Making smoked chicken quarters is an easy way to feed your group. They take less time to cook than a full chicken and are already portioned! This recipe is gluten free and dairy free and takes almost no prep time. These smoked chicken leg quarters can pair with almost any side you want and will be a hit for the whole family!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Smoking chicken quarters takes less time than smoking a full chicken.
- Chicken quarters are pre portioned.
- The chicken quarter cut is less expensive per pound than other chicken cuts generally.
- They go with almost anything, and are low carb/keto, Whole30, paleo, gluten-free and sugar-free!
- You can shred leftovers for later use.
Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters Ingredients
To make this recipe you’ll start with six chicken leg quarters and about a tablespoon of avocado or olive oil. Just enough to lightly coat the chicken.
For seasonings you will need smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Lastly you require oregano, black pepper, celery seed, cumin, and mustard powder.
How to Smoke Chicken Quarters
Smoking chicken quarters is a really quick process, unlike many other meats that can take hours and hours on the smoker and require a lot of steps and oversight. With chicken leg quarters, you don’t need to let them marinate (unless you want to!), nor do you need to flip them or do any other steps besides placing them onto the grates!
Equipment needed:
- Pellet grill, such as a Traeger, Green Egg, Camp Chef or Pit Boss
- Wood pellets in your preferred wood/flavor. For this recipe I recommend hickory, mesquite or signature
- Meat thermometer
Start by preheating your smoker to 275 degrees F. Next, in a small bowl mix all of the spices together until they are well combined.
Pat the chicken quarters dry and then lightly coat them with your oil. Sprinkle the seasoning mix onto both sides of the chicken and pat them down so they stick. Make sure to get some of the seasoning under the skin of the quarters for best flavor.
How long to smoke chicken quarters:
Once the smoker is heated and ready to go, place the chicken onto the smoker grate, skin side up. Smoke at 275 degrees F. for about an hour and a half or until the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F.
Alternatively you can smoke at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes. Again this is until the internal temp reaches 185 degrees F. This will crisp up the skin of the chicken a little more if that’s your preference. Plus it’s a little faster.
Remove the chicken quarters from the smoker and let them rest for about 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Serving Instructions:
This versatile recipe will work super well served with any number of sides. Mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted veggies are always a good call but here are a few of my favorite dishes to pair with these smoked chicken quarters.
Perfect Side Ideas for This Recipe:
- Black Bean Couscous Salad
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Pineapple Curry Fried Rice
- Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts
- Mustard Potato Salad
Storing Instructions:
To store leftover chicken leg quarters, let them cool to room temperature and place them in an airtight container or individual meal prep containers and refrigerate. They will keep well for about 5 days. If you’re using meal prep containers try to store the chicken quarters with a heatable side dish so you can just toss it in the microwave and have a delicious full chicken meal at the ready!
Another perfect option for utilizing your leftovers is to shred the rest of the chicken quarters and place it in a meal prep container. It’s great to have shredded chicken on hand for another recipe or a salad. Use it in anything else that you would want a bit of shredded chicken for. Even better because its smoked!
Other Smoker or Grill Recipes You’ll Love!
- Mayo Marinates Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Orange Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon
- Smoked Shrimp
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
- Smoked Barbecue Wings
- Smoked Lamb Roast
- Smoked Chicken Legs (Drumsticks)
Smoked Chicken Quarters
Making smoked chicken quarters is an easy way to feed your group. They take less time to cook than a full chicken and are already portioned! This recipe is gluten free and dairy free and takes almost no prep time. These smoked chicken leg quarters can pair with almost any side you want and will be a hit for the whole family!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: chicken
- Method: smoker
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 6 chicken leg quarters
- 1 tablespoon oil, or enough to lightly coat chicken
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp celery seed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 275F
- 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.
- Transfer the chicken to the smoker, skin side up.
- Smoke at 275F for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 185F
- Remove the chicken from the smoker, let rest and serve
Notes
Alternative: Smoke on 450 degrees for 45 minutes until internal temp reaches 185 degrees F.
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jennah says
Wow these turned out perfect! Very easy. Thank you!