Mesquite Smoked Turkish Chicken Leg Quarters are not only moist and tender but the crispy chicken skin makes for a memorable bite! Mesquite Smoked on a gas grill, the chicken’s rub is a must-make with turmeric, cumin, garlic, cinnamon and clove in addition to the Jack Daniel’s Chicken Rub. But is there a trick to developing crispy chicken skin? Yes, read on to find out.
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It’s true, I cook with a lot of Mexican flavors but for my Mesquite Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters I wanted something different. I grabbed jars of turmeric, cinnamon and clove adding them to a typical chicken rub. And Ta-Da a new flavor blend of spices won my palate.
My Turkish Rub is really good and goes so well with Western BBQ Premium Mesquite Smoking Chips. Ya gotta give it a try for something a little different!
How To Smoke Chicken Leg Quarters
Trim the Chicken Leg Quarters:
Generally only a few leg quarters need a little shaggy fat and skin snipped off with kitchen shears. Many pieces in the package I bought were good to go.
Prepare the Turkish Rub:
In a bowl that has a lid, whisk the Turkish Rub ingredients to combine well. Place the chicken leg quarters in the bowl and flip a few times to coat. There will probably be a small amount seasoning on the bottom of the bowl. Use the extra seasoning to fill in season-less spots on the chicken.
Air Dry The Chicken Leg Quarters:
Place seasoned chicken on a rack and allow it to sit in the refrigerator from 2 hours to overnight. I let my seasoned chicken leg quarters sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 hours then transferred to counter for an hour.
The chicken can sit on the counter for up to an hour.
Prepare the Smoker Box:
Fill a smoker box with 2 cups Western Mesquite BBQ Smoking Chips, and securely position over the hottest part of the grill. Close the grill’s lid.
Prepare the Gas Grill:
The chicken smokes on a gas grill at 275°F indirect heat. For my grill, I turn all 3 burners on high until the smoker box begins to smoke then I turn 2 burners off and keep one at medium-low to achieve 275°F.
It is suggested to add a drip pan under the chicken however my chicken did not drop very much juice due to the baking powder seasoning.
Smoke the Chicken Leg Quarters:
Brush the grill with oil. Arrange the chicken leg quarters over indirect heat, and smoke for 45-60 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh is 155°F. Remove the chicken from the grill when increasing the heat.
Crisp the Leg Quarters:
Bring the grill temperature to 400°F to 425°F direct heat. Return the chicken leg quarters to the grates, and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, flipping over as needed to avoid burning.
Remove the chicken leg quarters from the grill once the internal temperature registers 175°F-189°F.
Note: I use the grill’s upper rack to protect the chicken from over charring, as needed. If your grill does not have an upper rack transfer to indirect heat until the ideal internal temperature has been achieved.
Serve the Chicken Leg Quarters:
Serve the chicken with grilled or roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
What’s In The Spice Blend?
Granulated Garlic: I use fresh garlic when making vinaigrette, flavored oils, and chimichurri however granulated garlic is in every seasoning rub I whipped together. I do not use garlic powder because it is a bit more intense. Garlic has a pungent flavor that is just so needed in BBQ rubs and sauces.
Onion Powder: I was made a believer in onion powder when one of my friend’s kept winning recipe contests with her savory dishes that all contained onion powder! And as you have experienced onion and garlic are made for each other.
Smoked Paprika: Just like garlic and onion powder most of the spice blends I make have smoked paprika. In this case smoked paprika brings depth of flavor to the chicken leg quarters and eye-catching color.
Turmeric: Turkish cooking many times includes the rich color and flavor of turmeric. It has a distinct flavor that is often added to curry due to the peppery flavor. I like it cuz it adds an earthy taste along with a boost of nutrition.
Cinnamon and Clove: You might not think about adding cinnamon and clove to you grill spice blends but give it a try. Cinnamon adds depth and a spicy-sweet kick to a rub. Clove is very strong so a pinch or two is all you will want. Clove delivers a warm spiciness with a touch of bitterness. I encourage you to not be afraid of adding cinnamon or clove to your spice blends.
What are Chicken Leg Quarters?
Chicken leg quarters includes a chicken drumstick and a thigh that is attached. What I love about a chicken leg quarter versus a drumstick is that the size allows for added time smoking. That smoke means more smoke and tenderness. By the way, chicken hindquarters is another term that is used for chicken leg quarters.
