This smoked chicken leg quarters recipe is by far one of the tastiest smoked chicken recipes I have ever tried. There is a lot of flavor going on here, from the rub, from the smoke, and from... pan-searing.
That's right, before smoking my chicken leg quarters, I quickly sear them on a cast iron pan. This not only adds a lot of flavor, but it also makes the skin tastier, and prevents it from becoming rubbery. We all know how chicken skin becomes tough and rubbery during smoking. The common solution is to bump the temperature up to about 325F towards the end, hoping to crisp up that chewy skin a little. That method is not effective IMHO.
The solution, like I said, is to pan-sear the chicken. That beautifully browned skin is just so tasty. With a lot of the fat rendered out, it becomes thin and crispy. By the end of smoking it will be very tender. It literally disintegrates under your fork, or fingers, whichever you prefer to use to rip apart that smoky, juicy goodness.
This recipe is a sibling of my popular Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Breast and Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters recipes. They are impossible not to love, and so are these smoked chicken leg quarters.
I now also smoke chicken breasts using this method - it works really well, I couldn't be happier with the results.
Unlike the Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, chicken leg quarters don’t have to be brined, but you can do it if you want. I don't think it's necessary as in this recipe the chicken gets plenty of flavor from the rub and the smoke, and dark meat generally stays moist and juicy without the help of brining. If you do brine, make sure to eliminate, or go very light on the salt in the rub.
My chicken rub is very basic: salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and some cayenne pepper. I also like adding Ancho chile powder for its sweet and smoky flavor slightly reminiscent of raisins. Feel free to vary the seasoning mix in this recipe and use what you like. Creole and Cajun spice mixes work great too. Just make sure to use powdered herbs instead of flakes, those tend to dry out and burn during searing and/or smoking.
To give the chicken even more flavor, sear it in butter instead of cooking oil. This will result in richer flavor and darker color.
I smoke my chicken leg quarters to about 185F - 190F internal temperature. Dark chicken meat cooked to 165F tastes under-cooked to me. At 185F, chicken legs and thighs become fall-off-the-bone tender, while still brimming with juices.
Looking for more great chicken leg quarters recipes? Check these out:
Don't forget to check out my new smoked chicken halves recipe. Crispy-skinned, juicy, and smoky, served with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinegar sauce, it was an instant hit.
Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients
- 6 chicken leg quarters
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp Ancho chile powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional, adjust the amount to taste
- 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil for rubbing
- 1/2 cup cooking oil for frying; or butter
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 275F at the grate level.
- Rub the chicken with oil and evenly sprinkle the seasonings on both sides of each leg quarter. Get some seasonings under the skin. Pat down to make the seasonings stick.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1/2 cup of cooking oil, or butter, over medium-high heat. In two batches, sear the chicken quarters, about 2 minutes per side or until the skin is golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken to the smoker, skin side up.
- Smoke at 275F for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 185F to 190F.
- Remove the chicken from the smoker, let rest for 3 minutes and serve with your favorite side dish.
Nutrition
Fred says
Looks great getting ready to eat! Used thighs
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Enjoy!
Diane Martin says
Very good recipe! The only thing I did different was use my own rub recipe.
Do you have your own smoked brisket recipe? If so, would love to try it as well
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Here is one of my favorite brisket recipes, it's really good.
Cindy says
Thanks for this recipe! It was the first thing I've smoked ever and they came out great! I didn't have the Ancho chili powder so I used smoked paprika instead. We were impatient so we took them out at 183. So good!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Glad you liked them. I'd also highly recommend trying my smoked jalapeno poppers as your next smoked goodie. They are different from other jalapeno poppers but I can guarantee you, you will love them.
KJ says
I will try it tomorrow. Also to crisp the skin, I leave the chicken on a tray in the frig uncovered overnight. That removes some moisture from the skin and makes it more crispy.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck! Enjoy!
Billy Mack says
I'm getting ready to try this recipe right now. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck! Do let me know and share some pics.
Johnny says
Seared in oil after rubbing with salt, pepper, and Cavender's Greek seasoning; 275 in electric smoker with hickory chips for two hours, basting with my favorite BBQ sauce one an hour, then let it run to 190F internal temperature (ended up going for another 30-35 minutes)... skin was PERFECT - super flavorful, fragile...thin and delicious. Chicken quarters were tender, fall-off-the-bone, and very juicy (which was my main concern with smoking for such a long time). Absolutely will use this recipe going forward. Kudos! 😀
GTW says
Made these with my own flair and WOW! We rarely eat dark meat from chicken or turkey but got a deal on the quarters. I marinated for 24 hours in olive oil, white wine vinegar and spices. Removed from fridge forn1 hour. Homemade rub under skin and on top. Seared for about 2 minutes in cast iron pan. Smoked at 225 for 3 plus hours. Pulled when temp hit 185. OMG it was good! I usually change things up with recipes and used yours as my base and 100% best chicken to ever come off my smoker!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Sounds delicious. Happy smoking!
Tammie says
I've made this twice now with addition of a few spices. Old Hickory and cumin Absolutely delicious. So tender and juicy
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear it, Tammie. Enjoy!
KrumpletownKid says
Interesting tip. Just be sure to not to scorch the skin. Two minutes is a long time in hot oil, so if the oil/butter is hot, pay attention. My second batch was perfect, and I'll definitely sear the quarters from here on out. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Glad you liked this.
John says
The chicken tasted really good, so will be making it again. thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Garry says
Best smoked chicken quarters that I've ever made!
Orlando Garcia says
I just tried this for the first time and it was magnificent. My wife is not a big fan of chicken with the bone in and she ate every bite said was a 10 rating, my 4 year old daughter also really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend, and definitely my go to going forward
BB says
Wow! Yum! Excellent recipe and a nice twist to sear them in the cast iron skillet first!
Evan says
quickly seared then smoked the chicken quarters on our Weber grill yesterday. They were was delicious and the skin was perfectly tasty. Thanks for the great recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome!
Lilian says
Thanks. The chicken quarters turned out great and the skin was very good. Will be making again next weekend.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. Happy smoking!
Kramer says
Looks great. Thanks for sharing this. I have slow smoked chicken and am usually turned off by the skin, so I usually crisp it up on the back end. Your method looks solid though.