Prep the drumsticks. Remove any excess skin or fat, pat dry with a paper towel, and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
- Bake. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 10.
- Make the buffalo sauce. Combine the hot sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Toss the baked drumsticks in the prepared buffalo sauce and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're wondering how long to bake chicken drumsticks, keep in mind, it varies depending on the size of the drumsticks and your baking method. Generally speaking, it takes about 35-40 minutes for chicken drumsticks to bake at 400 degrees. Chicken legs and thighs have dark meat that takes a little longer to cook, and also tastes better when cooked to a higher temperature.
Yes! Place the chicken drumsticks in the air fryer basket without overlapping or stacking. Air fry at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Flip chicken drumsticks halfway through the cooking time. Be sure to check the internal temperature of your drumsticks to make sure it reaches 165 degrees F.
An average chicken drumstick weighs about 4 ounces and has about 1 ½ ounces of meat (without the bone or the skin)
Plan for about 2-3 drumsticks per person for adults and 1 drumstick per person for children.
Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Drumsticks
- 6 large Chicken Drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the drumstick and remove any excess skin or fat. Pat dry with a paper towel, sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken on both sides.
- Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Once cooked through, remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the drumsticks in the prepared buffalo sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing. Enjoy!
How to Make Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Combine the Franks Red Hot Sauce and the brown sugar in a saucepan on the stove. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using or storing in the fridge.
Nutrition
Favorite Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Pizza
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks
- Grilled BLT Salad Recipe
- Grilled Southwest Chicken
Here are more chicken recipes you'll love
- Green Chile Hasselback Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Wrap Recipe
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Mississippi Chicken
- Red Chicken Enchiladas
- More Chicken Recipes
- More Appetizers
This easy Buffalo Drumsticks recipe is a huge hit! If you love buffalo chicken, this will soon be a family favorite. It's easy and perfect for football food, an easy weeknight meal, or just about any time of the year.
Sam
These drumsticks were delicious! We loved them!
The Carefree Kitchen
Sam, So glad you loved them!
Christina
These are so scrumptious. A new family favorite.