My favorite way to grill is to just toss meat with salt, pepper and oil, grill to perfection and pair with a sauce. These super simple grilled drumsticks are served with a creamy yogurt ranch dipping sauce that you can double and use for veggies as a snack/appetizer. I love drumsticks because you get to eat them with your hands, but you could substitute them with any other cut of chicken or any meat!
Ingredient highlight
Whole milk yogurt! Yogurt is one of my favorite ways to get in lots of probiotics, protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. If you don’t already, I really encourage you to start buying whole milk yogurt (and all dairy products!) rather than nonfat or lowfat. Not only is the whole milk dairy more flavorful, creamy, and delicious, research also shows that it may be a lot better for you than low-fat or non-fat. Read this great article here to learn more!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or paprika (optional)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2-2 ½ lbs chicken drumsticks (about 8)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the yogurt ranch:
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried dill or parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup chopped chives, scallions, or dill (optional)
- *You could also make this using boneless skinless OR bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
- Heat up the grill on medium-high.
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt and spices. Add chicken and toss to coat. Add oil and toss again.
- Transfer drumsticks to the hot grill and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so, or until chicken is cooked through (165F).
- In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the yogurt ranch (except the fresh herbs). Taste and season with salt or anything else you think it needs more of. Top with fresh herbs (if using).
- Serve drumsticks with sauce on the side for dipping.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make yogurt ranch
- Mix together the spice mixture
- You can marinate the chicken ahead for up to 24 hours
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, make the sauce in a blender using ½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or quick boiled) + ¾ cup water. If too thick, add more water. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if needed. It’s a great dip for veggies.
- To make vegan, grill up some portobello mushrooms instead of chicken. You could also serve it with baked or grilled tofu or tempeh.
- If you don’t have dried dill, go get some! But if you can’t do that, then use ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill.
- Sub chicken drumsticks for chicken thighs.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken drumsticks: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Yogurt ranch: up to 5 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Use this ranch dip for veggies.
- Thin out the ranch dip with water and use it as a salad dressing.
- Eat leftover chicken with caesar salad or add to salads/bowls
- Warm up the chicken in the microwave until warmed through.
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