Ancho Chile Smoked Chicken Legs

With the great spring weather we’ve been having, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling on my Traeger grill lately. Here is a really good recipe for smoked chicken flavored with ancho chiles – my family loved it.

Ted Scheffler

May 24, 2024

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Ancho Chile Powder

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 Tbsp Ground Espresso

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Lime Zest

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

1/2 Tbsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

8 Whole Chicken Legs (Thighs And Drumsticks)

1/2 Cup of Your Favorite Smoky BBQ Sauce

Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, For Garnish

Method

In a small bowl, stir together the ancho chile powder, brown sugar, espresso, cumin, lime zest, salt, and black pepper.
Massage the chicken legs all over with the olive oil. Sprinkle the dry rub over the chicken and massage until well coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat your grill or smoker to 180 degrees F. Use cherry pellets or cherry hardwood charcoal for the best results.
Place the chicken legs directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour.
Increase the grill/smoker temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue cooking the chicken legs until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. – about 1 more hour.
Baste the chicken all over with BBQ sauce. Cook the chicken for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce sets.
Garnish the chicken legs with parsley and enjoy!

Food & Drink, Recipes, Scheff’s Table, The Dish, Utah Bites, Utah Food

Ted Scheffler

Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine, and travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, music, and reading, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers. Ted is also the author of the Utah Bites newsletter, which is published in partnership with Utah Stories. Before moving to Utah, Ted lived in New York City, and numerous states in the US, as well as in various countries overseas, Spain, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. He earned a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research.