Are Chicken Leg Quarters Dark or White Meat?
Chicken Leg Quarters are considered dark meat that’s why they are super tender, juicy, and flavorful. As you know, a chicken breast is white meat however what you may not know is that a chicken wing is considered white meat too! Chicken Breasts and wings definitely love Western BBQ Smoking Chips.
Tastiest Western BBQ Smoking Chips for Chicken?
For the most any bag of Western Premium Smoking Chips will do. Each smoking chip has a specific scent of flavor and sometimes color that it adds to the chicken.
Mesquite Smoking Chips: In this cook, I chose mesquite smoking chips for the tangy rich flavor it would add to the warm spices in the Turkish Rub. Some would say mesquite would be too strong for chicken but I have not found this true.
Apple Smoking Chips: Apple Smoking Chips would be a perfect choice for Smoked Turkish Chicken. The apple smoking chips bring a sweet smoky note to grilled proteins. Apple Smoking Chips can be mixed with Mesquite Smoking Chips if you want to tone done the flavor of Mesquite.
Post Oak Smoking Chips: Recently I’ve been totally in to using post oak smoking chips on beef, pork and chicken because of the subtle smoke. For me, there is not a distinct flavor of oak just
Cherry Smoking Chips: Cherry Smoking Chips loves chicken and pork. It’s always great to have a bag or two in your BBQ bin! Cherry BBQ smoking chips produce a mild smoke with a tangy, fruity flavor. In the case of today’s recipe, the fruitiness add another dimension to the warm Turkish spices.
My Favorite Western BBQ Smoked Chicken Recipes
Pecan Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
Mesquite Smoked Rotisserrie Chicken
In conclusion, smoking chicken leg quarters makes for a fun and smoky-delish dish for your family or a party! By adding baking powder to the Turkish Rub crispy chicken can be achieved! In addition, adding mesquite smoke or any other Western BBQ smoking chips to your gas grill while grilling chicken will elevate the depth of flavor and a distinct smoky flavor.
Recipe
Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters
Mesquite Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters with a collection of warm Turkish spices such as tumeric, cinnamon, clove, garlic, and Jack Daniel's chicken rub. And to aid in crispy skin baking powder is mixed into the spice blend. Smoked low for flavor and tenderness then kissed with high heat for that crispy skin that we all love.
Ingredients
- EQUIPMENT
- Gas Grill
- 2 cups Western BBQ Premium Mesquite Smoking Chips
- Smoker box or perforated foil packet
- Grill Gloves, Grill Tongs, Meat Thermometer
- 1 medium to large bowl for tossing chicken in spice blend
- INGREDIENTS
- 5 chicken leg quarters, a 4 pound package
- 3 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Chicken Rub
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or lemon olive oil
- Optional: Vegetables for you drip tray such as carrots, potatoes, onions, celery (Note: the vegetables have to be turned one time and do not cook as long as the chicken.)
Instructions
To Prepare Chicken Leg Quarters:
- In a large bowl, whisk the dry spices with the baking powder to combine.
- Place the chicken in the bowl, cover with the lid, and turn over the bowl a few times to coat chicken in Turkish Rub.
To Air Dry Chicken:
- After the chicken is coated in the Turkish Rub place on a rack.
- Place the rack of chicken in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours or overnight.
- After the air drying time is over allow the chicken to come close to room temperature on the counter, about 40 minutes.
To Prepare the Grill:
- Fill a smoker box with 2 cups Western Mesquite BBQ Smoking Chips, and securely position over a hot burner, about 400°F. Close the grill’s lid.
- Once the smoking chips have begun to smoke, lower the temperature in the grill to 275°F indirect heat. For my grill, I turn the 2 left burners off and the one right burner on medium-low to achieve a 275°F indirect cooking zone.
To Smoke the Chicken Leg Quarters:
- Brush the grill with oil. Smoke the chicken over indirect heat for 40 minutes, turning chicken over after 20 minutes. Smoke chicken leg quarters until the internal temperature is around 155°F.
- Remove the partially cooked chicken from the grill.
- Increase the heat to 400°F direct cooking.
To Crisp the Chicken Leg Quarters:
- Bring the grill temperature to 400°F to 425°F direct heat.
- Return the chicken leg quarters to the grates, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the grill once the internal temperature registers 175°F-185°F.
Serve the Chicken Leg Quarters:
Place the chicken drumsticks on top of a pan of grilled roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
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