Smoked Drumsticks

Pellet Grilled Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe. These BBQ Smoked Chicken Legs are sweet and sticky. 

For these smoked chicken legs I blended Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce and Frank’s Sweet Chili Sauce to make this sweet and sticky BBQ sauce. These drumsticks are smoked on a Pellet Grill for just over an hour. We make this recipe on our Traeger Smoker. Sweet, sticky, and juicy smoked chicken drumsticks (legs).

Ingredients for Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Here are the ingredients for our Smoked Drumsticks recipe.

• Chicken Drumsticks
• BBQ Chicken Rub (We use a local Illinois brand called Nick’s Special Seasoning.  We love it so much we order it in bulk and put it on everything.)
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
• Frank’s Sweet Chili Sauce

With these ingredients, you can swap out for different rubs or bbq sauces.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

I make these Smoked Drumsticks on a Traeger Pellet Grill. 

• First, prep the chicken legs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken with BBQ chicken rub. Set your pellet grill to 180 F. and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. 
• Next, place chicken drumsticks on the grill. Close the lid and smoke for 30 minutes turning the drumsticks halfway through the cooking time. 
• In a saucepan over medium heat stir together BBQ Sauce and Sweet Chili Sauce. Remove from heat and set aside. 
• Brush on the BBQ sauce mixture and then increase the grill temperature to 350 F. Cook for 40 minutes.
• Halfway through the cooking time turn the drumsticks and brush on more of the BBQ sauce mixture. 
• Temp smoked drumsticks. Continue to cook until internal temp reaches 165 F. Then serve! 

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip brushing extra sauce onto the smoked chicken legs when you turn them. The extra sauce keeps the smoked chicken drumsticks moist. 

What to Serve with BBQ Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Make it a meal with some tasty sides.

• Cilantro Coleslaw – A sweet coleslaw that gets refreshed with fresh cilantro.
• Potato Salad is a backyard bbq staple.
• Or try Grilled Potatoes.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Drumsticks

Store leftover chicken drumsticks in an airtight container in your refrigerator. They are good for 3 to 4 days. 

Smoked Drumsticks Variations

Keep the cooking method the same just swap out flavors. 

• Swap out different flavors of BBQ Sauce.
• Use different types of marinades.
• Try different BBQ rubs. 

Smoked Drumsticks Recipe