Traeger Smoked Chicken Legs with Chimchurri
These juicy Traeger smoked chicken legs with fresh chimichurri are a hit! Crispy, smoked chicken drumsticks served with a fresh and zesty chimichurri garnish.
Servings: 5
Calories: 634kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 Wire Rack & Baking Sheet
- 1 Sharp Knife
Ingredients
Chicken Legs
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon favorite poultry rub
Chimichurri
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1 jalapeno de-seeded
- 1/2 small red onion
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil more to taste
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Clean the chicken drumsticks and pat dry with a paper towel. Set on a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the fridge uncovered for 2 hours. This will help dry the skin for crispiness.
- Prepare the chimichurri. Wash and dry the cilantro and parsley, then finely chop the herbs by hand with a knife (I do not recommend the food processor). Place chopped herbs in a small mixing bowl.
- Finely dice the jalapeno pepper and the red onion into very small pieces. Mince the garlic cloves and add all the vegetables to the bowl of herbs.
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and store in the refrigerator until it's serving time.
- A little more than an hour before you're ready to eat, preheat your Traeger or other pellet grill to 180 degrees F.
- Remove chicken legs from the fridge and place on a cutting board or large platter. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the chicken legs and rub in evenly. Sprinkle the poultry rub seasoning over the legs and rub it in.
- Put a meat thermometer in your thickest drumstick. Place the chicken legs directly on the Traeger grill grates. Cook at 180F for 30 minutes.
- Increase the heat on the grill to 350F. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 175F.
- Serve the chicken legs with a generous portion of chimichurri.
Video
Notes
Store leftover chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken legs reheat best in the air fryer for about 10 minutes at 350. The skin crisps right back up!
The chimichurri will last in a covered, refrigerated container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 794IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 5mg
