Prep and preheat the smoker to 275-300 degrees F. Clean and oil the grates.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the package and pat dry with paper towels.
Line the chicken on a clean baking sheet or in a large bowl and season liberally with your spice blend. Toss the chicken legs to coat all sides.
Smoke the drumsticks
When the pellet smoker is holding heat and ready, place the legs on the smoker and close the lid.
Smoke the chicken for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees f with a digital meat thermometer.
When the drums are fully cooked, brush them on all sides with your favorite bbq sauce and close the lid. Let the sauce set over the smoked chicken on the smoker for 5 more minutes.
Rest and Serve
Remove the smoked chicken legs from the smoker and place drumsticks on a clean dish or serving platter.
Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, and then serve the smoked drumsticks with all of your favorite sides.
Notes
The trick to smoking chicken and getting crispy skin is temperature. Too low, and altho the juicy meat absorbs great smoky flavor, the skin gets rubbery and gross. Too hot, and the meat will cook faster, not picking up the desired flavor.Our hack for this smoked chicken drumsticks recipe is maintaining heat around 275-300 degrees. Hot enough for it to pick up some flavor while also getting the desired texture on the chicken skin.For pellet grills, we recommend Jack Daniel’s Charcoal pellets and a smoker box filled with mesquite wood chips directly on the hottest part of the grill grates for added flavor.For a gas grill: Preheat your gas grill for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Then turn off one of the three burners to create a 2-zone fire. Add wood chips in a foil packet or smoker box to smoke on your gas grill. Let the woodchips start to smoke about 7 to 10 minutes. Then, place the chicken drumsticks over the cooler side of the grill and smoke, rotating as needed to cook evenly. Check the internal temperature of the chicken legs just as instructed in the recipe card to ensure they are cooked through.For a charcoal grill For a charcoal grill, build a 2-zone fire by pouring lit charcoal to one side of the grill. Clean and oil the grill grates and add wood chips or chunks to the coals. Cover with the lid and let the smoke burn clean, and the grill reheat before adding the drums. Place the chicken legs over the cooler side of the grill and smoke as directed in the recipe card below until the chicken is cooked through. Always check the temperature of poultry with a digital meat thermometer for the most accurate results. According to the USDA, poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.