Best Pellet Grill Smoked Chicken Thighs

These Smoked Chicken Thighs are one of my favorite bites of barbeque. The Juicy, tender Chicken thighs with bite-through skin are perfect for tailgating or backyard cookouts.

If you don’t want to smoke a whole chicken, these smoked bone-in chicken thighs are the best!!

If you need more tasty smoked chicken recipes, please check out my: Smoked Chicken Legs, Smoked Chicken Wings, and Smoked Half Chickens.

Best Smoked Chicken Thighs

My KCBS Competition BBQ team has been making smoked chicken thighs for years, but the process of getting chicken thighs to that level is a true pan in the ass.

This method is much easier but still gives you all of the tender, juicy flavors you want, along with that bite through the skin you keep hearing about without the hours of prep.

If you are looking for a healthier method or if you don’t care for the skin on your chicken thigh recipe, you can always substitute boneless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Seasoning Chicken Thighs

Plenty of fantastic store-bought bbq Spice rubs can be used for smoked chicken thighs.

Most of these store-bought bbq rubs will combine Salt, black pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Chili powder, cayenne pepper, and other herbs and spices.

If you are the DIY type, then by all means, check out my Chicken Taco Seasoning Recipe. It goes great on smoked chicken thighs!!

When it comes to choosing your favorite bbq sauce, look for something that’s not too thick.

I prefer a glossy sheen with my sauce. you can also add butter or olive oil to the sauce to give it that glossy look.

How To Smoke Chicken Thighs

Instructions

• Remove Chicken thighs from the package, lay the thigh’s skin on a cutting board, and spread them out. Trim off any excess fat and shape the thighs into a rectangular shape.
• Place the chicken on a sheet tray skin side up with paper towels underneath to absorb moisture. Lightly season the skin with kosher salt. Let the thighs sit uncovered for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
• The next day remove the chicken thighs from the sheet pan and pat dry with fresh paper towels. Season on both sides with dry rub, then tuck the edges of the thigh underneath of itself so the skin is stretched tight.
• Heat the Pellet Grill to 300 degrees F. The Higher temperature will help render the skin. Place the chicken thighs on the smoker about 3 inches apart from each other and smoke for 1 hour. Every 30 minutes, lightly spray with cooking oil.
• Heat the bbq sauce to about 180 degrees F and set aside. Once the Chicken has reached an internal temperature of about 180 degrees F, use heat-resistant gloves to dip the thighs in the bbq sauce, then set them on a board to rest.
• Once the chicken thighs have rested for 15 minutes, they should be the perfect temperature to serve and enjoy.

How Long To Smoke Chicken Thighs

Smoked Chicken Thighs don’t take long compared to more significant cuts like pork shoulders and brisket that cook at a lower temperature.

You can smoke chicken thighs from start to finish in a little over an hour because we are smoking at a high heat.

Remember, the thigh meat will stay moist because of dark meat, unlike chicken breast, which tends to dry out quickly.

The Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken thighs but only by 5-10 minutes.

How to get Bite Through Skin on Smoked Chicken Thighs

In BBQ competition, the number one goal of the competitors is to have “bite through” Skin.

This means that when the judge bites into the chicken thigh, the skin doesn’t pull away with the meat and leaves a perfect bite mark.

Many people think of crispy skin when it comes to chicken thighs, but that really goes away as soon as you sauce the chicken thighs.

There are lots of crazy methods to achieve bite though chicken thighs, but the 2 easiest steps you can take are:

1. Letting the skin dry out in the fridge overnight before smoking your chicken thighs. This helps the skin render out fat and crisp up during cooking.
2. Resting the chicken thighs for 15 minutes after cooking them. this allows the skin to relax so that you get a clean bite when you bite into the thigh.

If you do want to learn about the best way to trim competition chicken thighs, I left this video below for you to check out.

Resting You Chicken Thighs

After you have sauced the chicken thighs, you can set them on a wire rack with aluminum foil underneath to catch the excess barbecue sauce.

This last step is really key for the juicy dark meat to reabsorb the smoky flavor and for the skin to relax, so be patient. It’s worth it!!

Favorite Sides to serve with Chicken

I like a balance of hot and cold sides with my bbq side dishes. I always serve my Classic Cole Slaw or if you are a little more adventurous, try my Mediterranean slaw with blood orange vinaigrette.

As far as hot side dishes, you can’t go wrong with: Smoked Corn On the Cob, Smoked Mac & Cheese or BBQ Beans.

More Recipes You Will Love

• Smoked Chicken Thighs with Blood Orange Glaze
• BBQ Smoked Pulled Chicken
• Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Cheeseburgers
• Grilled Ribeye Steak Sub
• Smoked Queso Dip Leftover Beef Brisket Recipe