Smoked Chicken Legs with Bourbon Red Pepper Glaze

Sweet, spicy, and smoky, these meaty Smoked Chicken Legs with Bourbon Red Pepper Glaze are a crowd-pleasing dish that’s so easy to make on your pellet smoker! With a glaze that’s finger-lickingly delish, this smoked chicken leg recipe is a keeper!

Who doesn’t love chicken legs? This is a flavor-packed recipe with a double whammy: not only are the legs smoked until tender and delish, but the glaze adds even MORE flavor. Made from red pepper jelly, sweet bourbon, and an added kick of spice, you will be hard-pressed to find more flavorful chicken legs.

And, when you make these chicken legs on your smoker, they’re easy! You don’t have to worry about the glaze burning, and by cooking the meat low-and-slow, you’re infusing it with a kiss of smoke that is the perfect combination with the glaze.

Ingredients

• Chicken legs – 2-3 pounds should do it. I used XX legs.
• Olive oil – Use regular olive oil, not extra virgin. Extra virgin can taste bitter at high roasting heat.
• Rosemary – Dried or fresh rosemary both work. If using fresh, strip the leaves from the stems. Dried rosemary goes a long way—measure carefully.
• Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice only; bottled won’t give the same bright flavor.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves; skip jarlic for the best flavor.
• Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
• Red pepper jelly – You can find this with the jams and jellies in your grocery store.
• Bourbon – If you can drink it, you can cook with it!
• Sriracha – Just a wee bit does the trick!

You’ll Also Need

• Traeger pellet grill/smoker – or another smoker that can hold a consistent temperature.
• Pellets – This is a quick smoke, so a blend is fine.
• Chicken leg rack – This is a handy gizmo that holds the chicken legs upright so that the smoke can circulate, and with a drip pan, there’s less mess, too.

How To Make Smoked Chicken Legs with Bourbon Red Pepper Glaze

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Preheat your smoker to 225°F so it is fully heated before adding the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk until the mixture is well blended.

Add the chicken legs to a large bowl or zip-top bag and toss them with the olive oil mixture until thoroughly coated. Let any excess marinade cling to the chicken for extra flavor while smoking.

Arrange the chicken legs in a chicken leg rack, or place them directly onto the smoker grates if you do not have a rack. A chicken leg rack helps the legs cook more evenly and allows the smoke to circulate around the entire piece.

Smoke the chicken legs for about 1 hour, or until they reach an internal temperature of about 155°F. Use a digital meat thermometer to check the thickest part near the bone for accuracy.

While the chicken smokes, melt the red pepper jelly in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it just until melted, then stir in the bourbon and Sriracha until smooth.

Once the chicken legs reach 155°F, remove them from the rack and toss them in the glaze until evenly coated. Silicone-tipped tongs work especially well for turning and glazing without tearing the skin.

Increase the smoker temperature to 375°F. Return the glazed chicken legs to the rack and place the rack back into the smoker.

Continue smoking until the chicken legs reach 165°F internally and the glaze becomes sticky and caramelized.

Reheat the remaining glaze in the microwave until it comes to a boil, about 30 seconds, then serve it alongside the chicken legs for dipping or extra brushing.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• The bourbon doesn’t really add much in the way of alcohol to this recipe. You can omit it if you like.
• Adjust the spiciness of the glaze by adding more Sriracha if you like it spicy.
• Save the extra glaze for dipping – but you’ll need to heat it through first if you dunked the mostly cooked chicken legs into it.
• Alternatively, brush the glaze onto the legs – but adding the glaze to a large bowl and then tossing the chicken to coat is much faster and easier.
• A chicken leg rack makes smoking chicken legs so easy, but it’s not necessary.
• To get the skin on the chicken legs crispy, you need heat. Either turn your Traeger up to 375-400F or pop the legs under the broiler but watch the glaze doesn’t burn.

Make It A Meal

Frequently Asked Questions