No. 30East Coast · Party

Make-Ahead Party Drumsticks

Name: Make-Ahead Party Drumsticks
Yield: 80–100 drumsticks
Cuisine: East Coast
Ingredients: 80–100 chicken drumsticks (4–5 Costco-size packs), fully thawed; Water to cover, working in batches; Neutral oil, enough to lightly coat the cooked chicken; 8–10 cups prepared sauce, divided between your chosen flavours, plus extra for serving; ½ cup sweet paprika; ½ cup garlic powder; ⅓ cup onion powder; ¼ cup ground black pepper; 40–50 g kosher salt to start, about 4 g per kilogram of raw chicken; Large stockpots, shallow trays, kitchen scissors, a meat thermometer and a barbecue

Every May I host 100-plus people at a drop-in birthday party for my two kids, whose birthdays happen to be four days apart. We invite half the elementary school, I swear. These drumsticks are the backbone: four or five Costco packs, cooked the day before, so the barbecue only has to reheat, brown and glaze while everyone eats.

Jump to recipe

Six foil trays of grilled, sauced drumsticks lined up along a kitchen counter — Shot on my phone. Six trays and counting.No. 30

Makes: 80–100 drumsticks
Best made: The day before
Party day: About 1 hr, in waves
Season: Spring / Summer

Method

The day before

Simmer in manageable batches. Place the drumsticks in large pots and cover with unsalted water. Bring just to a boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. A hard boil can tear the skin and make the chicken fall apart.
Cook fully. Simmer until the thickest part of several drumsticks in each batch reaches 165°F (74°C), checking without touching the bone. Start checking after about 20 minutes once the water is back to a simmer; bigger pieces or crowded pots take longer. Go by temperature, not the clock.
Drain and briefly cool. Lift the chicken onto clean, shallow trays in a single layer and let it cool only enough to handle. Work batch by batch rather than leaving 100 drumsticks on the counter.
Tidy the handles. With clean kitchen scissors or a small sharp knife, snip away the loose, rubbery cuff of skin, membrane and fat around the narrow ankle end. Remove any exposed tough tendon ends that come away easily. Leave the main skin intact and don't cut or splinter the bone. A quick tidy, not a full Frenching job.
Dry and season. Pat the chicken dry, coat very lightly with oil and sprinkle evenly with the mixed seasoning. Turn to coat.
Refrigerate promptly. Arrange in shallow containers or trays, ideally in a single layer, and refrigerate within 2 hours of finishing cooking. Don't wait for everything to reach room temperature. Leave space for cold air to circulate, and cover once chilled.

On party day

Reheat in the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Arrange the cold drumsticks in shallow roasting trays, cover with foil and reheat until they reach 165°F (74°C) throughout, about 30–45 minutes. Check several pieces in each tray. Reheat in waves to match your grill space.
Finish on the barbecue. Set up a medium-hot direct-heat zone and a cooler zone. Move the hot chicken straight to clean, lightly oiled grates and turn often for 5–10 minutes, until the skin is browned with a little char. Move pieces to the cooler side if the fat flares up.
Sauce it your way. Toss the hot drumsticks in sauce after grilling (best for Buffalo), or brush on sauce in the last 2–3 minutes, turning until glossy and lightly caramelized. Sweet sauces burn fast, so keep those over gentler heat. Or both: a light glaze on the grill, then a toss in a little more sauce.
Serve in batches. Bring out fresh trays as they finish. Keep chicken waiting to be served hot, at 140°F (60°C) or above.

Drumsticks simmering in a big orange Dutch oven — 1. Simmer, the day before.No. 30

Cooked drumsticks coated in paprika seasoning on a sheet pan — 2. Trim, season, chill.No. 30

Rows of drumsticks browning on a gas barbecue — 3. Reheat, then brown on the grill.No. 30

Foil trays of sauced drumsticks ready to serve — 4. Sauce and serve in waves.No. 30

My sweet & tangy chicken-and-rib sauce

Makes about 1½ cups, enough to coat 12–16 drumsticks. For the birthday-sized batch, triple it for the 40–50 sweet-and-tangy drumsticks, with the other half tossed in Buffalo sauce.

¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tbsp molasses
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sweet paprika
⅛ tsp ground allspice
Black pepper, to taste

Combine everything in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened.
Taste: add a little brown sugar for sweetness or a splash of vinegar for more tang. It should brush on easily; loosen with water if needed.
Brush onto the drumsticks during their last few minutes on the grill, turning often so the sugar doesn't burn. Finish with another light coat before serving.

From my kitchen

The essential sequence: fully cook, briefly cool and trim, season and refrigerate, reheat thoroughly, then barbecue and sauce. The grill is there to brown and glaze, not to cook a mountain of raw chicken while everyone waits.
My birthday-party split: half Buffalo, half sweet-and-tangy chicken-and-rib sauce. Keep the base seasoning the same and divide the chicken at the finishing stage. Use whatever sauce you love.
Go easy on the salt. The seasoning is deliberately moderate because the sauces add more, and the simmering water stays unsalted.
Plan your fridge space before you start. A hundred drumsticks take up more room than you think.
What else is on the table: takeout pizza, classic and kid-friendly hot dogs, veggies, fruit and far too many sweet treats.