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These Smoked Chicken Legs are juicy, smoky, and coated in a sweet and savory rub with a sticky BBQ glaze, all for an easy backyard cookout favorite. I made a big batch for a summer get together and they disappeared faster than anything else on the table. If you love our BBQ chicken wings, these smoked chicken legs are your next must make.
A simple homemade dry rub and low, slow smoking give these chicken legs incredible flavor and fall off the bone tenderness.
Smoked Chicken Legs Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 321kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, sweet, savory
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our BBQ chicken wings
Quick Answer
Coat chicken drumsticks in a sweet and savory dry rub, then smoke them at around 250 degrees until they reach 175 degrees internally, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Brush with BBQ sauce near the end and smoke a few more minutes to set the glaze. These smoked chicken legs come out juicy and tender.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A balanced dry rub. Brown sugar and smoked paprika give these smoked chicken legs sweet, smoky depth and a beautiful color.
- Low and slow smoking. Cooking at a low temperature renders the fat and makes the legs juicy and tender.
- Drumsticks stay moist. Dark meat is forgiving on the smoker, so it stays juicy even with a longer cook.
- BBQ glaze at the end. Adding sauce in the last few minutes sets a sticky glaze without burning the sugars.
- Cook to temperature. Taking the legs to 175 degrees gives that fall off the bone texture dark meat is known for.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are juicy, smoky, and coated in a sweet, sticky BBQ glaze.
- A simple homemade rub means big flavor with pantry spices.
- They feed a crowd and are perfect for cookouts and game day.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these smoked chicken legs so good. A simple rub and good chicken.
- Chicken Drumsticks: Dark meat that stays juicy and tender through the smoke.
- Brown and Turbinado Sugar: They sweeten the rub and help create a caramelized crust.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds color and a deep, smoky flavor to the rub.
- BBQ Sauce: Brushed on at the end for a sticky, sweet glaze.
- Garlic, Onion, and Thyme: Savory seasonings that round out the rub.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These smoked chicken legs are easy to customize.
- Spicy: Add cayenne or chipotle powder to the rub for heat.
- No smoker: Bake at 400 degrees or grill over indirect heat instead.
- Different sauce: Use Alabama white sauce, honey mustard, or your favorite BBQ.
- Extra crispy: Finish over high direct heat for a minute to crisp the skin.
- Dry only: Skip the sauce and serve them as dry rub smoked chicken legs.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Legs
- Combine the brown sugar, turbinado sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Stir the rub together until evenly blended.
- Toss the chicken drumsticks in the rub until fully coated.
- Place the drumsticks on the preheated smoker.
- Smoke until the chicken reaches 175 degrees and the skin is golden.
- Brush with BBQ sauce and smoke a few more minutes to set, then serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the chicken dry before adding the rub so it sticks and the skin crisps.
- Smoke at a steady 250 degrees for juicy, evenly cooked legs.
- Use a meat thermometer and pull them at 175 degrees for tender dark meat.
- Add the BBQ sauce late so the sugars do not burn.
- Let them rest a few minutes before serving so the juices settle.
- Use your favorite wood like hickory, apple, or cherry for different smoke flavor.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These smoked chicken legs are a backyard cookout star. Pile them on a platter with extra BBQ sauce and plenty of napkins for an easy crowd pleasing main.
They pair perfectly with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, and potato salad. A cold drink rounds out the plate.
For a bigger BBQ spread, serve them with our BBQ chicken wings or key lime chicken wings for a finger food feast.
Smoked Chicken Legs FAQs
Smoked chicken legs take about 1.5 to 2 hours at 250 degrees, depending on size. Always cook to an internal temperature of 175 degrees for the most tender dark meat.
Smoked chicken legs are best pulled at 175 degrees internal temperature. Dark meat is more tender at this slightly higher temperature than the 165 degree minimum.
Yes. You can bake these at 400 degrees or grill them over indirect heat. You will miss some smoke flavor, but the rub and BBQ glaze still make delicious chicken legs.
Hickory, apple, cherry, and pecan all work great for smoked chicken legs. Fruit woods give a milder, sweeter smoke while hickory is bolder.
Yes. Smoke them ahead, refrigerate, and reheat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. Brush on a little extra BBQ sauce when reheating.
Store leftover smoked chicken legs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They are great reheated or chopped into salads and wraps.
Love BBQ chicken? Try our slow cooker BBQ chicken wings next.
For another chicken dinner, try our Ritz cracker chicken.
Smoked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 pounds chicken drumettes
- ¾ cup bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Place the brown sugar, turbinado sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and thyme in a small bowl and stir to combine.1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the chicken legs to a large bowl.5 pounds chicken drumettes
- Add the spic rub and toss to combine so the chicken is well coated.
- Prepare the smoker to 275°F.
- Cook until the legs reach an internal temperature of about 160°f. About 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- While the legs are cooking, mix the BBQ sauce with the water in a small bowl.¾ cup bbq sauce, 2 tablespoons water
- Once the legs reach 160°F, brush them with the BBQ sauce.
- Cook for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F.
- Take off the heat and cover with foil; allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Notes
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check for doneness—170°F is the perfect time to take them off the smoker.
- Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel before adding the rub. This helps it stick better and makes crispier skin.
- Add a water pan to your smoker to help keep the chicken moist.
- Let the chicken rest under aluminum foil for at least 5 minutes before serving. This helps the juices stay in the meat.
- Use different types of wood chips like apple or hickory for fun new flavors.
- Cook over indirect heat to avoid burning the skin and to get even cooking all the way through.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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This was so much fun to make and tasted even better than it looks.