Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe
Smoked chicken leg quarters done right: low and slow at 225°F for the smoke, finished hot at 400°F for skin you can actually bite through. Two hours of mostly-hands-off cook time and a pantry-staple rub that builds real bark.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 343kcal
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked hot paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the pellet smoker to 225°F per the manufacturer's directions.
- Pat the chicken leg quarters dry with paper towels on all sides.
- Combine the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and smoked hot paprika in a small bowl.
- Season the chicken generously on all sides, pressing the rub into the skin.
- Place the chicken skin-side up directly on the smoker grates, leaving space between each piece.
- Smoke for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the internal temperature in the thickest part reaches 160°F.
- Increase the smoker temperature to 400°F for the last 10 to 15 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Take the chill off the chicken before it goes on the smoker. Let the leg quarters sit on the counter for 30 minutes so they smoke evenly instead of going from fridge-cold to 225°F in one shot.
- For deeper bark and drier skin, salt and rub the chicken the night before and leave it uncovered on a rack in the fridge. The open-air time is what separates crispy from chewy.
- Pull at 160°F, not 165°F. The chicken climbs another 15°F to 20°F during the 400°F skin-crisp finish, which lands you in the 175°F to 180°F sweet spot for dark meat.
- If your smoker runs cool (some Pit Boss and entry-level Traegers do), expect closer to the 2-hour mark at 225°F. Always go by internal temperature, not the clock.
- Don't skip the rest. Five minutes lets the juices redistribute. Cut in immediately and you'll lose them to the cutting board.
- Doubling the recipe? Two layers of leg quarters on a single grate will steam the bottom layer. Either spread across two racks or smoke in two batches.
Nutrition
Serving: 1leg quarter | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1859mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg