EASY SMOKED CHICKEN LEGS

Easy Smoked Chicken Legs that are moist & full of flavor, made with water, salt, onion & garlic powder and sage all in about 2 hours.

Moist & Flavorful Smoked Drumsticks

When I began smoking meat, I simply wanted easy recipes to feed my family. I love the incredible flavor a smoker adds to foods and the process of cooking meat slower also yields very tender meat, which we love! Smoked drumsticks are one of the fastest meats you can cook on the smoker, as they’re ready to eat in just a couple hours. Brining the meat adds next level flavor and yields the juiciest chicken legs you’ll ever eat!

Brined and Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Generally speaking, most people don’t cook chicken on the smoker because it’s easy to dry the meat out. However chicken drumsticks are a bit different. They’re a dark meat section of the chicken and because of the bone, they need to cook longer. I found this to be one of the easiest meats to smoke because it only took a couple hours and the results were fantastic. The meat was super moist and had a great smoke flavor that complimented the barbecue sauce perfectly. We used “Traegercue” sauce with has a lot of fruity flavors, which were great in this dish.

I opted to brine my chicken beforehand which just increases flavor and moistness. Don’t be afraid of brining! My recipe calls for just 4 incredibly simple pantry ingredients and takes just 4 hours. You can prep dinner after lunchtime and it will be fantastic!

When Your Ready to Begin Smoking the Chicken

Here’s what you’ll need to do to BEFORE you cook your chicken legs on the smoker:

1. Make sure your smoker is clean and plugged in. Scrape the cooking grates inside if needed.
2. Add pellets to the hopper. We use a Traeger, which is an electric pellet smoker that takes pre-made smoker pellets. You’ll need to add 4-5 cups of pellets to the smoker for it to begin heating. We use the Traeger Signature Blend of pellets, but you can also use Applewood or Hickory pellets.
3. Set your smoker to “Smoke” then once it begins smoking, set it to 275°F and let it preheat.

How Long to Smoke Chicken Legs

Chicken legs will be fully cooked in about 2 hours using this recipe. They cook for 1.5 hours at 275°F, then the remaining 30 minutes at 350°F. There are a number of factors that can affect exactly how long it will take: the current weather and temperature where you’re located, what elevation your home is at, and if your smoker is wrapped in some type of insulation.

Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F. To know when your chicken reaches the right temperature, your best tool is going to be a meat thermometer. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well! 

Storing and Reheating Chicken Legs

Leftover smoked chicken legs should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for about a week. You can eat the leftover chicken legs cold (so good!) or reheat them in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Is a Pellet Smoker Like an Oven?

When I began smoking meat I was nervous about learning how to use an pellet smoker. I soon realized that it’s is a lot like a regular oven, only it has the benefit of adding amazing smoky flavors to foods. You use a knob to set the smoker to a certain temperature, and use an internal meat thermometer to make sure the food is at the correct temp. I love smoking dinner in the summertime because I don’t have to turn on the oven and heat up the house!

Note that using a regular oven does apply more consistent heat to foods, so they cook faster. Cooking foods with a pellet smoker takes longer.

More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try:

Once you’ve mastered these smoked chicken legs, you’ll want to keep that chicken dinner streak going! Our Best Homemade Chicken Strips are golden, crispy and better than any drive-through, and our McDonald’s Copycat Chicken Nuggets are always a guaranteed hit with the kids. Our Easy Fried Chicken Recipe Without Buttermilk is another crispy favorite that comes together with ingredients you already have on hand!

If you love a hands-off dinner, our Easy Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken is sweet, savory and practically makes itself in the slow cooker — perfect for busy weeknights. Our Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Soup is another slow cooker favorite that is creamy, hearty and pure comfort food. And our Zesty Italian Chicken is packed with bold flavor and so simple to throw together!

For something fresh and easy, our Chicken Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck staple, our 5 Minute Chicken Salad is perfect for a quick lunch, and the Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip is a fan favorite that disappears fast at any gathering. And if you’re looking for something fun to throw on the grill, our BBQ Chicken Bacon Pineapple Kabobs never disappoint!