Smoked Chicken Quarters with Savory Dry Rub

These Perfect Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters are tender and and flavorful, smoked until juicy with a simple homemade dry rub. An optional wet brine is included in this recipe! 

What’s your favorite cut of chicken? We all have different favorites in my house. My son loves drumsticks, I love skin-on chicken breast and my husband is all about the dark meat; backs and thighs! Recently, I brought home a huge tray of chicken quarters.

They were on MEGA sale! My husband was thrilled because chicken leg quarters have drumsticks, thighs and a piece of the chicken back. All of his favorite cuts! We put our heads together for this smoked chicken quarters recipe.

Amazing!!! I made these for my family of 12 and smoked them all by myself! Usually my husband does the smoking, but I gave it a whirl, and EVERYONE ranted and raved about how delicious these were! I did brine them for a few hours, which was super easy and worth the extra effort. Thank you for sharing such an easy, DELICIOUS recipe! My oldest boys also have smokers and told me this was the best chicken they’ve had!” 

-Afton D.

This smoked chicken quarters recipe yields tender, juicy chicken with a well-seasoned skin. When it comes to smoking chicken quarters, I believe in “keeping it simple!”

Cooking chicken in the smoker gives it so much flavor. Your job is just to make sure you enhance that flavor, and cook it to the right temperature. No need to over complicate it! No matter what type of smoker you have (pellet smoker, electric smoker, charcoal smoker), this recipe will work as long as you can maintain the temperature!

I do hear from folks that worry that their chicken recipe will end up “too smoky.” If you’re interested in a less smoky flavor, there are a few ways you can do that! Try using less wood chips or pellets, or consider tenting the chicken with aluminum foil for some or all of the smoke time.

The Best Type of Wood Chips for Smoked Chicken 

For smoked chicken, I like to using a lighter flavored fruit wood like apple wood or cherry fruit wood. You could also consider using pecan wood. 

However, the best wood chips to use are the ones you have on hand! You can always tent the chicken with aluminum foil for a lighter smoke flavor.

Smoked Chicken Quarters Brine

Please note that I did NOT brine the chicken for this recipe. I tend to only do wet brine on pieces of meat that have low fat content, like turkey breasts. But, doing a quick brine never hurts, if you have the time!

If you’d like to brine your chicken quarters, I’d recommend using the following brine solution for up to 5 pounds of cut chicken pieces. 

• 8 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup salt 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil 

Add salt, sugar, soy sauce and oil to the slightly warmed water. Stir vigorously to dissolve, then pour over chicken pieces. Store in refrigerator for a minimum of one hour, up to overnight if time allows.

How long to smoke chicken quarters

The length of time needed to smoke chicken quarters will vary depending on the temperature of your smoker and how large your chicken pieces are. Since those items vary, here are two suggestions:

• At 225 degrees Fahrenheit, you can expect to smoke your chicken quarters for about 2.5 to 3 hours.
• At 275-300 degrees Fahrenheit, you can expect to smoke your chicken quarters for 1.5-2 hours.

We like to smoke our meat at higher temperatures if it has skin, as this often renders a crispier, less rubbery skin. 

Most importantly, your chicken will be done when you hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the leg. 

No matter what anybody tells you, these are the facts! 🙂 

How to get crispy skin on smoked chicken

The ONLY way to get crispy skin on smoked chicken is to finish it on the grill or under the broiler. You simply need higher heat than you can generate with your smoker.

If you would like to have crispy skin, pull the chicken off 5 degrees early and cook it skin side down over high heat for 2-3 minutes. This is also a great time to slather on your favorite BBQ sauce! Again, you can do this with your grill or under your oven broiler.

Serving Suggestions:

If you need a side dish to serve with your juicy, delicious chicken thighs, might I recommend The Creamiest Smoked Mac and Cheese, Smoked Hasselback Potatoes or Smoked Corn on the Cob!

If you’d like a homemade barbecue sauce, my Easy Apricot BBQ Sauce is perfect with chicken!

If you need a side dish to serve with your juicy, delicious chicken thighs, might I recommend:

• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Grilled Corn On the Cob in Foil
• Kale, Mango and Quinoa Salad with Cashews