Summertime in Oklahoma is hot... excruciatingly hot. It's so hot that the last thing I want to do on a scorching day is stand over a scorching grill. So sometimes, I spare myself and cook my barbecue chicken in the comfort of my air conditioned home. These are slathered in the most delicious and are baked in the oven. If you want to get ahead for a weeknight dinner, make the barbecue sauce in advance and pop it in the fridge! This turns out so tender and juicy, and the sauce has a few not-so-secret ingredients that make it really pop.

What's in the barbecue sauce?

This smoky-sweet sauce is has sautéed garlic and onion, along with some ketchup and molasses to give it tang and sweetness.

There's also some brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a little salt. For the smoky factor (and a little heat), canned chipotle chiles are stirred into it.

What do you serve with barbecue chicken drumsticks?

Cool and refreshing dishes like and go great with barbecue chicken! You could also go all in with classic like , , and .

1 tbsp.

canola oil

2

garlic cloves, minced

1/2

onion, finely chopped

1 c.

ketchup

1/3 c.

molasses

1/3 c.

packed light brown sugar

1/4 c.

minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/4 c.

distilled white vinegar (or slightly less to taste)

1

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tbsp.

Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt, to taste

Canola oil, for brushing

6

to 7 lb. skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 24), patted dry

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Step  1 For the barbecue sauce: In a saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, chipotles, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of salt, and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a separate bowl for serving. Step  2 For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with canola oil. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper. Divide between the baking sheets, without letting the pieces touch. Bake until the drumsticks are very tender and beginning to brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the drumsticks over and brush with about half the sauce. Return to the oven and bake until glazed, about 5 minutes. Turn the drumsticks again and brush with the remaining sauce. Bake until sticky and glazed, about 5 minutes more. Serve with the reserved sauce.

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