Getting crispy chicken skin on a pellet grill isn’t as hard as you think. I love smoking chicken as much as the next person but there is nothing worse than biting into a piece with rubbery skin.
If you’ve tried to smoke chicken only to be disappointed with soggy, rubbery skin, then this guide is for you.
If you prepare the chicken ahead of time and know what to do while it’s cooking, you can use a pellet grill to make great smoked chicken with crispy skin.
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
Use paper towels to dry the chicken legs well the night before you smoke them. Put them in the fridge on a rack with no lids on them so air can keep moving around and dry 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.
If I cook my chicken legs at 325°F for 45 to 60 minutes, they should be 175°F on the inside and have crispy skin. Much faster than low and slow.
Partially Grill or Broil
If it’s hard for me to get my smoker above 300°F, I’ll smoke the chicken legs at 225°F to 250°F for the first 30 to 45 minutes. This imparts flavorful smoke while partially cooking.
After that, I put them on a hot grill or broiler for 10 to 15 minutes to finish cooking and make the skin crispy. 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:
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Pat chicken legs very dry. Apply baking powder.
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Generously season all over with favorite rub or spices.
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Place uncovered on rack in fridge overnight.
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Remove chicken from fridge and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
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Prepare smoker or grill for smoking at 325-350°F.
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Smoke legs for 45-60 minutes until internal temp reaches 175°F.
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If skin isn’t crispy enough, finish under broiler or on grill for 5-10 minutes.
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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:
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Pellet Smoker – Easily reaches 325-350°F. I use a Traeger.
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Electric Smoker – Many allow temperature adjustment up to 275°F or beyond.
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Kamado Grill – Can hold temps between 300-400°F for smoking.
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Kettle Grill – Indirect heat with charcoal reaches 350-375°F.
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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:
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Not drying out the skin beforehand
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Using too low smoker temperatures
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Over-smoking with heavy smoke flavor
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Lack of searing/crisping at the end
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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:
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Grill Direct – Gets a nice sear. Use medium-high heat.
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Oven Bake – Bake at 400°F on a wire rack for crispy skin.
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Air Fryer – Spray with oil, then air fry around 390°F for 20-25 minutes.
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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:
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Was the chicken skin thoroughly dried out before smoking?
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Did you smoke at too low of a temperature?
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Was a sear/high heat used at the end to finish crisping?
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Was the chicken over-smoked leading to an overly dark color?
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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:
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Dry out the skin completely before smoking
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Use temperatures of 325°F+ in your smoker
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Avoid heavy smoke flavor with lighter fruit woods
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Finish over direct heat if skin isn’t crispy enough
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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!
How to get the crispiest chicken skin using a pellet grill
I used chicken thighs for this guide as they are one of my favorite cuts to cook on the smoker, but the advice applies to any cut. Here’s the full recipe for my smoked chicken thighs.
Put the chicken on a wire baking rack that is raised off the ground and a baking pan on top of it. Use a paper towel to dry the chicken.
Putting the chicken on a wire rack helps keep it from sitting in its own juices while it dries out.
I like to use Kosher salt so I can see the flakes to make sure I cover each piece evenly. This also ensures I don’t over-salt the chicken.
Simply sprinkle Kosher salt all over the chicken and refrigerate it uncovered.
The salt will start drawing the moisture out from the skin and leaving it uncovered also aids in the drying process as the air circulates around it.
Allow the chicken to salt brine for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
When you take the chicken out of the fridge, use a paper towel to wipe off any extra water and salt from the skin.
Add a little drizzle of olive oil to each piece of chicken, rub it all over the skin, then sprinkle on cornstarch and your favorite seasoning or rub. I used Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic rub. From Our Shop
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Make sure you get good coverage of both the seasoning and cornstarch on the chicken skin.
Heat your pellet grill to 225°F.
Place the chicken directly on the grill. Make sure you have a bit of space between each piece.
Smoke your chicken for the first 30 minutes at 225°F. Chicken tends to take on smoke better than most proteins you only need a short time smoking to impart some flavor.
If you want crispy chicken skin the key is to turn up the heat! High heat is essential to remove moisture and tighten up the skin.
So, crank the heat up to 375°F and continue cooking your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
For dark meat like chicken thighs or wings, you can take the internal temperature to 185°F and still have juicy, tender chicken.
After you remove the chicken from the grill, let it cool down and rest for 10 minutes. The skin will firm up a tad more while it rests and you will be rewarded with crispy chicken skin on the outside and tender and juicy chicken on the inside.
What’s the key to crispy chicken skin?
The key to crispy chicken skin is removing the moisture. There are several ways you can achieve that:
- Salt brine and air dry
- Use cornstarch with your seasoning
- Smoke at high heat for part of the cook
I use all three methods to ensure crispy skin, whether I’m making wings, chicken thighs, breasts, or whole chicken. High heat is the most important part, so don’t skip that.
Smoke chicken legs on pellet grill – how to smoke chicken legs on traeger grill
FAQ
How do you keep chicken skin crispy when smoking?
TIPS: First, crank up the heat a bit and aim for temperatures between 300°F and 350°F. This will allow the fat in the skin to render and give you that delightful crispiness. Another thing to keep in mind is to skip the spritzing.
How do you get crispy skin on chicken drumsticks?
It’s best to bake chicken at a higher temperature to get crispy skin, which is what I do here with these Seasoned Crispy Chicken Drumsticks (420°F). Generally, depending on the recipe and size of the chicken, you’ll want to bake them anywhere between 375 to 425.