This easy Traeger smoked chicken thighs recipe will show you how to smoke boneless thighs low and slow on a pellet grill (with a little rub seasoning). You’ll brush on a simple bbq glaze while it smokes, until the dark meat is juicy and fall-apart tender. It’s a great game day smoker main dish for a crowd. Let’s smoke thighs…
My BBQ smoked chicken thighs turn out tasting like candied bacon. I don’t know the science behind that, but the incredible 3-ingredient honey glaze almost candies them.
Table of Contents
Why these smoked bbq chicken thighs are so good…
- Use a simple spice rub.
- Achieve perfectly crispy skin.
- Create tender, juicy, pull-apart dark meat.
- Easily modify this recipe for bone in chicken thighs by adding to the cook time until the safe internal temperature is reached.
- New to smoking food? See my video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this tasty recipe.
Smoked chicken thighs ingredients
- Chicken thighs, boneless skin on or skinless
- Olive oil
- BBQ seasoning (a bbq rub with salt, or add salt)
- Cilantro, fresh chopped (optional for serving)
For the simple BBQ honey glaze (optional)
- BBQ sauce
- Honey
- Water
How to smoke chicken thighs
Now I’ll walk you through this smoked chicken thighs recipe…
Quick look at the recipe
- Season thighs with olive oil, bbq rub.
- Smoke chicken thighs for 20 minutes (without sauce).
- Make the BBQ glaze and brush some of it on the tops of chicken thighs.
- After 20 minutes, brush the rest of the glaze on top and smoke until done.
Detailed instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
- Season thighs. To a large bowl, add chicken thighs and olive oil. Toss to combine. Add bbq seasoning and use fingers to massage seasoning into chicken evenly until they’re fully coated.
- Cover chicken thighs to let them absorb the dry rub seasoning before smoking for at least 20-30 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
- Preheat Traeger pellet smoker to 250 degrees F for 15 minutes (and make sure it’s stocked with pellet wood chips). While the smoker is heating, remove chicken thighs from the fridge to come to room temperature.
- Smoke chicken thighs. Add dry rub seasoned chicken thighs to Traeger smoker grates, skin side up. Close the lid and smoke thighs for 20 minutes (without sauce). During this time, make the BBQ glaze (see steps below).
- After 20 minutes of cook time, brush half the BBQ glaze on the tops of chicken thighs in the smoker (you don’t need to flip them). Smoke thighs for another 20 minutes.
- Brush the top with the rest of the glaze and continue smoking chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as measured with a meat thermometer. If you’re wondering exactly how long to smoke chicken thighs, estimate for about 90-120 minutes, depending on how often the smoker lid is lifted (which lets heat escape), how thick the chicken thighs are, and whether they’re boneless or bone in.
How to make BBQ honey glaze for smoked thighs
Making this BBQ glaze for this smoker recipe is done on the stove and takes about 10 minutes.
- Add the bbq sauce to a small pan on the stove, on medium heat. Add the honey and stir to combine.
- Once mixture begins to bubble, add water and stir regularly for 30-60 seconds until sauce thickens up (enough to coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat.
I think you’re really going to love this recipe. Smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs are easy for everyone to eat, even my sometimes picky toddler.
If you’re indoor smoking, this recipe can be adapted for electric smoker chicken thighs — just check your device’s manual for adaptation hints.
See how to make grilled chicken thighs
FAQs
Featured in this recipe is Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ Rub. It’s one of the most versatile BBQ rubs in my pantry and is great on chicken, even though the label recommends it for dishes like this smoked pulled pork. See my YouTube video review for Meat Church Seasonings.
Use any seasoning blend you have on hand, or mix your own with flavors like brown sugar, onion powder, a little cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and/or paprika. When making an impromptu blend like this for any sort of smoked meats or pan grilled chicken, take a little taste to check the balance of the flavors.
Yes, but again – make sure to smoke each piece of chicken until it reaches the safe internal temperature. Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook than boneless pieces of chicken.
