Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso are my kind of backyard classic. A bigger surface area for the chicken means a quicker cooking time. And yet, you’ll get a more intense, smoky flavor in every bite. Big shoutout to my buddy Brad Prose from Chiles and Smoke. He brought the butterflied drumstick technique back into the spotlight.
There’s just something about fire, smoke, and a batch of meaty drumsticks that hits right every time. Plus, we’re pairing them up with a skillet of molten queso, because cheese makes everything better.
We’ll get these butterflied drumsticks sizzling over the flames with Cowboy Charcoal. This ensures the nice color, crispy skin, and smoky bite you want when you’re cooking over the fire.
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso
- Ingredients Round-up
- Pro Tip: Go organic if you can!
- How to Make Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso
- What to Serve with Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks
- Leftover Suggestions & Reheating Instructions
- More Drumsticks
- FAQs
- Most Anticipated Grill of 2025
- Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso Recipe
Why You’ll Love Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso
Butterflying chicken drumsticks is, unequivocally, a cooking method that you’ll want to try. By slicing along the side of the bone with a really sharp knife, you get a quicker cooking time (and less worry about pink meat).
That also means better seasoning coverage and less skin to worry about burning. It lays the chicken flatter against the grill grates for maximum crispy bites and juicy meat without overcooking. You’ll get that nice char without drying anything out.
Plus, queso on the side means every bite can be dipped, drenched, or drizzled. If you’re looking for bold flavors and the perfect excuse to fire up the Cowboy Charcoal, this one’s it.
If you know me, Derek Wolf, you know how much I love me some chicken. Check out another Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks recipe. Then, browse these other recipe round-ups next: The Best Chicken Leg Recipes, Best Chicken Lollipop Recipes, Best Chicken Wing Recipes.
Ingredients Round-up
- Chicken – You’ll need a big pack of chicken drumsticks, Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager, and then some canola oil (to make sure the seasonings stick).
- Queso – Grab Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, green chiles, your favorite light beer, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, heavy cream, cayenne powder, plus a little salt and pepper.
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Now that you know what to grab from the grocery store, you can skip straight to the full recipe card or stick with me as I walk you through the easy steps. Let’s get that work surface ready and dive into making this tasty chicken recipe!
Pro Tip: Go organic if you can!
If you catch organic or free-range drumsticks on sale, snag them. They come from chickens that were raised a little happier, which usually means better flavor, juicier, and healthier meat, perfect for serving to your friends and family. Plus, they soak up all that spice rub and smoky flavor like a champ, making your fire-cooked chicken that much better. When you’re firing up the best Cowboy Charcoal, you might as well go all out with the best chicken too.
How to Make Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso
Start by prepping your chicken on a clean cutting board. Using a really sharp knife, slice from the top to the bottom along one side of the bone. Carefully open the drumstick up, pulling the sides of the slice apart so the meat flattens out while still staying connected on the opposite side of the first cut.
Repeat for all drumsticks, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Toss the drumsticks in a large bowl with canola oil. Then add a heavy coating of Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager. Cover with plastic wrap and let them brine in the fridge for at least an hour to lock in that smoky flavor.
When you’re ready to cook, prepare your grill for direct cooking with Cowboy Charcoal, setting up a medium-high heat fire around 375F. Lay the butterflied drumsticks over the direct heat for about 2-3 minutes per side to get a nice char and crispy edges.
Once the outside of the chicken has a deep color, lift the grill grate so that the drumsticks cook more indirectly until they reach an internal temperature of 170F. Always double-check using a good meat thermometer.
As the drumsticks finish cooking, baste them with some of my FYR Red Sauce. This adds a nice, deep color to the drumsticks while also adding a depth of flavor… And of course bringing some heat. If you don’t have my FYR Red sauce, you can sub it with your favorite hot sauce.
One the chicken reaches the proper internal temp (170F), remove them from the grill. Now, onto the queso.
Assemble the Queso
Now, place a skillet directly over the fire. Melt butter, add flour and Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager, and stir into a paste. Slowly whisk in the beer until thickened, then stir in the green chiles, heavy cream, and your cheeses. Keep stirring until it’s smooth and creamy. Thin with a little milk if needed.
Once the drumsticks hit temp, pull them off the grill and let them rest for 1-2 minutes on a baking sheet or plate. Serve with the queso on the side for dipping — it’s the ultimate main dish for any backyard barbecue.
What to Serve with Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks
These butterflied chicken drumsticks with queso go great with grilled veggies, a simple coleslaw, or even roasted corn on the cob brushed with garlic butter. Alabama white sauce, a zesty hot sauce, or your favorite BBQ sauce on the side would also bring even more options and zesty, bold flavors. Don’t forget the crispy potato wedges for soaking up that extra queso!
Leftover Suggestions & Reheating Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container lined with parchment paper to help keep the crispy bites intact. Reheat by tossing the chicken on the indirect side of a medium heat grill for 5-7 minutes or popping them in an air fryer for crispy edges in about 5 minutes. Leftover butterflied drumsticks make an epic filling for tacos, quesadillas, or even a quick chicken sandwich loaded up with extra queso and hot sauce. Just pull the meat from the bone and you’re good to go!
More Drumsticks
FAQs
Absolutely. You can prep the butterflied chicken drumsticks a day ahead. Just season, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to grill.
Always use a meat thermometer and aim for 170F internal temperature. It’s the best way to get juicy meat every time without guessing if they’re cooked through.
If using an air fryer, set it to 375F and cook the drumsticks for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway for a nice crispy skin. You’ll still get that juicy, fire-cooked vibe, even without the smoke flavor from charcoal.
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Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2-3 lbs Chicken Drumsticks
- 1/2 cup Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager
- 2 tbsp Canola Oil
- FYR Red Sauce Baste as Needed
Homemade Queso:
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- ½ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ½ cup Green Chiles drained
- ½ cup Favorite Light Beer
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken:
- Begin prepping your chicken drumsticks. Using a really sharp knife, slice one area on the drumstick from top to bottom all the way down to the bone. Pull apart the two sides of the slice and begin separating the meat from the bone so that the chicken drumstick is flayed open and flat. Make sure to leave some part of the meat, on the opposite side of the first cut, still connected. Repeat this for all of your drumsticks.
- Slather your chicken with oil then generously season them with Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager. Mix together thoroughly, cover and place in the fridge to brine for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat a medium high heat fire (around 375F) for two zone cooking.
- Once the fire is ready, place your drumsticks over the direct heat and cook them for 2-3 minutes per side until they have been charred well. Flipping as needed.
- Cook until they reach 170F internal (about 10-15 minutes). As they get closer hitting that internal temp, baste the wings in some FYR Red Hot Sauce.
- Once done, pull them off and let them rest for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve up with queso on the side for dipping!
Queso:
- Add a skillet to the grill. Add your butter, flour and Smoked Garlic Jalapeño Lager to the skillet to melt and mix for 1-2 minutes.
- Once thickened into a paste, slowly add your beer in batches to fully integrate it and let the mixture thicken.
- Once mixed, add your beer, heavy cream, green chiles and all the cheese. Add the cheese in batches if needed. Keep stirring until fully integrated and smooth. Thin out the sauce with more milk if needed.
