Place chicken legs on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Lightly season with kosher salt under and over the skin. Refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours to enhance flavor and help the skin crisp during smoking.
🧠Pro Tip: Air drying helps render the fat under the skin, making it golden and crispy.
Preheat your smoker to 225°F. If you have a Super Smoke setting (like on a Traeger), activate it now. Optional: Add a small pan of water in the smoker to maintain moisture.
Still lighting with lighter fluid? It’s time to upgrade—use a chimney starter instead.
Generously rub your BBQ seasoning under and over the skin of each chicken leg. Don’t be shy with the seasoning!
Place the chicken legs on the smoker grates. Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches 100°F–110°F (about 30–45 minutes).
Increase the smoker temperature to 375°F. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 185°F (about 45 more minutes).
Why 185°F? Although chicken is safe to eat at 165°F, legs and thighs taste better and become more tender at 185°F.
Need help dialing in that perfect finish temp? Here's how to control heat on a charcoal grill.
Brush a generous layer of BBQ sauce over each leg. Flip and repeat. Let the sauce set for 10–15 minutes in the smoker before removing.
Let the smoked chicken legs rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides like coleslaw, cornbread, or smoked mac & cheese.
4 servings
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.