How to Get Crispy Smoked Chicken Legs

Getting crispy smoked chicken legs can be a bit tricky, but with some key tips, you can achieve that perfect balance of smoky flavor and crispy skin. As someone who loves smoking meat, I’ve had my fair share of trials and errors when it comes to poultry, but over time I’ve honed my technique. In this article, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about getting crispy smoked chicken legs.

Why Getting Crispy Skin is Difficult

The challenge with getting crispy skin on smoked chicken legs stems from the low and slow smoking process. While temperatures of 225-250°F are ideal for melting collagen and producing tender, juicy meat, they aren’t hot enough to crisp up the skin. Long smoking times at these low temps leads to soft, rubbery, and leathery skin.

Additionally, chicken skin has a high fat content. Fat renders and crisps up best at higher temperatures above 300°F. So when smoking chicken legs for over an hour at 225°F, you end up extracting fat without crisping the skin.

Key Tips for Crispy Skin

Through plenty of trial and error, I’ve found a few key techniques that help get crispy smoked chicken legs off my smoker

Dry Out the Skin

The night before smoking, pat the chicken legs very dry with paper towels. Place them uncovered on a rack in the fridge so air can continue circulating and drying out the skin. Drier skin means less moisture to evaporate while cooking.

You can also use baking powder, which raises the pH and helps dry out the skin. Just sprinkle a light coating over the chicken legs before applying any rub. The baking powder gets absorbed but doesn’t impact flavor.

Use Higher Temperatures

As mentioned earlier, you need temperatures above 300°F to properly crisp chicken skin when smoking. I aim for at least 325°F in my smoker, though you can go even higher to 350-375°F. Just monitor closely near the end to avoid burning.

At 325°F, my chicken legs take about 45-60 minutes to reach the ideal internal temp of 175°F with crispy skin. Much faster than low and slow.

Partially Grill or Broil

If I’m struggling to get my smoker above 300°F, I’ll smoke the chicken legs for the first 30-45 minutes at a lower temp (225-250°F). This imparts flavorful smoke while partially cooking.

I then transfer them to a hot grill or broiler for 10-15 minutes to finish off and crisp up the skin. The key is getting a sear at the end.

Brine Beforehand

While brining isn’t mandatory, I find it helps keep the meat extra moist and flavorful, preventing it from drying out at higher smoking temps. I’ll brine chicken legs for a few hours before applying any rub.

Step-By-Step Process

Here’s a quick rundown of my full process for getting perfectly crispy smoked chicken legs:

1. Pat chicken legs very dry. Apply baking powder.

2. Generously season all over with favorite rub or spices.

3. Place uncovered on rack in fridge overnight.

4. Remove chicken from fridge and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.

5. Prepare smoker or grill for smoking at 325-350°F.

6. Smoke legs for 45-60 minutes until internal temp reaches 175°F.

7. If skin isn’t crispy enough, finish under broiler or on grill for 5-10 minutes.

8. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Helpful Equipment

Having the right smoker or grill setup makes getting crispy smoked chicken legs much easier. Here are some of my top equipment recommendations:

• Pellet Smoker – Easily reaches 325-350°F. I use a Traeger.

• Electric Smoker – Many allow temperature adjustment up to 275°F or beyond.

• Kamado Grill – Can hold temps between 300-400°F for smoking.

• Kettle Grill – Indirect heat with charcoal reaches 350-375°F.

• Gas Grill – Simple for smoking and searing chicken after.

Wood Choices

The main flavor should come from your rub and seasonings, not overwhelming smoke. I suggest lighter fruit woods like apple, cherry, or pecan which compliment chicken nicely. Stay away from heavy smoke like hickory or mesquite.

Use wood chunks rather than chips. Chips produce more smoke which you don’t need much of.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes I see people make when smoking chicken legs that prevent crispy skin:

• Not drying out the skin beforehand

• Using too low smoker temperatures

• Over-smoking with heavy smoke flavor

• Lack of searing/crisping at the end

• Pulling too early before the skin properly crisps

Alternative Methods

While my method focuses on smoking, you can also get crispy chicken legs with these techniques:

• Grill Direct – Gets a nice sear. Use medium-high heat.

• Oven Bake – Bake at 400°F on a wire rack for crispy skin.

• Air Fryer – Spray with oil, then air fry around 390°F for 20-25 minutes.

• Deep Fry – Submerged in 350°F oil really crisps up the skin.

Troubleshooting

If you’re still struggling with soft skin, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Was the chicken skin thoroughly dried out before smoking?

• Did you smoke at too low of a temperature?

• Was a sear/high heat used at the end to finish crisping?

• Was the chicken over-smoked leading to an overly dark color?

• Was the chicken pulled before the skin fully crisped and set?

Final Tips for Success

Follow these tips and you’ll be biting into tender, juicy smoked chicken legs with deliciously crispy skin:

• Dry out the skin completely before smoking

• Use temperatures of 325°F+ in your smoker

• Avoid heavy smoke flavor with lighter fruit woods

• Finish over direct heat if skin isn’t crispy enough

• Let chicken rest before serving for skin to set

Crispy smoked chicken legs are absolutely worth the effort. Once you nail down the technique, you’ll have people begging for your secret. Enjoy the process of perfecting your smoked chicken legs. The tasty rewards are so satisfying!