Description
This chicken legs and thighs recipe offers the perfect balance of smokey, juicy, and crispy, and is the ideal addition to any summer meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 3 pc chicken legs with skin on, bone-in
- 3 pc chicken thighs with skin on, bone-in
- 2 pc oranges juiced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbsp butter
BBQ Spice Rub
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp paprika mild
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp Aleppo chili or 1/2 tsp standard ground chili
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
BBQ Dip
- 1 cup BBQ sauce use your favorite brand
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine BBQ spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and rub the mixture all over them, but don’t salt them. Keep the chicken skin on.
- Take the orange and squeeze the juice out of it. Combine with soy sauce and pour the marinade over the chicken legs.
- Cover the container and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours and ideally overnight.
- Preheat the pellet grill to 300°F and add your preferred wood chunks. Allow the smoker to preheat for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and season them with salt.
- Place chicken directly on the grill grates and top each with a dollop of butter.
- Close the smoker’s lid and let them smoke at 300°F for about 30 minutes.
- After this time, take them out of the smoker and wrap them up in aluminum foil (the same way you’d wrap a brisket).
- Place the chicken back in the smoker and cook for another 90 minutes at the same temperature – or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Mix bbq sauce and vinegar and bring them to a simmer in a pot.
- Unwrap the chicken pieces, smother them in the barbecue sauce mixture and place them back on the grill for another 10-15 minutes until the outside is crispy.
- Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy these delicious chicken drumsticks and thighs next to your favorite side dish!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Rest Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 leg (with skin)
- Calories: 220kcal
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 1730mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 37mg