Smoked Chicken Thighs
7 Comments
Posted: 06/07/21
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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!
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.
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!
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!!
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Smoked Chicken Thighs
Tender smoked chicken thighs with a homemade seasoning and sticky BBQ sauce finish!
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 Information
Calories: 516kcal (26%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 32g (64%), Fat: 39g (60%), Saturated Fat: 10g (63%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 189mg (63%), Sodium: 301mg (13%), Potassium: 443mg (13%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 5g (6%), Vitamin A: 236IU (5%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 40mg (4%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Christopher says
I found if I smoke at 180-200 for an hour then crank to 350 until done I get better flavor and most importantly a crispy skin rather than the chewy skin that you get from a full smoke
the Evinks says
Great tip Christopher. We will have to try that too!
Malinda says
The chicken thighs turned out great and I loved the rub!! Thanks for sharing!
Danielle says
I love my pellet grill and trying new recipes on it, so I was super excited to try this recipe! It did not disappoint!
Alison LaFortune says
The BBQ chicken rub was SO yummy. Keeping a batch on hand for more dinners. Loved how easy this recipe is!
Holly says
Do you only smoke the thighs for the 10 minutes at the end or throughout the whole cooking process?
Julie Evink says
No they are smoked for 1 – 1 1/2 hours before basting with BBQ sauce and smoking for 10 minutes.