Smoked Chicken Legs

4.75 from 4 votes
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Smoked Chicken Legs – A deliciously easy way to cook chicken drumsticks! They are a little smoky, full of flavor from a quick spice rub, and tangy from your favorite barbecue sauce.

Chicken is probably the most used protein in our house, if not most households in the US. But sometimes you really need to mix it up, because it can get boring. These Smoked Chicken Legs are anything but boring!

And the real bonus is you can get chicken drumsticks on sale for super cheap almost every other week. So stock up, have them in your freezer, and you can get this dinner on the table in no time!

chicken drumsticks on a cutting board

 

We all know that I love using the smoker to make different recipes. It adds so much flavor with almost no work. I invested in a pellet smoker last summer, and I will never go back! It is so easy to just turn it on, and let it go all day long!

This smoked chicken leg recipe could not be easier. I used the Best Dry Rub to season the chicken, but you could really use any spice blend you like. My Grilled Chicken Legs that have an Asian style sauce are so good on the smoker as well. Just follow the cooking instructions below with those spices and sauce for another over the top way to mix things up.

chicken legs on the smoker

What You’ll Need

  • Chicken Legs
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Barbecue Sauce
  • Spice Rub

There is a recipe below in the recipe card for a homemade spice rub. It just uses everyday spices you probably have on hand already. But if you have spice blend you have and like, feel free to use it! Anything to give the chicken flavor and give it that smoky flavor.

How To Smoke Chicken Legs

  1. The first step is to rub chicken legs with a little bit of oil to coat. This helps the skin not dry out and become leathery as it cooks on the smoker.
  2. Next sprinkle with your spice rub and make sure all of the chicken is well coated.
  3. Place the chicken directly on the smoker, set to 250º F and cook for about 2 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.
  4. Once the chicken is up to temperature, brush with your favorite barbecue sauce and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
brushing chicken legs with barbecue sauce

How Long To Smoke Chicken Legs

It takes about 2 hours to smoke chicken legs at 250º F. The best way to know when meat is done is to use a good quality thermometer. You want the chicken to reach 165º F and then brush barbecue sauce on the chicken.

I use the Thermapen Mk4 to check the temperature of the meat throughout the cooking process. It is the most accurate thermometer I have found and have been using it for years!

smoked chicken legs on a cutting board

Smoked chicken drumsticks are a great way to add flavor to your chicken and make it anything but boring! And the best part is it takes about 2 hours. So many recipes on the smoker take all day, and this is you can actually make on a weeknight.

Plus you can play with the flavors and really mix is up. This is a fool-proof method and you can go for an Asian twist, make them spicy, or use a sweet rub and sauce….whatever your favorite flavor profile is, this method will make them delicious.

What Goes With Smoked Chicken Legs

close up of chicken drumsticks

More Smoking Recipes

close up chicken legs on a cutting board
4.75 from 4 votes

Smoked Chicken Legs

By Erin
Smoked Chicken Legs – A deliciously easy way to cook chicken drumsticks! They are a little smoky, full of flavor from a quick spice rub, and tangy from your favorite barbecue sauce.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

Spice Rib Recipe

Instructions 

  • Preheat smoker to 250º F
  • Rub oil evenly over chicken legs until they are well coated.
  • Sprinkle the spice rub evenly over the drumsticks and make sure all of the chicken is well coated.
  • Place the chicken directly on the smoker and cook for about 2 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.
  • Once the chicken is up to temperature, brush with your favorite barbecue sauce and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
  • Remove and serve immediately.

Notes

Store leftover spice rub mixture in an air tight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 1066mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 380
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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About Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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5 Comments

  1. Yasss Chicken! No one could ever go wrong with chicken. Thank you for sharing this! I am excited to give this a try!

  2. These smoked chicken legs sound so delicious and very tasty for dinner tonight! I even have some in the freezer and I can’t wait to make these! So excited!