Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe – Perfect BBQ Pellet Grill Method

Smoked Chicken Drumsticks are incredibly delicious and juicy, featuring crispy skin, savory BBQ dry rub, and sweet BBQ sauce that creates an irresistible smoky flavor. These fall-off-the-bone tender drumsticks, with their juicy meat, will impress your guests and become the star of any barbecue gathering. Perfect for both beginners and experienced pitmasters, the smoke flavor complements the tender chicken meat.

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What Makes Smoked Drumsticks on a Pellet Grill So Good? 

Drumsticks are always the first to go at any get-together, and you can never have enough. When you serve these smoked chicken drumsticks, you’ll want to keep a few for yourself because no one can resist the crispy skin, savory BBQ rub, sweet BBQ sauce, and irresistible smoky flavor. The combination of proper air-drying, seasoning technique, and controlled smoking temperature yields the perfect balance of texture and taste.

Why You Must Try This Simple Smoked Chicken Legs Recipe

This smoked drumsticks pellet grill recipe is excellent for anyone new to smoking because it is quick, easy, and doesn’t require any expensive ingredients or complicated techniques. Smoked BBQ Drumsticks are perfect for serving hot as dinner or packed for a picnic and eaten cold.

So if you are looking for a simple smoked chicken leg recipe, look no further because you have found it!

Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients 

Main Components:

• Chicken drumsticks – Dark meat that stays juicy during smoking and provides rich, flavorful results
• Vegetable oil or extra light olive oil – Creates a tacky surface that helps the BBQ rub adhere and promotes crispy skin development

Flavor Enhancers:

• BBQ rub – Seasoning blend that creates a flavorful crust and enhances the natural chicken taste, we like to use a sweet rub
• BBQ sauce – Sweet coating that caramelizes during smoking and adds color and flavor depth, our favorite BBQ sauce is Cattlemen’s, but we also enjoy Sweet Baby Ray

Use your favorite BBQ rub and BBQ sauce for this simple recipe. Choosing a sweet BBQ sauce will give you the best color and an excellent, sugary coating. Any barbecue sauce made with brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup is a great choice.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

To prepare smoked drumsticks Traeger style:

1. Trim any excess fat from the drumsticks and place them on a wire rack over a baking tray. Please place them in the fridge to air-dry for 8 to 12 hours. 
2. When you’re ready to smoke the drumsticks, preheat your smoker to 225 to 275°F, depending on your preference. Lower temperatures will take longer to cook and taste smokier. A higher temperature shortens the cooking time and reduces the smokiness intensity. 
3. While your smoker is preheating, prepare the drumsticks. Remove them from the fridge and pat them dry with a paper towel.
4. Brush them with vegetable oil to help the BBQ rub stick. 
5. Put half of the BBQ rub into a food-safe bag that seals tightly. Add two drumsticks and shake to coat. Tap off any extra seasoning and place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking tray.
6. Repeat with two more drumsticks. 
7. Refill the bag with the remaining BBQ rub and season the remaining drumsticks. 
8. Add the wood chips to the smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
9. Place the drumsticks directly on the smoker rack and smoke until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the drumstick is 155°F. Use a meat thermometer probe or start checking with an instant-read thermometer at around 40 minutes. 
10. Apply a good coating of BBQ sauce and return the chicken to the smoker until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees F. 
11. Remove the chicken drumsticks from the smoker and allow them to cool slightly before serving.

Tips for Making Crispy Smoked Chicken Drumsticks 

Air-drying the chicken in the fridge and using a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible before brushing it with vegetable oil ensures a crispy chicken skin.

Wood Recommendations for Best Flavor

• Applewood: Perfect for smoking chicken drumsticks because it’s mild and imparts fruitiness to the meat
• Cherry: Sweet, mild smoke that adds beautiful color
• Hickory: Classic BBQ flavor with stronger smoke intensity
• Pecan: Mild, nutty flavor that complements chicken beautifully

What to Serve with Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Choose a few of your favorite barbeque or picnic side dishes to have with these Smoked BBQ Drumsticks. Basic potato salad, creamy coleslaw, or grilled corn on the cob are all fantastic options.

How To Store Leftover Smoked Chicken

Cool the leftover chicken legs and store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.

You can freeze the chicken for up to three months by placing the cooled chicken on a baking tray and popping the tray in the freezer. Once the chicken pieces are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag.

How To Best Reheat Smoked Chicken 

To reheat thawed smoked drumsticks:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Brush the chicken with some of the same BBQ sauce you used in the recipe,
3. Wrap the chicken drumsticks in aluminum foil and place them on a baking tray.
4. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. 
5. Do not store any leftover reheated chicken. 

Favorite Chicken Recipes

• Baked Chicken Parmesan
• BBQ Chicken Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Sliders
• Chicken Croquettes
• Chicken Poppyseed Casserole
• Cream Cheese Chicken
• Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Alfredo
• Ritz Cracker Chicken

Check out more of my easy chicken recipes and the best main dish recipes here on CopyKat!