Chicken leg quarters are an inexpensive treat that are absolutely delicious when smoked on a charcoal grill. Smoked chicken quarters are great for making pulled chicken sandwiches or smoked chicken salad.
Let me show you how I smoke chicken quarters on a Weber charcoal grill!
Important Tips on Smoking Chicken Leg Quarters
We are going to smoke the quarters “Low and Slow” to make pulled chicken. This means the meat needs to hit an internal temperature of about 185F so it pulls easy. This is a higher temperature than you would use for smoked bone in chicken breasts or some grilled chicken quarters where we are not trying to shred the meat.
Tip #1: Make sure you brine the quarters so they stay juicy at this high internal temperature.
Tip #2: The skin is going to have a tough, leathery texture. Don’t worry about it. The skin can be used in stock or makes a great dog treat.
The Process
Start by brining the leg quarters overnight. Here is a link to a great Basic Brine recipe.
After the chicken has brined rinse it under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Season the thigh portion of the quarters under the skin. Here is a link to a Basic Chicken Rub.
Fill a charcoal basket with unlit charcoal or simply bank some unlit coals on one side of the grill.
Place the chicken quarters on the opposite side of the grill from the charcoal.
Light one side/corner of the charcoal bed. I used a propane torch but a paraffin wax cube also works great.
Add a handful of wood chips (hickory, pecan and apple are great choices) on top of the charcoal.
Set the bottom air vents to halfway open and keep the top vent fully open.
This configuration will typically create a temperature of around 275F at the cooking grate level.
Let the chicken smoke for about two hours until an internal temperature of 185F is reached.
Remove the quarters, allow to cool and shred the meat to create a huge pile of pulled chicken!
You can use the meat for smoked chicken salad, sliders, quesadillas, chili or any of the other great leftover bbq chicken recipes on this site.
Another delicious and inexpensive dinner idea are these Chicken Legs Cooked on a Pellet Grill.
Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters {Great for Pulled Chicken!}
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken leg quarters
- Basic Brine
- All Purpose Rub
Instructions
- Brine the leg quarters for at least four hours up to overnight.
- Rinse and dry the leg quarters and season the outside and inside of the skin with All Purpose Rub.
- Set up your grill for indirect heat with hickory smoke wood.
- Smoke for two hours until an internal temperature of 185F is reached.
- Allow quarters to slightly cool and pull/shred meat away from the bones and skin.
- Save bones and skin for making smoked chicken stock.