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Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Smoking Chicken Legs

Smoking Chicken Legs

by Frank Campanella 4 Comments

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These smoked chicken legs are juicy, tender, and practically fall off the bone. They are perfect for smoking on the pellet grill if you need to feed a crowd.

picking up a smoked drumstick seasoned with dry rub and bbq sauce
Quick Jumps
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • How Long to Smoke Chicken Legs
  • Ingredients
  • Cooking Instructions
  • Best Seasonings for Smoked Chicken Legs
  • Pellet Grill Chicken Legs Tips
  • Helpful cooking equipment
  • How to Store
  • FAQs
  • More Recipes You Will Love

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Chicken legs are an underrated tailgate food, but they are also so good for many occasions, from graduation parties to backyard cookouts.

Smoked Chicken legs are one of the most affordable meats you can serve at a cookout, along with Smoked Pork Loin. I can pick up a value pack of chicken drumsticks for around ten bucks from my local grocery store.

Looking for more tailgate recipes? Check out Best Tailgate Recipes ( Over 50 Recipes)!

smoked chicken drumsticks in a basket lined with brown parchment paper

How Long to Smoke Chicken Legs

Most people that don't like dark meat say its because of the texture. It can be chewy and les tender. That's why I treat drumsticks and thighs completely different than chicken breast.

I’m cooking these smoked chicken legs on a pellet grill, but this recipe will work on any grill or smoker. The key is to get the internal temp of the chicken legs up to Between 185-195 degrees F.

That may sound like a higher temperature than you’d think, but that is because there is bone and dark meat needs a higher internal temperature become tender.White meat chicken only needs to be cooked to 165 degrees F because there is less fat and connective tissue.

If you do it like this, I promise it will be tender and juicy with crispy skin. For an even faster and crispier method, try my Butterflied Chicken Legs Recipe.

dipping smoked chicken legs in ranch dressing

Ingredients

  • Meat/Protein: This recipe calls for about ten chicken legs. If you want to serve more people, double or triple the recipe as needed.
  • Avocado Oil: This is a great high temp neutral oil
  • BBQ dry rub: You can purchase your favorite rub or create your own blend
  • baking powder This is the secret Ingredient that will help dry out the skin so it gets crispy when you cook it.
  • cooking spray: This will help the chicken stay moist and crispy

For exact amounts, see the recipe card down below.

steps for dry brining chicken legs using baking powder and dry rub

Cooking Instructions

  1. Prep the chicken. Remove chicken legs from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the legs on all sides, then place them on a half-sheet pan with a drying rack. Let them sit uncovered overnight or for at least a few hours.
  2. Preheat the grill. Preheat the pellet grill to 300 degrees F.
  3. Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and then toss it with the avocado oil. Season the chicken a second time lightly and place it on the pellet grill close to the heat source.
  4. Cook. Cook the chicken on a hot grill for about 90 minutes, spraying it with cooking spray every 30 minutes.
  5. Add your Favorite BBQ Sauce (optional). Once they reach an internal temperature between 185 and 190 degrees F, you can brush them with sauce or serve them dry.
  6. Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
steps for smoking chicken legs including using a meat thermometer and smoking legs on a pellet grill

Best Seasonings for Smoked Chicken Legs

You can season your Chicken Legs however you like, but here are just a few seasoning blends and dry rubs that I love and keep on hand, especially for chicken recipes.

  • Jerk Seasoning
  • Cajun Seasoning
  • Dan O’s (Low Sodium)
  • Lemon Pepper
  • BBQ Dry Rub
  • Togarashi
  • Tandoori
smoked chicken legs on a pan with a basting brush and bbq sauce

Pellet Grill Chicken Legs Tips

Oven/Air Fryer: If you don’t want to cook these chicken legs outside, roast them in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees F. for about 30-40 minutes until they reach an internal temp of 185 degrees F for maximum tenderness.

Season: Before cooking, I pat the chicken legs dry, season them and place them on a half sheet pan with a dry rack so the skin can tighten up overnight.

Brine: I prefer the dry brine method, seasoning the chicken legs the night before and leaving them uncovered in the fridge.

chicken drumsticks smoked on a pellet grill with bbq dry rub

Chicken Lollipops: If you want to show off and make drumstick lollipops, I have a step-by-step post on how to trim and cook them.

