Smoked Teriyaki Chicken Legs
Summer is grilling season and we all love it so much, that we call our summer parties Barbecues! But meat is expensive and if you need a cheap and easy recipe to feed a bunch of hungry people, you should consider my smoked teriyaki chicken legs.
Buy Affordable Meat
Chicken legs are about one-third the price of chicken wings (I bought these for $.99 per lb vs $2.99 per lb for wings) and you actually get a much more satisfying product to serve your guests. When we serve chicken wings we plan on 4-6 wings per person, whereas we typically plan on 2 legs per person and no one is disappointed.
People find the legs much more substantial, more satisfying, and easier to eat. You can eat a drumstick with one hand, but have you ever had wings without both hands involved? And I don’t even know how many napkins!
Testing Out Our Homemade Smoker
You may remember my article, “Building a Homemade Smoker From Scratch”. I will be using that smoker for this recipe.
If you don’t own a smoker, you can get a small metal smoke box for your closable grill. You simply put the chips in the box on the grill near the fire and move your meat to the edges. Close the grill and let it fill up with your favorite flavored smoke. Fill your smoke box every hour or so, keeping your grill closed as much as possible.
Let’s get started…
TERIYAKI MARINADE INGREDIENTS
–1/2 cup soy sauce
–2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
–½ cup brown sugar or a full cup of honey/maple
–2 tsp fresh grated ginger
–2 Tbsp water
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar/honey/maple, minced garlic, grated ginger, and water.
2. Pour this mixture into the plastic bags over your chicken legs and marinate overnight.
3. Take the chicken legs from the marinade and place them on the smoker grills. (I also decided to throw some kielbasa in the smoker.)
4. Set your smoker to about 250-275 degrees and smoke with hickory, apple, or cherry wood chips for about 2 hours.
5. The target meat temp is 175 degrees, but the meat should be safe at 165 degrees. (Download our Ultimate Wood Smoker Reference Chart)
6. Enjoy the sweet teriyaki smokiness and share them with your friends.
Conclusion
I know that the legs look great but they taste even better. Most people will find them a nice departure from the normal barbecue fare (i.e. hot dogs, or burgers), and they are just as cost-effective. Simple, sweet, smoky, satisfying, and absolutely delicious. Go ahead and give it a try and don’t forget to download our Ultimate Wood Smoker Reference Chart. I refer to it all the time.
Thanks for spending some time with me.
Love, Peace, and Light!
Terry
Thistle Downs Farm
