How To Smoke Chicken Legs On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill (4 Easy Steps)

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Are you looking for a recipe for Pit Boss chicken legs? This is one of my favorite recipes, and I’ve perfected it here. These smoked chicken legs always come out super juicy and tender with crispy skin.

Unlike ordinary grilled chicken, this chicken has an excellent smoky flavor that tastes so good.

Here, I’ll teach you how to smoke chicken drumsticks on a Pitboss. It’s very simple! But we understand that the cooking and prep work may initially seem overwhelming. 

But don’t worry; we’ll be sure to answer all of your questions and more.

Smoked Chicken Legs On A Pellet Grill

Your Pit Boss can produce the tastiest smoked chicken legs you have ever tried. The best part is that it is so simple: All you need to do is pick out your favorite rub, set the smoker, and wait.

This recipe is perfect if you’re hosting a backyard BBQ or want a simple weeknight meal. Who doesn’t love a juicy chicken drumstick? This makes it ideal for adults and kids.

What You’ll Need For Smoked Chicken Legs

Here is a list of everything you’ll need for smoking chicken legs:

• Chicken Legs or Chicken Quarters.
• BBQ seasoning
• Olive Oil

How To Smoke Chicken Legs On Pitboss

1. How to Prep Chicken Legs for Smoking

Remove the chicken legs from their packaging and place them onto a clean cutting board. 

Next, grab some paper towels and pat the surface of the meat dry before you season it.

Step 2: How to Season Smoked Chicken

You can either make a dry rub for chicken at home or purchase an all-purpose chicken dry rub from the shops. Season the drumsticks with the rub.

But here’s an easy DIY rub that we recommend you try

• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Pepper
• 1 teaspoom cumin
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 1 tablespoons chilli powder
• 1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

Step 3: Smoke The Chicken Legs

Place the seasoned chicken drumsticks into your preheated smoker and smoke for 1 ½ hour. You should spritz the chicken every 30 minutes.

Flip the drumsticks halfway into the smoking session to cook both sides evenly.

Check the chicken’s internal temperature. When your meat thermometer reaches 165°F, it’s time to take it off the heat. You can also keep them until the temperature reaches 180°F

Step 4: Rest The Chicken

Remove from the grill, rest on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes, and enjoy!

What Temperature to Smoke Chicken Legs At?

You want to smoke legs at 250°F —275°F, so make sure you leave the smoker preheating. If you’re using a Pit Boss pellet smoker, leave the P-Setting at P-4. 

What Wood Goes Well With Smoked Chicken Legs?

The best types of wood for chicken are apple, cherry, and maple wood. All these types of wood provide a light flavor that doesn’t overwhelm the chicken.

See some more suggestions below.

• Applewood
• Maple wood
• Cherry wood
• Pecan
• Hickory

Should You Flip The Chicken Halfway Through The Cook?

Flip the drumsticks halfway into the smoking session to cook both sides evenly. This will also ensure that both sides of the chicken legs have crispy skin.

Should You Spritz The Chicken?

Yes, you should spritz the chicken every 30 minutes. See the types of liquids you can use to spritz chicken here.

What Internal Temperature Should Smoked Chicken Be?

When your meat thermometer reaches 165°F, the chicken is done. The cooking process should take around an hour and a half.

How Much Chicken Do You Need Per Person?

Allow half a pound of chicken per person. However, if the chicken pieces are cheaper than usual, I recommend buying more than you’ll need. 

Should You Wash Chicken Legs?

While it seems smart to wash the meat before patting your chicken legs dry, you shouldn’t. This removes most of the meat’s flavor and can also increase the bacteria count on the meat’s surface.

Since white meat must be properly cooked through before it can be eaten, you won’t have to worry about trying to get rid of any bacteria during the preparation phase. So long as the chicken achieves an internal meat temperature of 165 ℉.

This is an excellent cost-saving tip. You can always freeze the leftover chicken drumsticks and have a quick meal ready to go when you don’t have time to cook.

What Sides Go With Smoked Chicken?

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Smoked Queso
Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
Click here to see more side dishes for BBQ chicken

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Smoke On!

Charlie

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