I don’t think there’s a tremendous difference between smoking chicken thighs at 225 vs 250 degrees F. If you choose to smoke them at the lower temperature, it’s not measured by time, but instead by when they reach the safe temperature of 165 degrees F. In my experience, at 225 degrees F, they take about 1:30-2 hours. 
You can use any flavor of pellet you choose, but when I’m smoking chicken I love using Traeger Cherry Wood Pellets on my Traeger Ironwood 650. Cherry pellets give a slightly sweet, fruity flavor that goes perfectly with white meat.
Serve these smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs with a fresh peach salad and a pasta side. Try a big bowl of my make-ahead tomato pesto pasta salad. For a smoked side dish idea, see these smoked jalapeno poppers and smoked mac and cheese.
While there’s no brine in this recipe—with a toddler in the house, I find myself preferring recipes that come together quickly—you can definitely use one. A brine will add an hour or so to your prep time, but will also give the chicken a bit of extra flavor and moisture.
Prep and season electric smoker chicken thighs exactly the same way as you’d prepare them for a pellet smoker, and follow your smoker’s instructions on how to do the actual smoking.
Get inspired with easy recipes for a tasty backyard bbq menu – starting with this lineup of the best burger recipes ever.
More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
- Smoked mac and cheese
- Smoked brisket flat
- Smoked wings
- Traeger tri tip
- Smoked turkey breast
- Whole smoked turkey
- Smoked Traeger pizza
- Smoked onion rings
- Traeger smoked ham
- Smoked whole chicken
- Smoked jalapeno poppers
- Smoked corn on the cob
- Traeger beef ribs
- Smoked leg of lamb
- Smoked shrimp
- Grilled chicken wings
- Grilled skirt steak
- Flank steak marinade
- Grilled potato wedges
- Smoked pulled pork
- Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes
See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.
Are you a foodie, too?
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about making smoked boneless chicken thighs or any other smoker recipes.
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Best Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe (+Traeger Video Demo) | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
Smoked chicken thighs ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs boneless skin on or skinless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup bbq rub seasoning a bbq rub with salt, or add salt note: use as much as desired
- 1 tbsp cilantro fresh chopped (optional for serving)
For the simple BBQ honey glaze (optional)
- ½ cup bbq sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
To smoke chicken thighs
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
- Season thighs. To a large bowl, add chicken thighs and olive oil. Toss to combine. Add bbq seasoning and use fingers to massage seasoning into chicken evenly until they’re fully coated.
- Cover chicken thighs and and let them absorb the dry rub seasoning before smoking for at least 20-30 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
- Preheat Traeger pellet smoker to 250 degrees F for 15 minutes (and make sure it’s stocked with pellet wood chips). While the smoker is heating, remove chicken thighs from the fridge to come to room temperature.
- Smoke chicken thighs. Add dry rub seasoned chicken thighs to Traeger smoker grates, skin side up. Close the lid and smoke thighs for 20 minutes (without sauce). During this time, make the BBQ glaze.
- After 20 minutes of cook time, brush half the BBQ glaze on the tops of chicken thighs in the smoker (you don’t need to flip them). Smoke thighs for another 20 minutes.
- Brush the top with the rest of the glaze and continue smoking chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as measured with a meat thermometer. If you’re wondering exactly how long to smoke chicken thighs, estimate for about 90-120 minutes, depending on how often the smoker lid is lifted (which lets heat escape), how thick the chicken thighs are, and whether they’re boneless or bone in.
To make the BBQ honey glaze (this takes a cooking time of about 10 minutes)
- Add the bbq sauce to a small pan on the stove, on medium heat. Add the honey and stir to combine.
- Once mixture begins to bubble, add water and stir regularly for 30-60 seconds until sauce thickens up (enough to coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat.
Video
Notes
- No spice rub for chicken thighs on hand? Mix your own with flavors using salt, pepper, and any other flavors you love.
- Smoking boneless and bone in chicken pieces at the same time? Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook. Make sure to smoke each piece of chicken until it reaches the safe internal temperature.
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