Fire up your smoker for the juiciest, most fall-off-the-bone tender pellet grill chicken legs you’ve ever tried. The smoky barbecue flavors penetrate to the core for an economical and practical main dish that will steal the show.

Serving up a platter loaded with pellet grill chicken legs and a side of white and honey BBQ sauce.

Not only are chicken legs one of the cheapest parts of the bird, but they’re also one of the juiciest. Plus, they’re so much more forgiving and flavorful than the breast. Don’t get me wrong; the breast has its place, too.

Sticking them in my Traeger pellet grill means I can set it and forget it while we spend quality family time together getting all the sides and sauces ready. But don’t think you have to go out and get the latest and greatest gadget because whatever smoker you have will work fine.

Drizzling juicy, tender smoked chicken legs with homemade white BBQ sauce and potato salad on the side.

How to Season Chicken Legs

Dry rubs, marinades, and seasoning blends add more flavor if you so desire. And with slow cooking them in the smoker, you don’t even need to do it ahead of time.

Salt to taste runs around ¾-1 teaspoon per pound of chicken. For better flavor penetration, mix a dry rub with just a little water and oil until you have a slatherable paste. Some elements in the spices (plus the sugar and salt) are water-soluble, while oil brings out the best in others. That technically turns it into a marinade, so if you already have a great marinade recipe, go for it.

You can also glaze the drumsticks with a BBQ, jerk, or pepper sauce while they’re smoking. As the glaze caramelizes, the flavors stick to the skin for an intense first bite that carries through to the bone.

Smoking Chicken Legs on a Pellet Grill

Clean the chicken, make the spice blend, season the chicken, and smoke it.

Recipe Notes

Cooking to temperature (175-190° or 80-88℃) works much better than calculating time alone. If you don’t have a thermometer, a fork can do the job. The juices will run clear instead of pink, and the meat will start pulling away from the bone.
Use Buffalo wing sauce, and serve the drumsticks with celery and blue cheese dipping sauce for a fantastic flavor twist.
You can do this even without a smoker. Use smoked salt instead of kosher salt, smoked paprika, or chipotle in the seasoning blend, and roast them low and slow in the oven. Bake the chicken at around 225℉ (110℃) for 1-1½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 175-190℉ (80-88℃).
The internal temperature on legs and thighs can go higher for more tender results. A breast will be overcooked at 170℉ (80℃), but not the dark meat.

Pulling a chicken leg out of the smoker for inspection.

Meal Prep and Leftover Makeovers

Make efficient use of your pellet grill by doubling or tripling the recipe. After smoking, leave the bone in or remove the meat from the bone for fast salad toppings, soups, taco fillings, etc.

They’ll last in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months in an airtight container. And you can reheat them in the oven or air fryer to get that crispy skin back.