Tender Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks

This is a great summer recipe and you can use it to make a very large batch of chicken legs, which are always very popular during a summer picnic or cookout. You can even bake the legs ahead and then finish them on the grill when ready or prepare them completely in your oven. 

Julian's Tender BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken legs (drumsticks) are often tough and not fall-off-the-bone tender as you might prefer. This recipe solves those issues by slow baking the chicken in the oven as the first step. It uses only the lower leg portions and not the thighs. You can usually buy a large package of chicken drumsticks at your grocer or meat market. After the slow roasting, you apply the barbecue sauce of your choice. I'm using Baby Rays Sugar Free today. I'm making a small batch today (10 pieces), but you can easily double or triple the recipe below, filling an entire half-sheet baking pan fitted with a wire rack. 

Ingredients 
Olive oil cooking spray
1 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or more depending on your hot spice tolerance)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  (sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, nutmeg, and black pepper)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Adolph's Meat Tenderizer

   (substitute baking soda or bromelain powder)  
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup barbecue sauce

2 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks

    (about 10 pieces)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250F degrees. On a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, spray with olive oil or food release spray.

In a small bowl mix together the Cajun seasoning, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and meat tenderizer. Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture on all sides.

Arrange chicken drumsticks on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle flour on top. Spray chicken with olive oil cooking spray.  Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until juices run clear, about 2 1/2 hours. (You can finish these on the BBQ grill or in the oven.)

Remove foil and spoon or brush heavily with  barbecue sauce evenly over chicken on both sides.

Continue baking, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and spoon/brush on more barbecue sauce and cook 15 minutes more and chicken is very tender.