Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Chicken Thighs are tender, juicy, and full of smoky flavor! Smoking chicken thighs on a pellet grill is an easy and mess free way to have a delicious dinner on the table quickly. This recipe is also great for meal prep and serving with your favorite BBQ or dipping sauce.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 383kcal

Author Emilee Mason

Equipment

Traeger Pellet Grill or other electric smoker

Ingredients

3 lb chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
¾ cup bbq sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Chicken Thigh Dry Rub

2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
½ tsp allspice
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat your Traeger grill (or other smoker) to 300°F. See notes below for additional cooking times and temperatures.
In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients for the chicken dry rub.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, and place in a large bowl or on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with enough rub to fully coat each thigh and use your hands to rub the seasonings into the chicken.
Note - You can store any unused chicken rub in an airtight container at room temperature, assuming it wasn’t in contact with the raw chicken.
Place the chicken thighs skin side up directly on the grill grates of the preheated Traeger. Smoke the chicken for approximately 40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160° F (the time can vary greatly based on the size of the thighs).
While the chicken is smoking, mix the bbq sauce with apple cider vinegar.
Once the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 160°F, mop the chicken with the bbq sauce and then flip the thighs skin side down in order for the skin to crisp up.
Continue grilling the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 170-175° F.
Remove chicken from the grill and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Notes

Chicken Thighs - You can swap bone-in and skin-on thighs for boneless-skinless thighs or even chicken legs. Adjust the time as needed to ensure the internal temperature reaches the desired temp without overcooking the chicken.
Coconut sugar - this can be substituted for brown sugar (though it is not paleo).
Cayenne - this is optional but adds a delicious kick to the spice rub if you desire it!
BBQ sauce - Use your favorite BBQ sauce here. These thighs are also great with only the chicken dry rub or you can use dipping sauces after grilling.

Smoking Notes

The texture of thigh meat is more tender cooked to a higher temperature than that of white meat like chicken breast which is why I recommend cooking to an IT of 170-175 degrees F.
I always recommend using a digital meat thermometer (like a Meater Meat Thermometer) when cooking any type of meat to ensure it is perfectly done!
You can smoke these thighs at a lower temperature (200-250 F) for a longer period to get more of a smoke flavor.
- Remove them from the grill in the last 10 minutes and increase the heat to around 400 degrees F in order to sear the chicken skin side down.
- Cooking the chicken at a higher temperature and/or searing the skin keeps the skin crispy rather than tough and rubbery.

Nutrition