Kid-approved and packed full of flavor. These smoked chicken legs are infused with a delicious smoky flavor to make juicy, tender meat on the inside and a nice, crispy flavorful skin on the outside.

Chicken is the go-to meat for us when I’m out of venison. It’s versatile, I have the means to grow our own chickens for meat, and even if I don’t it’s still fairly inexpensive at the store.

Some of our favorite chicken recipes use whole chicken, like my famous Amish chicken and noodles. But I also love making fried chicken, chicken wings, and just about anything else I can come up with with this versatile meat.

Smoked chicken drumsticks are my favorite way to use up chicken legs. It’s a great option to cook chicken legs, and inexpensive way to make a delicious meal any night of the week. In just a couple of hours, you’ll have a yummy main dish to put on the table.

So, fire up that smoker, and let’s get started!

Smoked Chicken Legs Rub

While the sky is the limit here, and there are plenty of spice rub products available for purchase, my family loves my homemade sweet rub for these smoked chicken drumsticks. It only takes a couple of minutes and a few simple ingredients to make.

This chicken rub is a sweet rub with a touch of spicy kick, but not overwhelming. My kids love it and it results in a really good, crisp flavorful skin. The nice thing about it is, that you can change it up to your liking if you make your own versus buying a premade rub.

To make this simple dry rub, you’ll just need brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika. Smoked paprika if you have it, as it adds a really good smoky flavor. If not, sweet paprika will work just fine.

How Long to Smoke Chicken Legs

The cooking time to smoke chicken drumsticks at 225°F will vary depending on the size of each drumstick. However, it will take approximately 90 minutes. The best way to know if the meat is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer placed in the largest drumstick at the thickest part, without touching the bone.

While most poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, dark meat such as chicken legs and chicken thighs are better when cooked to an internal temperature of 170°F. So, smoke the legs to 165°F, then you’ll turn up the heat to finish cooking them. This gives the perfect, delicious smoky flavor and crispy skin that everyone will love.

How to Get Crispy Skin on Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

I love crunchy skin on chicken. That’s the best part! The easiest way to get nice, juicy meat inside and crispy outside is to smoke the chicken drumsticks low and slow at 225°F until they reach a temperature of 165°F and then crank up the heat to 450°F to finish cooking them at a higher temperature until the internal temperature of the chicken legs reaches 170°F.

I will turn them periodically while they’re cooking at the higher temp until the skin looks nice and crispy before I pull them off the Traeger.

Best Wood for Smoked Chicken Legs

Since hickory or applewood is generally in my hopper, I use those. However, any sweet wood will give it a nice smoke flavor without overpowering the chicken.

Just about any fruit wood like applewood, cherry wood, maple, or pecan give the chicken a really nice flavor. We have applewood pellets and hickory pellets always on hand to make smoked venison jerky so that’s usually my two go-to’s. However, pecan is a popular choice and an excellent pair with chicken, so keep that in mind.

Tips for Smoked Chicken Legs

• Soak up excess moisture before adding the dry rub with a paper towel.
• Let the chicken warm up a bit after removing it from the refrigerator before you put on the dry rub.
• Use a great dry rub to increase the flavor and add a little bit of juiciness to the meat itself. Once it’s on the meat, allow it to sit for a few minutes before putting it on the smoker. I usually put the rub on, start the Traeger and let it preheat while the chicken sits.
• Sear your chicken at the end to get a nice, crispy chicken skin on the outside. If you skip this step and simply smoke to 165°F the outside will not be crispy. Still good, though.
• Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking as well as allow the juices in the meat to redistribute. This gives you the best flavor.
• You can absolutely finish these off with your favorite bbq sauce while searing. I like them as is, but bbq is great, too.

How to Smoke Chicken Legs

This is a really simple recipe, you can find the exact measurements and condensed instructions in the recipe card below.

Prepare the chicken drumsticks and dry rub

Pull the legs out of the refrigerator for a few minutes while you mix up the dry rub.

Combine brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, chicken seasoning blend, and paprika in a small bowl and set to the side.

Using a paper towel, pat the chicken legs dry and then add a generous amount of dry rub to the legs, gently massaging it into the skin so it will stick. Set them to the side, at room temperature for the next step.

Preheat the smoker.

Turn on the Traeger pellet grill, or another smoker, and preheat it to a temperature of 225°F. Allow the chicken legs to sit with the dry rub on them at room temperature while the smoker preheats.

Cook the chicken legs.

Once the pellet smoker is preheated, place the chicken legs directly on the smoker rack and close the lid. Smoke them for approximately 90 minutes, at 225°F or until the thickest part of the drumstick reads 165°F on a meat thermometer.

Sear the chicken legs.

Once the chicken legs are cooked, crank up to high heat of about 450°F. I usually leave the legs on the grill grates and wait on them to reach temp. Once the smoker reaches 450°F, start turning the legs every two minutes or so until the skin is crispy.

Pull them off the smoker and allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes to redistribute the juices before serving.

What to serve with smoked chicken drumsticks

• Baked French Fries With Seasoning
• Southern Style Green Beans
• Sautéed Vegetables in Brown Butter
• Simple Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Storing and Reheating Leftover Chicken Legs

In the unlikely event you have leftover drumsticks, they can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.

When you’re ready to reheat the chicken, a great way to reheat it is in the smoker. Sear the chicken legs over high heat on the smoker for 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can also warm them in an oven or countertop oven on high heat (450°F to 500°F) for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through.

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