Smoked Chicken Thighs

Name: Smoked Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken thighs; 2 Tbsp BBQ Chicken Rub; 2 Tbsp olive oil; ¼ c. Barbecue sauce

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Tender, juicy and delicious Smoked Chicken Thighs start with a homemade rub, are smoked and then finished off with BBQ sauce. They make an easy dinner on your pellet grill that can’t be beat!

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Plate with BBQ Smoked Chicken Thighs on it

We love making dinner on our smoker, but sometimes those recipes seem to take so long. That’s why we love these Smoked Chicken Thighs that only take about a hour and half which is perfect for the weeknight.

Just because they are quick and easy these chicken thighs that are prepared on your pellet grill aren’t lacking flavor.

Can we talk about that rub? We use our favorite BBQ Chicken Rub on them and it gives them so much flavor. Just like our Smoked Whole Chicken! I highly recommend mixing up a batch of that and using it on all your grilled, baked or smoked chicken. It’s my go-to!

Finish these chicken thighs off with a brush of BBQ sauce that makes them perfectly sweet, sticky and mouthwatering. The BBQ sauce finish is optional so you can skip it if you want.

Overhead image of Smoked Chicken Thighs Ingredients

Ingredients Needed

Chicken Thighs – Use skin-on, bone-in for best results. You could use boneless but they won’t be quite as juicy. They must have the skin-on.
Olive Oil – Any oil will work!
BBQ Chicken Rub – We use our favorite homemade rub, but you can use another if you prefer.
BBQ Sauce – Any BBQ sauce will work, mix it up with different flavors!

Chicken thighs on plate drizzled with olive oil

Chicken thighs on plate with seasoning on them

Steps to Prepare

Prep Smoker – Preheat pellet grill to 275 degrees. We used competition blend pellets in the pellet grill.
Prep Chicken Thighs – Trim off any excess skin on chicken thighs. Rub olive all over chicken thigh then sprinkle BBQ Chicken rub so it coats the chicken.
Place chicken thighs on smoker skin side up. Insert temperature probe into thickest part of chicken thigh. Close pellet grill lid and cook at 275 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 hours or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.- Place chicken thighs on smoker skin side up. Insert temperature probe into thickest part of chicken thigh. Close pellet grill lid and cook at 275 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 hours or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Baste chicken with BBQ sauce and smoke for 10 minutes.
Rest – Remove from smoker and let rest for 5 minutes. Then serve!

Helpful Tools

FAQS

How long does it take to smoke chicken thighs?

This will vary depending on how big of a chicken thigh you have and how thick it is. It will take from one hour to one hour and 30 minutes.

What does the internal temperature of a chicken thigh need to be?

You want to cook this to 165 degrees F in the thickest part of a thigh. Make sure you have a digital meat thermometer or your smoker has a probe with built in thermometer to monitor this. We actually cook them to 175-180 degrees F. They are still super tender and juicy, but it they don’t have some of those bloody spots around the bone that way.

Do I need to put BBQ Sauce on them?

No, you don’t need the BBQ sauce. The rub will give them enough flavor, but we love that sticky, sweet finish on them.

How should I store leftovers?

Store any cooled leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How do I reheat chicken thighs?

You can microwave them to reheat them, but the skin will be rubbery and they might dry out. Another option is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place thicken thighs on a wire rack with baking sheet under it. Bake for about 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Another option is to preheat an Air Fryer to 400 degrees then bake the chicken thighs for around 5 minutes or until heated through.

Make it a Meal!

It doesn’t get easier than these quick and delicious Grilled Foil Packet Potatoes with Onions! It’s the perfect side dish on the grill for an easy weeknight dinner.
If you are grilling this summer you need to try these BBQ Baked Beans On the Grill for a quick and easy side dish recipe. With three different types of beans, seasonings and BBQ Sauce they are delicious.
Grilled Corn Salad recipe is a summer salad that is packed with flavor from grilled corn, fresh tomatoes, avocados, lime juice, red onion and cilantro. This salad has a delicious homemade lime vinaigrette that brings out the flavors of the fresh vegetables.

Tag me on Instagram when you make this @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling – love to see your delicious eats!!

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Julie Evink

Tender smoked chicken thighs with a homemade seasoning and sticky BBQ sauce finish!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins

Resting Time 5 mins

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Barbecue

Servings

Calories 516 kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
2 Tbsp BBQ Chicken Rub
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ c. Barbecue sauce

Instructions

Preheat pellet grill to 275 degrees. We used competition blend pellets in the pellet grill.
Trim off any excess skin on chicken thighs. Rub olive all over chicken thigh then sprinkle BBQ Chicken rub so it coats the chicken.
Place chicken thighs on smoker skin side up. Insert temperature probe into thickest part of chicken thigh. Close pellet grill lid and smoke at 275 degrees for about 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Baste chicken with BBQ sauce and smoke for 10 minutes.
Remove from smoker and let rest for 5 minutes. Then serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 32gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 301mgPotassium: 443mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 236IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!