Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

These Traeger smoked chicken drumsticks are one of those easy dinners that don’t need a lot of fuss to turn out delicious. A simple homemade seasoning, a little time on the smoker, and a brush of BBQ sauce at the end gives you juicy, flavorful chicken with that smoky, sticky BBQ finish everyone loves.

Chicken drumsticks are one of those dinners I sometimes forget about, and then every time I make them I wonder why I don’t make them more often! They’re inexpensive, easy to prepare, and perfect when you want something the whole family will enjoy.

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I’m making these on my Traeger because I love the extra smoky flavor it gives the chicken, but don’t let that stop you if you don’t have a smoker. These drumsticks are just as delicious cooked on a regular grill or right in the oven, and I’ve included directions for all three methods below.

Finish them with your favorite BBQ sauce or leave them seasoned with the dry rub. Either way, grab a few extra napkins and let’s get these drumsticks cooking!

If you love an easy chicken dinner on the grill, be sure to try my Uncle Chuck’s Grilled Chicken, too. It’s another family favorite and one of those recipes we make again and again during grilling season.

Why You’ll Love These Traeger Chicken Drumsticks

• Easy to make. Season them, put them on the Traeger, and let the grill do most of the work.
• Smoky and juicy. Starting at 225°F gives the chicken time to pick up that delicious wood-fired flavor.
• Better chicken skin. Finishing at 400°F helps brown the outside instead of leaving you with rubbery smoked chicken skin.
• Budget friendly. Drumsticks are a great choice when you’re feeding the whole family.
• Make them your way. Finish them with BBQ sauce or leave them dry rubbed for plenty of smoky, savory flavor.

Tools I Use

Many readers ask what tools I use when testing recipes for The Recipe Bowl.

👉 See my full list of favorite kitchen tools here.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken Drumsticks

You’ll need 12 chicken drumsticks. Try to choose drumsticks that are fairly similar in size so they finish cooking around the same time.

Olive Oil

A tablespoon of olive oil gives the chicken a light coating and helps our seasoning stick.

Smoked Paprika

We’re already getting smoke from the Traeger, but smoked paprika adds great color and another layer of smoky flavor.

Garlic and Onion Powder

I use both garlic powder and onion powder. They’re simple pantry seasonings, but they’re perfect with chicken.

Brown Sugar

Just a teaspoon of brown sugar gives the rub a tiny bit of sweetness and helps with browning.

Seasonings

You’ll also need kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and chili powder. Add a little cayenne if you’d like some heat.

BBQ Sauce

The BBQ sauce is technically optional, but I love brushing some over the drumsticks right at the end. Use whatever BBQ sauce your family loves.

The Secret to Better Smoked Chicken Skin

Here’s the thing about smoking chicken: low temperatures are wonderful for adding smoke, but they’re not always wonderful for chicken skin.

That’s why we’re using two different temperatures.

We’ll start the drumsticks at 225°F so they can take on plenty of smoke. Then we’ll increase the Traeger to 400°F to finish cooking them.

That higher heat helps render the fat underneath the skin and gives us a much better exterior.

Also, don’t skip patting your chicken dry before seasoning it. Getting rid of that extra surface moisture helps too.

How to Make Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

1. Preheat the Traeger

Preheat your Traeger pellet grill to 225°F.

If your Traeger has a Super Smoke setting, you can use it during this first part of the cook.

2. Prepare the Chicken

Pat the chicken drumsticks thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Place them in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss until each drumstick has a very light coating.

3. Season the Drumsticks

In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, thyme, chili powder, and optional cayenne.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the drumsticks and toss or rub until they’re evenly coated on all sides.

4. Smoke at 225°F

Arrange the drumsticks directly on the grill grates, leaving a little room between them so the smoke and heat can circulate.

Smoke at 225°F for 30–40 minutes.

5. Turn Up the Heat

Increase the Traeger temperature to 400°F.

Continue cooking for approximately 25–35 minutes, turning the drumsticks during cooking so they brown evenly.

6. Add the BBQ Sauce

During the last 5–10 minutes, brush the drumsticks with BBQ sauce.

Give them just enough time for the sauce to heat through and get a little sticky.

Don’t sauce them too early. BBQ sauce contains sugar, and at 400°F it can begin to burn if it’s left on the grill too long.

7. Check the Temperature

Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a drumstick without touching the bone.

Chicken is considered safe at 165°F, but drumsticks are dark meat and I prefer cooking them beyond that. Around 175–185°F, the meat becomes especially tender and pulls away from the bone much more easily.