Seasoning. Looking to hit your wings with some additional seasoning? Consider using your favorite spice or sweet rub, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, or cayenne pepper.

smoked chicken legs dipped in ranch

Helpful cooking equipment

  • Wood Pellets: I use a blend of hardwoods like hickory or oak and fruitwoods like cherry or apple. You can play with the mixture until you're happy with the flavor.
  • Grills and Smokers. Whether using pellet grills, electric smokers, or a gas or charcoal grill, you will want to pull it out and dust it off for this recipe.
  • Meat Thermometer. When grilling and smoking, internal temperature matters. I recommend using a digital meat thermometer.
  • Tongs. A nice pair of grilling tongs will come in handy when it is time to turn your smoked chicken drumsticks on the smoker and when it is time to remove them. 
  • Basting Brush. A nice basting brush will be useful if you add an extra layer of flavor to your smoked chicken legs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
metal basket lined with deli paper filled with bbq chicken legs

How to Store

Once the smoked chicken legs have cooled to room temperature, place them in an airtight resealable container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you have more than you can eat in that time, you can freeze the drumsticks in a sealed bag for up to 4 months. If the legs do get freezer burned, you can always use them to make a fantastic smoked chicken stock.

Reheat: The best method is to use the air fryer or an oven set to 350 Degrees F and cook for about 15-20 minutes until warm.

closeup of a chicken leg with crispy skin and seasonings

FAQs

Why do you cook Chicken Legs to an internal temperature of 185 degrees F?

I cook all dark meat chicken and turkey to 185 degrees F. It comes out more tender, and because of the higher fat content, it will stay juicy. Trust me on this one.

Are Chicken Legs and Drumsticks the same thing?

Yes, It’s the same cut of chicken, just marketed or labeled differently depending on the region.

Can I make this Recipe with Chicken Leg Quarters?

Sure, leg quarters are just the leg and thigh of the chicken still connected. You can cut them apart and smoke them separately or leave the leg quarter whole. Depending on the size, cooking time may take 10-15 extra minutes.

What is dry brining?

You may not be familiar with the term dry brining, but it has become a popular method of preparing meat for cooking. You probably know that a wet brine is generally a mixture of salt and water. Well, with dry brining, you use the juices inside the meat. Season the meat with your favorite flavors or rubs; make sure it also includes salt, and you will be dry bringing like a pro!

Why dry brine?

Because the result is juicier, more flavorful food, and the process is much easier and less messy than wet brining. You don’t have to find a container to brine in and somewhere to store it in the fridge. Instead, you complete the brining process on a baking sheet!

Smoked chicken drumsticks on a sheet pan

Don’t forget to pin this recipe and share it with a friend who loves smoked chicken

More Recipes You Will Love

  • Pellet Grill Butterflied Chicken Legs
  • Smoked Bacon Wrapped Leg of Lamb
  • Best Whole Smoked Chicken
  • Southern Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs
  • Chicken Leg Lollipop
    metal basket lined with deli paper filled with bbq chicken legs
    Print Pin

    Smoking Chicken Legs

    These smoked chicken legs are juicy, tender, and practically fall off the bone. They are perfect for smoking on the pellet grill if you need to feed a crowd.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine BBQ
    Keyword Chicken Legs, Pellet Grill
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Servings 10
    Calories 247kcal

    Equipment

    • Pellet Grill or Charcoal Grill

    Ingredients

    • 5 lbs Chicken Legs About 10 legs
    • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
    • 2 tbsp BBQ Dry Rub
    • Cooking Spray

    Instructions

    • Remove chicken legs from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the legs on all sides and then place on a half sheet pan with a drying rack. Let them sit uncover overnight or at least for a few hours.
    • Preheat the pellet grill to 300 degrees F.
    • Pat the chicken dry and then toss with avocado oil, season the chicken a second time lightly and place on the pellet grill close to the heat source.
    • Cook the chicken for about 90 minutes spraying every 30 minutes with cooking spray
    • Once you reach an internal temp between 185-190 degrees you can brush them with a sauce or serve them dry.

    Notes

    Serving Size 1 drumstick
    For best results dry brine the night before.
    Reheat in the air fryer or oven at 400 degrees f. for 8-10 minutes until chicken legs are 160 degrees f.
    Store in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 month in a sealed container

    Nutrition

    Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
    smoked chicken legs with dry rub seasoning

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane

      October 31, 2023 at 2:30 am

      The meat came out so juicy. The rub was great

      Reply
      • Frank Campanella

        November 02, 2023 at 3:44 pm

        Fantastic!! love to hear that!! thank you

        Reply
    2. Dan Cohen

      February 04, 2025 at 3:02 am

      Can you fry them after they are smoked?

      Reply
      • Frank Campanella

        February 17, 2025 at 6:44 pm

        yes, I actually love doing that especially with chicken wings. 350 for about 3-4 minutes until crispy then add sauce

        Reply

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