These Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks are easy to prepare and delicious. We like to keep them stocked in our fridge as a quick protein snack, or pair the smoked chicken legs with smoked potatoes and a salad for a delicious meal.
In the summer, we keep our smoker running all the time. Whether we’re making smoked pork jerky, smoked carne asada, or juicy smoked burgers, the smoke is always rising from our backyard, enticing the neighbors in.
To make these smoked chicken drumsticks, we marinate them overnight in a simple marinade of olive oil, lemon, and garlic, then smoke them in a Traeger for a few hours. Because we love lean meat, you can eat the drumsticks cold, but like pizza, chicken is delicious hot or cold.
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😍 Why you’ll love this recipe
This is a beginner smoker recipe that anyone can try. These smoked chicken legs can be made with just a few hours of smoking time. If you don’t have a smoker, you can cook the marinated chicken legs on the grill. These smoked chicken legs can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a quick low carb snack. You can also debone and chop them up and add them to a Greek cucumber salad.
🛒 What you need for this recipe
🔖 Materials and Substitutes
Chicken: This recipe calls for 14 chicken thighs, but you can easily double it if you prefer. Oil: I used olive oil for the marinade, but avocado oil is also recommended. Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is best, but you can also use bottled lemon juice. Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic, but you can also substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Spices: I only added sea salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, but you could also add paprika, onion powder, or your favorite spices. If you want your chicken to be spicy, I recommend adding 1 teaspoon of chipotle pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
🍗 How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare the marinade by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional) in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Step 2: Place the thawed drumsticks into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Prepare your Traeger or pellet grill, add your pellets of choice and preheat to 225°F. If there is an option, select Super Smoke. Once the smoker is hot, place the chicken drumsticks in a single layer on the grill grates and smoke for 1 hour.
Step 4: Increase the temperature to 275°F and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 175-180°F when checked with a probe or meat thermometer. Remove the smoked chicken thighs from the grill and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Larger drumsticks may take an additional 30 minutes.
Pro tip: For extra crispy skin, finish cooking the chicken thighs over high heat (450°F) for a few minutes on each side.
🍽 Presentation suggestions
Smoked chicken legs are delicious with chipotle smoked macaroni cheese or smoked corn. Of course, salads are also a great side dish, especially in the summer. Try the Dill Pickle Chopped Salad or a simple Middle Eastern salad.
🤷🏻♀️ Frequently asked questions about recipes
It will take just over 2 hours at 225°F to bring the internal temperature of the chicken thighs to 175-180°F.
There are a few ways to ensure crispy skin on smoked chicken. One method is to pat the chicken dry with paper towels and let it dry on a rack overnight before smoking. Another method is to sear the chicken over high heat at the end.
Using a lower temperature when smoking chicken allows it to smoke for longer, resulting in a more smoky flavor. Smoking chicken for longer also helps the chicken retain moisture.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
Cooking time depends on many factors, including the outside temperature, how many times you open the lid, and the size of the chicken thighs. The best way to gauge doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Apple, cherry, and pecan are great pellet flavor choices. Chicken skin can be air fried for crispy texture, or smoked chicken can be baked until the skin is crispy. Leftover chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
🐔 More Chicken Recipes
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📖 Recipes
Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
These Smoked Chicken Drumsticks are packed with amazing flavor: smoky, juicy, tender and easy to cook.
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rate
Number of people: 7 Serving
calorie: 336kilocalories
Device
1 pellet grill
1 meat thermometer
Instructions
Make the marinade by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional) in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Place thawed drumsticks into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Brush the marinade over the chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Prepare your Traeger or pellet grill, add your preferred pellets and preheat to 225°F. If there is an option, select Super Smoke. Once the smoker is hot, place the chicken drumsticks in a single layer on the grill grates and smoke for 1 hour.
Increase the temperature to 275°F and smoke until the internal temperature, checked with a probe or meat thermometer, reaches 175-180°F. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Larger drumsticks may take an additional 30 minutes.
Note
If you want extra crispy skin, finish by searing on high heat (450°F) for a few minutes on each side. Cooking time depends on many factors, including outside temperature, how often you open the lid, and the size of the chicken thighs. The best way to gauge doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Apple, cherry, and pecan are great choices for pellet flavors. You can also air fry for crispy skin or bake smoked chicken until the skin is crispy. Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
nutrition
Presentation: 2Drumsticks | calorie: 336kilocalories | carbohydrates: 3G | protein: 29G | fat: twenty threeG | Saturated fats: 5G | Trans Fats: 0.1G | cholesterol: 150Milligrams | sodium: 1.005Milligrams | fiber: 1G | sugar: 0.4G
