The Best Smoked Chicken Thighs

These easy smoked chicken thighs come together with just three ingredients and only take about an hour to smoke! A wood pellet smoker makes this meal nearly effortless while delivering big, bold flavors!

 

You Will Love This

• It’s so easy!! My super simple dry rub recipe transforms bland, boring chicken thighs into a delicious dinner that your family will love! The rub is made with common pantry spices including brown sugar (don’t worry it’s not super sweet!), chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper. It adds the perfect amount of spicy, sweet, smokey flavor to your chicken breasts so you can let the smoker do all the work of cooking the chicken low and slow until it’s perfectly juicy and tender! Add them to a tasty salad, or an easy flatbread, or add it to your favorite pasta dishes. 
• If you loved this smoker recipe, check out my smoked mac and cheese, easy smoked queso, smoked pork butt, and simple smoked meatloaf.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken Thighs – To get the maximum amount of flavor and juiciness, go for the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but they can dry out more easily.
• My Easy Dry Rub – My easy dry spice rub is great for all sorts of smoker recipes and this one is no exception. It’s the perfect multi-purpose spice mixture for all your family’s favorites!
• BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite for this recipe. Here’s our family’s favorite barbecue sauce. 

Instructions

Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Rub chicken thighs on all sides with the dry rub.

Place chicken thighs on the grill skin side up and smoke for about 60 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees internally.

Brush with BBQ sauce and smoke for another hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170-175 degrees. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes, serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side, and enjoy!

Tips

• Use a meat thermometer. Because the chicken is cooking low and slow in the pellet smoker, you’ll want to ensure the internal temperature is at a good 170-175 degrees. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to make sure the chicken is cooked through before digging in.
• Add a sheet of aluminum foil under your wire rack or grill grate for easy cleanup to catch any grease that drips.
• Add some cayenne pepper to your dry rub if you like it a little spicy!
• To get crispy chicken skin, pop the chicken thighs under the broiler in your oven for a couple minutes!

Are You New to Smoking?

Looking for an affordable smoker?
Not sure which wood pellet grill is best for your needs?

Click here to check out my full review of my favorite Z Grill wood pellet smoker! I’ll share with you everything I love about this grill and why you’ll want to add it to your backyard space right now!

Best Type of Wood to Use

• For smoked chicken thighs I like to use fruity wood pellets like apple or cherry wood combined with something super flavorful like hickory or mesquite.
• I find that the combination is really delightful without being too overpowering.
• You may find that for chicken, hickory or mesquite by itself might overpower the actual flavor of the chicken.
• If you’re looking for a more mild flavor try sticking with apple, cherry, pecan, or oak.

How do you keep chicken thighs moist when smoking?

Leaving the skin on your chicken thighs is a surefire way to ensure that they don’t dry out while they’re smoking. The addition of the dry rub also helps to add flavor while locking in the moisture as well. A meat thermometer is the best way to make sure that your chicken thighs don’t overcook and dry out.

What temp do you smoke chicken thighs?

You can smoke chicken thighs at 225 degrees, 250 degrees, or 275 degrees. If you smoke them at a lower temperature they will take a bit longer to cook. I opt for 275 degrees because I’ve found that at lower temps the chicken has a tendency to get a bit rubbery which is not ideal.

Side Dishes to Serve with Smoked Chicken

• Air Fryer Zucchini
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Roasted Baby Potatoes
• Crispy Baked Greek Fries
• Cilantro Lime Slaw

Make-Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This is one of the best recipes to make ahead! You can get the chicken smoked over the weekend and then use it all week to transform a simple salad into a chicken salad.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freezing: Freeze leftover chicken in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Reheat this chicken in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. You can also warm it up on the grill.

Easy Smoker Recipes

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