Chicken drumsticks on pellet grill is always fun and the flavor that comes from these grills is amazing
If you have a pellet grill, then the best way to cook chicken drumsticks is on one. This is the easy way to get started, just like this recipe for chicken legs marinated in BBQ sauce.
Here you can adjust the heat of your smoker by adding more or less pellets during cooking time. The great thing about using a pellet smoker for this meal is you can set it and forget it! Once you’ve let them cook until they reach 160 degrees F internally, they’re ready to serve.
This will ensure that your food comes the proper temperature without overcooking or undercooking.
Smoking meat on a pellet grill has never been easier. We will show you how to cook these tasty little treats in just 5 easy steps!
Step 1
Wash the chicken legs with water and rub them down. Some people use barbecue sauce, but it is completely optional, you can use salt & pepper. For this you will need about ½ tsp of salt per pound of meat using kosher or sea salt. Also, you can use ½ tsp of pepper per pound.
Step 2
Place chicken leg quarters on the grilling grate fat side up, bone side down (if they are not already this way when you buy them).
Step 3
Season with your favorite rub or marinade and let it set in for an hour or two before cooking. Doing so will give your chicken that grilled around the outside but still juicy inside taste!
Step 4
Once chicken legs are seasoned, place them on the grill with chicken fat side up.
Step 5
Cook for about an hour or until internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also check to make sure chicken drumsticks are cooked through by slicing into the thickest part of one (usually in between the thigh and drumstick). If they look pink inside still cook for another 15 minutes then check again before removing from grill completely.
If you use a digital meat thermometer like we do here… leave it inserted in chicken leg quarter while cooking so that you know when your chicken is done!
Step 6
Be sure chicken leg quarters are seasoned and let sit for an hour or two. This will make them more flavorful when finished cooking! Place chicken legs on grill with chicken fat side up. Cook until they reach about 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of one (usually between thigh and drumstick).
Make sure chicken is cooked through by slicing into the thickest part of one, if it looks pink still cook another 15 minutes then check again before removing from grill completely. If you use a digital meat thermometer like we do leave it inserted while cooking so that you know when your chicken is done .
Cooking Instructions
Table of Contents
While grills can be intimidating, here are some tips for preheating the grill so you get the best cooking results.
First, take out your propane tank or turn on gas to your grill if it’s electric.
Next, check that all burners work by turning them on high heat and allowing them to warm up for five minutes before putting food on the grill. If any of the burners don’t light or stay lit when lighting them individually with a match or lighter, then you may need to replace your burner tubes.
Lastly, once all of this is done place food over direct heat until cooked through which will vary depending on what you are grilling.
Seasoning the chicken legs:
I prefer the dry spices since they don’t have a strong flavor. I can add them right before cooking and know that everything will work well together. Fresh herbs are also really good if you feel like adding something extra to your chicken legs! Seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika is essential for making sure the skin tastes delicious! Here are some other spices you can use:
-garlic powder -onion powder -oregano -parsley flakes -rosemary leaves (dried or fresh) -thyme leaves (dried or fresh).
Monitor cooking temperatures:
Perfect drumstick is easy with this guide. Follow these steps and you will be cooking like Bobby Flay in no time! When setting up your smoker, make sure to adjust the heat settings so that they are not too high or too low. The ideal temperature for drumsticks is 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you need to lower the temperature, add more wood pellets and if you need it hotter, open up the air vents on top of your unit. Next we start by adding some charcoal briquettes into our firebox at one end of our smoker (or use natural lump coal).
Once this is done, we will be able to add our wood pellets on top of the briquettes. Now, we wait for the temperature inside the smoker to reach 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit and then carefully place our drumsticks into their racks (not touching each other).
Sauce and serve:
Chicken drumsticks are not only tasty on their own but make an excellent addition to a variety of different sauces. The following will describe how to cook the chicken drumsticks, use them with different sauce recipes, and cook these sauces over the pallet grill . Once finished you’ll have some delicious chicken drumsticks ready for serving!
Sauce recipes:⇒
1. Barbecue sauce for 6 servings Ingredients for this are 3 cups ketchup , 1 cup brown sugar , ½ cup vinegar , ¼ cup lemon juice , 1 tablespoon salt , 2 table spoons cestershire sauce , 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce , ¹⁄8 teaspoon pepper .
2.Honey mustard sauce for 6 servings Ingredients for this are ½ cup honey , 2 tablespoons mustard seed , ¼ cup white vinegar , 1 tablespoon water , ½ tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon minced garlic .
3.Teriyaki chicken for 4 servings Ingredients for this are ¾ cup soy sauce , ⅓ cup water, 1 table spoon sugar , 2 cloves garlic minced, cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes so flavors can blend.
Ground black pepper is also an option if you want to be adventurous!
Once finished you’ll have some delicious chicken drumsticks ready for serving!
Chicken Drumsticks on Pellet Grill-Related Questions
How long to smoke chicken legs?
If you leave them on the grill too long, they will burn and also become tough and dry , which means they might be difficult to chew and can tear easily.
Place the raw drumsticks on a hot grill over direct heat. Close the lid and allow them to cook for/2 hour or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
What temperature to smoke chicken legs?
175 degrees F. Smoke pallet grilled chicken legs whole until they reach 175 degrees F., then remove them from the smoker. Serve immediately after removing the chicken from the smoker, there is no to let it rest or cover with foil or towel like in cooking a whole packer brisket.
How do you get crispy smoked chicken legs?
Wow there’s nothing better than crispy smoked chicken legs that haven’t been dried out from over smoking or drying out in an oven. YUM!
If you have problems with the skin not being crispy enough , Leave them in foil until they are done, then I brush on a little BBQ sauce and put them under the broiler for a few minutes until the skin crisps up. Sometimes you need a little more BBQ sauce with an extra couple of minutes under the broiler, but it works every time!
Pro Tips and Variations:
Soak chicken drumsticks in brine solution with added spices.
Choose your favorite chicken leg marinade , soak chicken drumsticks in it overnight (same as the brine) and grill on your pellet grill. I think you’ll be surprised how much better it tastes than just using salt and pepper.
To avoid flareups from dripping juices from chicken drumsticks, use a water bath pan underneath your grates . That way, any excess drippings will be contained in the pan and you can use that chicken juice for additional chicken flavor.
Conclusion
Cooking chicken drumsticks on pellet grill is always fun and the flavor that comes from these grills is amazing. I hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you want to learn more about cooking with your new favorite, Stay tuned for future posts and be sure to visit us soon!
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