Such an under-rated cut of meat, this Traeger Smoked Turkey Thighs recipe is loaded with flavor and SO easy to smoke! Use your favorite poultry or BBQ rub to make it. Serve them for an easy game day smoker recipe for a crowd, or to make extra dark meat turkey on Thanksgiving. Let’s cook ‘em!
See the video
Are you new to smoking on the pellet grill?
See how to bake oven roasted turkey thighs…
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make smoked turkey thighs.
- 3 LB Turkey thighs (about 1 pound each)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp BBQ seasoning (or poultry rub)
- Fresh herbs to garnish
See how to make smoked baked potatoes…
How long does it take to smoke turkey thighs?
Smoking ~1 lb turkey thighs at 250 degrees F, it will take about 1.5 – 2 hours to finish. Always use an internal read thermometer to determine doneness vs just going by time.
When are smoked turkey thighs done?
Technically turkey thighs are cooked at 165 degrees F, however, since it’s dark meat with a lot of tough connective tissue to break down, you should cook the turkey thighs until the internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
Do you need to brine turkey thighs?
You do NOT need to brine turkey thighs prior to cooking them. But, if you have the time, you could dry brine them overnight with salt.
What’s the best pellets/wood to use for smoke turkey thighs?
Use either hickory, apple, mesquite or pecan. In this recipe, I used hickory because that’s simply one of my favorite pellet flavors to use. I find that the flavor of the smoke really penetrates the thigh perfectly.
How to make smoked turkey thighs…
Now I’ll walk you through it…
See all of Sip Bite Go’s Thanksgiving turkey recipes…
Detailed instructions
- Preheat Traeger smoker or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
- Pat turkey thighs dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle them and rub all over with olive oil – make sure to coat all sides.
- Season turkey thighs with dry rub of your choice. We pop them in the fridge to let the flavors of the seasoning adhere to the thighs for at least 20 minutes.
- Add turkey thighs directly to the pellet grill grates, once it’s preheated to the smoke temperature of 250 degrees F.
- Smoke turkey thighs for about 90 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 155 – 160 degrees F as measured with an instant read thermometer.
- Increase the smoker temperature to 400 degrees F and smoke thighs for another 15 – 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. The higher temperature will help the skin crisp up a bit.
- Remove the turkey thighs from the pellet smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
See how to make smoked butternut squash…
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Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
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Wishing you a delicious day! – Jenna
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Traeger Smoked Turkey Thighs Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 LB Turkey thighs about 1 pound each
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp BBQ seasoning or poultry rub
- 1 tsp cilantro fresh chopped, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Traeger smoker or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
- Pat turkey thighs dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle them and rub all over with olive oil – make sure to coat all sides.
- Season turkey thighs with dry rub of your choice. We pop them in the fridge to let the flavors of the seasoning adhere to the thighs for at least 20 minutes.
- Add turkey thighs directly to the pellet grill grates, once it’s preheated to the smoke temperature of 250 degrees F.
- Smoke turkey thighs for about 90 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 155 – 160 degrees F as measured with an instant read thermometer.
- Increase the smoker temperature to 400 degrees F and smoke thighs for another 15 – 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. The higher temperature will help the skin crisp up a bit.
- Remove the turkey thighs from the pellet smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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