Best Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe (+Traeger Video Demo) | Sip Bite Go
This easy Traeger smoked chicken thighs recipe smokes boneless thighs low and slow on a pellet grill (with a little rub seasoning) 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...
¼cupbbq rub seasoninga bbq rub with salt, or add salt note: use as much as desired
1tbspcilantrofresh chopped (optional for serving)
For the simple BBQ honey glaze (optional)
½cupbbq sauce
1tbsphoney
1tbspwater
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.