8. Rest and Serve

Remove the chicken from the Traeger and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Grab the napkins because these can get a little messy—and that’s exactly how BBQ chicken should be!

Grill and Oven Instructions

Don’t have a Traeger or smoker? No problem! You can make these chicken drumsticks on a regular gas or charcoal grill or bake them right in the oven. Use the same seasoning and BBQ sauce from the original recipe, then follow one of the methods below.

How to Make Chicken Drumsticks on the Grill

Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium heat, about 375–400°F. If possible, set up the grill with both direct and indirect heat zones.

Prepare and season the chicken drumsticks according to the recipe.

Place the drumsticks over indirect heat, close the grill, and cook for about 25–30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Move the drumsticks over direct heat and continue grilling for another 10–15 minutes, turning frequently, until they’re nicely browned and cooked through.

During the last 5–10 minutes, brush the drumsticks with BBQ sauce, turning as needed so the sauce gets hot and sticky without burning.

Check the thickest part of the drumstick with an instant-read thermometer without touching the bone. Chicken is safe at 165°F, although I prefer drumsticks around 175–185°F for more tender dark meat.

How to Make Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. For even better air circulation around the chicken, place an oven-safe wire rack on the baking sheet.

Prepare and season the drumsticks according to the recipe, then arrange them in a single layer with a little space between each one.

Bake for approximately 35–45 minutes, turning the drumsticks halfway through cooking.

Brush with BBQ sauce during the final 5–10 minutes and return them to the oven until the sauce is hot and sticky and the chicken is cooked through.

For a little extra browning, you can switch the oven to broil for 1–2 minutes at the very end. Keep a close eye on them because BBQ sauce can burn quickly under the broiler.

Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of a drumstick without touching the bone. Again, 165°F is the safe minimum, but taking dark meat closer to 175–185°F gives you wonderfully tender chicken.

No matter which method you use—the Traeger, grill, or oven—you’ll end up with an easy chicken dinner that’s perfect with your favorite BBQ sides.

Nettie’s Tips for the Best Smoked Drumsticks

Pat them dry. Don’t take the chicken straight from the package, season it, and put it on the grill. Removing the excess moisture helps the skin brown.

Don’t crowd the grill. Leave some room around the drumsticks so the smoke and hot air can circulate.

Cook by temperature, not just time. Drumsticks aren’t always the same size, so use the cooking time as a guide and your thermometer as the final answer.

Don’t stop right at 165°F. While that’s the safe minimum temperature for chicken, dark meat benefits from going higher.

Wait to add your BBQ sauce. Five to ten minutes at the end is plenty.

Variations

Spicy Smoked Drumsticks

Add extra cayenne to the dry rub and finish the chicken with a spicy BBQ sauce.

Honey BBQ Drumsticks

Mix a little honey into your favorite BBQ sauce before brushing it onto the chicken.

Dry-Rubbed Traeger Drumsticks

Skip the BBQ sauce completely. The homemade seasoning has plenty of flavor on its own.

Buffalo Smoked Drumsticks

Leave off the BBQ sauce and toss the finished chicken in Buffalo sauce just before serving.

What to Serve With Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

These are perfect summertime cookout food. I’d serve them with potato salad, macaroni salad, grilled corn, baked beans, coleslaw, or fresh corn on the cob.

And since you’ve already got the Traeger fired up, throwing a vegetable on the grill alongside the chicken makes dinner even easier.

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover smoked chicken drumsticks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

For the best texture, reheat them in a 375°F oven or air fryer until heated through. The microwave works when you’re in a hurry, but the skin will be softer.

FAQ

Why is the skin on my smoked chicken rubbery?

Chicken cooked entirely at a low smoking temperature can develop soft or rubbery skin because the heat isn’t high enough to render and brown the skin properly. That’s why these drumsticks start at 225°F for smoke flavor and finish at 400°F.

How long does it take to smoke chicken drumsticks at 225°F?

For this recipe, the drumsticks smoke at 225°F for about 30–40 minutes before the grill temperature is increased. Total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your drumsticks and your grill.

What temperature should chicken drumsticks be cooked to?

Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. However, drumsticks contain more connective tissue than chicken breasts, so taking them closer to 175–185°F generally gives you more tender dark meat.

Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Smoky, juicy chicken drumsticks seasoned with a simple homemade rub, smoked low on the Traeger, then finished over higher heat for beautifully browned skin and sticky BBQ sauce.

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