Ingredients
Equipment
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes in the fridge) Cook Time: about 50 minutes Serves: 4
These are Dan's Texas bourbon and molasses drumsticks: eight chicken drumsticks seasoned with SuckleBusters SPG, cooked on the Traeger at 325°F, and glazed with a bourbon molasses BBQ sauce you stir together in one pot. It takes very few ingredients, and the sauce is only five of them. You get sweet first, then black pepper, then a deep bourbon finish. Serves 4.
The Insider Secret: Glaze Late
Dan doesn't sauce these until the chicken reads about 155°F inside. Molasses and BBQ sauce carry a lot of sugar, and sugar scorches if it rides the whole cook. Going on late, the glaze gets enough time on the grill to set and turn sticky while the chicken finishes.
Ingredients
The Drumsticks
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 1 to 2 tablespoons SuckleBusters SPG All-Purpose
The Bourbon Molasses BBQ Sauce
- About half a 12-ounce bottle of SuckleBusters Original BBQ Sauce
- About 4 ounces molasses (Dan eyeballs it at roughly 2 parts sauce to 1 part molasses)
- A splash of apple cider vinegar
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- About 3 tablespoons bourbon (Dan uses Saints Alley from Ironroot Republic in Denison, Texas)
Equipment
- Traeger or any pellet grill
- Wire rack
- Gallon zip-top bag
- Small saucepan
- Tongs and a basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
1. Season the Drumsticks Put the drumsticks in a zip-top bag and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of SPG. Close the bag with a little air left inside and roll the drumsticks around until they're coated all over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Overnight works too.
2. Rack Them and Fire Up the Traeger Set the Traeger, or any pellet grill, to 325°F. Lay the drumsticks on a wire rack so the whole batch goes on and comes off in one move, then set the rack on the grates.
3. Build the Sauce While the chicken cooks, pour about half a bottle of Original BBQ Sauce into a small saucepan. Add about 4 ounces of molasses, a splash of apple cider vinegar, the melted butter and about 3 tablespoons of bourbon. Stir it all up.
4. Simmer Take the pan to the cooktop and let it go to a low simmer. That's the glaze. Set a little aside in a clean bowl for the final coat.
5. Glaze at 155°F When the thickest part of a drumstick reads about 155°F, glaze the chicken. Dan dunks each drumstick in the pot with tongs and sets it back on the rack. A brush works too.
6. Finish on the Grill Let the drumsticks finish until they read at least 165°F, the USDA safe temperature for chicken. Drumsticks are dark meat, so plenty of cooks take them to 175°F or higher for more tender meat. At 325°F the whole cook usually runs 45 to 50 minutes, but go by the thermometer and not the clock.
7. One More Coat Plate the drumsticks and brush on a little more of the bourbon sauce right before you eat.
Dan's Tip: Don't overthink the measurements. Dan eyeballs the SPG (“you can swag it”) and counts the bourbon in by feel: “One, two, three. And one for me.” If you have the time, season the drumsticks the night before.
Round It Out: SPG and Original BBQ Sauce are the two SuckleBusters products in this cook. If you're restocking, build your own bundle and save, and pick them alongside Clucker Dust, our #1 seller for chicken. For more chicken, try The Ultimate Hot Wings or the Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon Orzo Skillet.
The Verdict: Dan's call after the first bite: sweet up front, black pepper behind it, and a heavy, deep taste from the bourbon to finish it off. “That is fantastic chicken.”
Watch the video
Watch Dan cook it start to finish: