Do you want to know how some pitmasters get their chicken quarters so incredibly juicy, with that crispy skin that’s practically a flavor force field? We get it. The days of dry chicken are over. As humble as chicken is, it’s simply mouthwatering when done right. And I’ve realized something: mastering chicken quarters isn’t just about recipes. It’s about understanding the fire, smoke, and poultry anatomy.
Table of Contents
We’ve grilled everything from quail to snake, but chicken? That’s my crucible. And this recipe stands as a testament to that and is one of our favorite go to recipes. Each bite of smoky, succulent chicken is juicy enough to make your guests forget BBQ sauce exists (but, yeah, we still like to offer it).
🍗 What Are Chicken Leg Quarters
A whole chicken can be butchered in various ways, but one of the more economical cuts is the chicken leg quarter. These often go on sale for cheaper than any other cut, and when they do, I stock up and load my freezer.
A chicken leg quarter is the chicken leg with the thigh still attached. It has two main bones in it – one in the leg and one in the chicken thigh, and it’s the dark meat of the chicken. With plenty of fat and skin to crisp up, chicken quarters are good eating.
📋 What You’ll Need
- Chicken leg quarters – these are meaty chicken portions of the thigh and the leg (drum) that tend to be cheaper at the grocery store. We love cooking them because they take well to smoking, grilling, or oven baking and have tons of flavor.
- Olive oil
- Berbere – This is a spice blend with plenty of flavors that we’re using as a dry rub.
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika – Adds extra smoky flavor.
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Girl Carnivore Chick Fest – Or your favorite all-purpose chicken rub.
🔥 How to make the Best Smoked Chicken Quarters
Pat the chicken dry and cut away any excess skin or fat. Rub the chicken with the oil.
Combine the spices in a small bowl, then liberally coat both sides of the chicken leg quarters with the spice rub.
Preheat your pellet smoker to 250-275 degrees F and close the lid, letting the smoker come to temp.
Arrange the seasoned chicken quarters on the grill grates. Smoke the chicken skin-side up for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until it reaches 180-190F with a digital meat thermometer.
Remove the chicken from the grill and turn the heat up to a higher temperature to sear on your smoker, or 450 degrees F.
Return the chicken to the grill skin side down. Sear the chicken for 5-10 minutes or for crispy skin, rotating it as needed to avoid any charring.
Remove the chicken from the smoker, making sure the internal temperature of the meat is 185-195F, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Girl Carnivore Pro Tips:
- Pellet smokers always have a lighter smoke flavor, but to amp up the authentic wood smoke flavor on this chicken leg quarters recipe or any recipe, you can add a smoker box with your favorite type of wood chips. Or stick a couple of wood chunks in the back, hotter corners of the grill. Both of these help to produce that extra smoke flavor you may want.
- The trick to juicy chicken on any grill is nailing that internal temperature. Make sure you use a digital meat thermometer. Because chicken legs are dark meat, we love to take them to 175 for the best bites. Make sure you insert the probe into the thickest part of the thigh meat, without touching the bone, for the most accurate results.
- Chicken is great for so many flavor profiles. You can dress these thighs up with our chicken marinade. Go global with a traditional barbecue spice rub or try a Latin twist with earthy cumin ancho blend and a hit of lime or keep it fresh with a simple Mediterranean spice blend and a squeeze of fresh lemon when serving.
🥗 What goes with Smoked Chicken Quarters?
Anything goes! Make your favorite fries, whip up a side dish of fresh and leafy salad, or go carb-happy with tasty eats like Smoked Potato Salad or Corn Salad. When in season, we love grilling spring onions to serve with these for dinner. And for dessert, an old school butter pound cake hits the spot!
Sauce or No Sauce?
These Smoked Chicken Quarters are well-seasoned with a fabulous rub, but whether you sauce them or not is up to you. Grab your favorite barbecue sauce or choose something deliciously different, like Alabama White Sauce. This tangy sauce pairs so nicely with this Smoked Chicken Quarters recipe!
Storage
Store any leftover chicken leg quarters in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can use your leftover chicken in all your favorite recipes, including Smoked Chicken Nachos, Chicken Mac and Cheese, and bbq chicken mac and cheese.
MORE DELICIOUS SMOKED CHICKEN RECIPES
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Half Chickens
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Cornish Hens
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
Smoked Chicken Quarters
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Chicken leg quarters
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp berbere
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp Chili powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Girl Carnivore Chick Fest
Instructions
Prep the Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry and trim as needed to remove excess skin or fat.5 lbs Chicken leg quarters
- Rub the chicken with the oil.2 tbsp oil
- Whisk the spices together in a bowl.2 tbsp berbere, 1 tsp Garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp Chili powder, ½ tsp Salt, 1 tsp Girl Carnivore Chick Fest
- Liberally coat both sides of the chicken leg quarters with the spice blend.
Smoke the Chicken Quarters
- Temp your Traeger or pellet smoker for 250-275 F.
- Arrange the chicken on the grill grates.
- Grill chicken skin side up and the lid closed.
- After 1 hour, check the chicken for a temp of 180 to 190 F.
Sear the Chicken
- Remove chicken from grill, set aside.
- Increase heat for sear, around 400 to 450 degrees.
- Sear chicken to crisp the skin 5 to 10 minutes, rotating as needed.
Rest And Serve
- Allow the smoked chicken quarters to rest before serving 5 minutes.
- Serve hot
Notes
- This recipe was made on a Traeger pellet smoker but could be made on any type of smoker: electric smoker, charcoal, or gas grill.
- If using gas or charcoal, set your heat up for indirect heat and grill the chicken legs on the cooler side of the grill until you’re ready to sear them at the end.
- Because chicken legs are begging to be smoked, they are perfect for any flavor variation. We love classing it up with unexpected global twists but also use our favorite BBQ blend or Latin-inspired cumin lime rubs, depending on how we’re feeling. Get inspired and use this recipe as a basic guide for any flavor profile you’re craving.
- Because chicken is mild, stick to mild smoking woods like apple, pecan, or maple.
- We recommend Jack Daniel’s Charcoal Pellets for any pellet smoker with a smoker tube or box filled with wood chips for the best flavor.
Nutrition
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❓FAQs
How many smoked chicken leg quarters per person is a good question. I usually count on one per person, but heavier eaters may want more.
Smoking chicken leg quarters should take about an 1 to 1 1/2 hours but always cook to temp and not time. Use a good digital meat thermometer to ensure they’re fully cooked, and don’t forget to sear the quarters to crisp the skin. Resting time should also be accounted for when planning your meal.
Yes! If you love chicken and flavor and smoke, then you will love these. They’re meaty and juicy, and you can totally channel your inner caveman and rip into the meat with your hands. They are one of my favorite cuts for value and flavor!
Berbere is a chili-forward spice blend from North Africa, specifically Ethiopia and Eritrea. It’s not overwhelmingly spicy though, and I find the complex blend of coriander, garlic, ginger, and other earthy spices a great alternative to traditional barbecue blends when you want to mix it up.
If you don’t have a berbere spice blend, a traditional bbq chicken seasoning mix works just as well. My choice always being GirlsCanGrill Chicken Rub.
You can. It’s always an added step for any chicken recipe and we’re particular to a buttermilk brine. Skip this step if marinating but feel free if you have buttermilk to toss them in overnight before grilling. Dry the legs off with paper towels before seasoning them per the recipe.
When using our pellet smoker we’re partial to Jack Daniel’s Charcoal Pellets and a smoker box filled with pecan or fruit woods. Check out our indepth guide to the best wood for smoking chicken.
I will have to try these on my ninja outdoor Woodfire grill. Love smoking with that machine.
How do you like the woodfire grill? we’re in the early review stages of it now.
Why are you smoking until the chicken reaches such a high temp? Poultry is done at 165 and cooking longer will just dry it out.
You are correct, according to the USDA chicken is safe to consume at an internal temperature of 165F. However, I happen to really like how tender and amazing dark meat gets taken from 175 to 195. Feel free to pull your chicken off the smoker at 165 if that is your desired internal temp. Cheers,