A pellet smoker cooks chicken thighs to perfection, and this easy recipe can be doubled or tripled, making it great for a crowd at a barbecue. Smoked chicken thighs made on a pellet grill are incredibly juicy and flavorful. It will take about an hour to smoke chicken thighs, and once they’re done, they’ll be so tender you can cut them with a fork. The sweet, smoke flavor is so delicious it’s hard to believe it takes only 10 minutes of prep time.
Because they are inexpensive, simple to prepare, and delicious, chicken thighs are one of the best meats to smoke on an electric smoker.
I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but you can also use chicken thighs with the skin on; if you do, you will need to increase the cooking time. For more information, see the FAQ section. Chicken thighs are a dark meat that is always moist and flavorful.
SUPER DELICIOUS: If you use chicken thighs with the skin on, you will love the crispy chicken skin. The flavor scale for these smoked chicken thighs is off the charts.
VERSATILE: Whatever you decide to do with them, I’m sure your family will enjoy it! You can eat them hot with veggies or rice, cold in sandwiches, over salads, in quesadillas, in omelets, or in flatbread.
MAKE AHEAD OR MEAL PREP: Smoked chicken thighs are a great option for your next dinner because they taste great and can be made in large quantities and frozen for later use.
ECONOMICAL: My chicken rub for smokers is delicious, homemade, and a lot less expensive than buying rub at the store. Chicken thighs are cheap and very economical to buy, especially if you buy them on sale.
- Preheat pellet grill to 275 degrees. We used competition blend pellets in the pellet grill.
- Trim off any excess skin on chicken thighs. …
- Place chicken thighs on smoker skin side up. …
- Baste chicken with BBQ sauce and smoke for 10 minutes.
- Remove from smoker and let rest for 5 minutes.
Crispy Smoked Chicken Thighs on my RecTeq 590 pellet smoker
Smoked Chicken Thighs 🔗
Easy smoked chicken thighs on the pellet grill are not only simple and fast, but SO delicious too. You can't miss these!
Prep: 10min
Total: 2h10min
Serving Size: 1
Nutrition Facts: calories 425 calories, Carbohydrate 3 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 172 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 32 grams fat, Fiber 0 grams fiber, Protein 33 grams protein, Saturated Fat 7 grams saturated fat, servingSize 1, Sodium 330 milligrams sodium, Sugar 2 grams sugar, Trans Fat 0 grams trans fat, unSaturated Fat 25 grams unsaturated fat
Ingredients:
- 8 chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup bbq rub
- 1/2 cup canola oil
Instruction:
- Preheat your pellet grill to 180-200°, on the smoke setting, if you have one.
- Liberally rub the chicken thighs with the homemade rub or your favorite dry rub.
- Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up, and smoked for 30-120 minutes. The longer you smoke, the more intense the flavor will be, so adjust accordingly.
- After the smoke time, crank up the grill to 325° and place a temperature probe so you can track the temperature.
- Let the chicken cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Remove from the grill.
- Place a cast-iron pan on the stovetop with about 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom.
- Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy.
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke chicken thighs on a pellet smoker?
The longer you smoke, the more intense the flavor will be, so adjust accordingly. Preheat your pellet grill to 180-200°, on the smoke setting, if you have one. Liberally rub the chicken thighs with the homemade rub or your favorite dry rub. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up.
How do you cook chicken thighs on pit boss pellet grill?
Place the chicken thighs on the pellet grill grates, spacing them apart slightly, and preheat the Pit Boss pellet grill to 225 degrees F. Close the lid and smoke the chicken thighs until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
How do you get crispy chicken thighs skin on pellet grill?
Smoke chicken between 275° F and 350° F in your pellet smoker until the internal temperature reaches 170° F. When you roast chicken at higher temperatures, the fat in the skin renders faster and nicer—and that means lightly crispy, crunchy, brown chicken skins fresh out of your pellet grill.
How long do chicken thighs take to smoke at 225?
I like to start by smoking the chicken low and slow until they are 10-15 degrees away from being fully cooked, then I crank up the heat to crisp the skin. Smoking chicken thighs at 225 degrees F. will take approximately 1 12 – 2 hours.