Smoked chicken drumsticks are one of my go-to smoker recipes when I want something quick, easy, and tasty. These smoked chicken legs require only *three* ingredients and you just pop them on the smoker until they're done.
The key to getting these drumsticks right is cooking them past 165F, crisping up the skin, and then serving them with Alabama White Sauce.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Chicken Drumsticks — I picked up some drumsticks at my local grocery store. It came in a 5-pack and in total weighed 1.5 pounds
- Olive Oil Spray — to get the seasoning to stick to the chicken. Feel free to use any kind of cooking spray or oil
- BBQ Rub — use your favorite seasoning. I used the Honey Garlic rub from Fire & Smoke Society
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
1. Prepare the Chicken
Start by patting the drumsticks dry, then applying a little bit of the olive oil spray on all sides.
2. Season the Chicken
Hit the drumsticks with a good dusting of your BBQ rub.
3. (Optional) Arrange the Chicken on a Rack
If you have one of these cool little racks, hang your drumsticks like the picture above. If not, just add them right on your smoker grates.
4. Smoke the Chicken
Smoke the chicken at 275F until the internal temperature of the drumsticks hits about 190F. For me, this took about 2 and a half hours.
5. Sear the Chicken
To get a crispy skin on the drumsticks, either hit them with a sear gun for one minute per side, or throw them on a hot grill or griddle for a few minutes, until the skin is dark and nice and crispy.
6. Rest & Serve
Let the drumsticks cool for a few minutes, and then dig in. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce or my Alabama White Sauce.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
These drumsticks pair nicely with my smoked mac & cheese and smoked baked beans with bacon.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Cook to 190F. Unlike with smoked chicken breast, you can cook these legs past 165F. I recommend going to 190F—the chicken is still moist at this point, but much more tender and fall off the bone.
- Crisp up the skin. Nobody likes soggy skin on their chicken. You *need* to find a way to crisp it up. Either with a sear gun, or just toss them on your ripping-hot grill for a few minutes each side until they're nice and charred.
- Sauce them up. Pair these with my Alabama White Sauce or Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce.
Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp BBQ rub
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Pat drumsticks dry and coat lightly with olive oil spray.
- Generously season with BBQ rub.
- Arrange drumsticks on a vertical rack and place them in the smoker.
- Smoke until they hit an internal temperature of 190F, about 2.5 hours
- Crisp up the skin with a sear gun or on a hot grill for a few minutes, until the skin is charred and crispy
Notes
- Cook to 190F. Unlike with smoked chicken breast, you can cook these legs past 165F. I recommend going to 190F—the chicken is still moist at this point, but much more tender and fall off the bone.Â
- Crisp up the skin. Nobody likes soggy skin on their chicken. You *need* to find a way to crisp it up. Either with a sear gun, or just toss them on your ripping-hot grill for a few minutes each side until they're nice and charred.Â
- Sauce them up. Pair these with my Alabama White Sauce or Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce.
