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+ servings
chicken legs made on a pit boss pellet grill on a wooden cutting board

Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Legs

Our Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Legs are first dry brined and seasoned overnight to get the most flavor and crispiest skin possible.
Then we smoke these chicken drumsticks at medium indirect heat on the Pit Boss pellet grill and finish them with our favorite bbq sauce glaze for chicken.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Dry Brine Time 8 hours
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Smoked
Servings 4 people
Calories 750 kcal

Equipment

  • Pit Boss Pellet Grill
  • Wood Pellets preferably a fruitwood like apple or cherry; or oak
  • Large Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
  • Paper Towels
  • Instant Read Thermometer
  • Basting brush
  • Aluminum Foil Tray

Ingredients
  

  • 12 Chicken Drumsticks
  • 4 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 tablespoon Three Little Pigs BBQ Rub or your favorite BBQ rub for chicken or our "In a Pinch" Recipe Below
  • ¼ Cup Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce
  • ¼ Cup Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ Sauce

"In a Pinch" BBQ Rub

  • 2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • ½ tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
  • ½ tablespoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Remove the chicken drumsticks from their packaging and rinse under cold running water. Pay dry with paper towels.
    12 Chicken Drumsticks

Dry Brine Overnight

  • Place the chicken legs on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet.
    raw chicken legs on a wire rack
  • Mix together the 4 tablespoon Kosher salt and 1 tablespoon pepper, or use your favorite BBQ rub, and sprinkle generously over all sides of each chicken drumstick. DO NOT use cooking oil to adhere or skin will not get crispy.
    4 tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper
    seasoning raw chicken legs before smoking on a pit boss
  • Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
    seasoned chicken legs for smoking

Remove the Next Day

  • Take the chicken legs out of the refrigerator and wipe off any excess salt still remaining on the outside with a damp paper towel.
  • Mix the "In a Pinch" BBQ rub ingredients together and apply some to all sides of the chicken thighs. Or use some more of your favorite BBQ rub for chicken.
    2 tablespoon Three Little Pigs BBQ Rub, 2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Paprika, 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, ½ tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper, ½ tablespoon Chili Powder, ½ tablespoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional

Start the Pit Boss

  • Add your chosen pellets to the hopper, start the Pit Boss pellet grill and put it on the "Smoke" setting.
    pouring pellets into a pit boss pellet grill hopper
  • Once the Pit boss begins to produce thick white smoke, let it run for about 5-7 minutes until the smoke turns more of a clearish blue color. This means the fire rod has fully heated up to burn the pellets more cleanly.
    the white start up smoke on a pit boss
  • Set the temperature on the control panel to 300° and clean the grill grates with a good grill brush and close the lid.

Smoke the Drumsticks

  • Place the chicken legs on the Pit Boss. You can flip and rotate for even cooking as needed. You can even leave them on the wire rack if you wish.
    smoking chicken legs on a pit boss pellet grill
  • Mix the two types of Blues Hog BBQ sauce together in a small bowl, and set aside
    ¼ Cup Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce, ¼ Cup Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ Sauce
    blues hog bbq sauce in a bowl
  • Continue smoking the chicken legs, until the internal temperature reaches about 160°F internally. This may take 1 to 1.5 hours.
    chicken legs smoking on a pit boss pellet grill
  • Once the skin on the chicken legs is crispy, gently baste the sauce on with a basting brush. Close the lid and continue cooking.
    basting sauce on pit boss smoked chicken legs
  • Once the internal temperature of the smoked chicken drumsticks reaches 175°F, remove them from the Pit Boss and place on a serving tray
    smoked chicken legs on a pit boss pellet grill with barbecue sauce
  • Serve immediately with extra sauce if desired.
    pit boss smoked chicken legs

Nutrition

Calories: 750kcal
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