Chicken leg quarters are flavored with a dry rub marinade and then smoked to perfection in an electric smoker
Prep Time
4 hrs
Dificult
Medium
Servings
6 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
Instructions
Combine salt
garlic powder
red pepper flakes
black pepper
and cayenne pepper in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add chicken; toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.
Three hours before cooking
set an electric smoker to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Keep the top vent closed.
When ready to cook
place 1 chicken leg quarter on each of the four wire racks. Place racks into the smoker; add water to the water pan. Add two loads soaked wood chips according to the manufacturer's instructions and open vent.
Smoke chicken until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear
about 2 1/2 hours
adding more wood chips after each hour of cooking. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Tips
Instead of marinating the chicken in the dry rub
you can use a store-bought or homemade brine (with water
apple juice
salt
and sugar)
or even an Italian dressing. If you use brine or dressing
don't marinate the chicken for longer than 8 hours or the vinegar will start to cook the meat.
You can use any wood chips you like
such as cherry or hickory. Add apple juice to the water pan if desired.
If you're removing the skin before marinating and cooking the chicken
set the smoker to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C).
Editor's Note:
Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of dry marinade ingredients. The actual amount consumed will vary.
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