Smoked chicken thighs are the rockstars of the barbecue world! They’re all about juicy, flavorful goodness that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance. Tender chicken thighs seasoned with your favorite spices, cooked on the smoker, soak up all that delicious smoky goodness.
Whether you are throwing a backyard party or just treating yourself to an amazing meal, smoked boneless chicken thighs bring the wow factor to any occasion, making them the ultimate crowd-pleaser! Pair them with side dishes like smoked bacon mac and cheese, parmesan cheese and asparagus, a pear Gorgonzola salad, cucumber cabbage slaw, a colorful grated carrot salad, red white and blue salad, or our delicious kids-approved baked diced sweet potatoes.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Perfect for game day!
Smoked boneless thighs are an excellent choice for a weekend game day. They’re smoky and perfectly seasoned for everyone. We also love making sheet pan chicken thighs and smoked chicken leg quarters. - Just a few ingredients.
We love that only a few ingredients are needed for this easy recipe. And it makes it very economical to make a delicious meal. - It’s a hands-off recipe!
This smoker recipe is great because you don’t need to babysit it. You toss the poultry in oil and seasoning and put it in the smoker. What could be easier than that?
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken: you can use bone-in or boneless thighs with this recipe, but bone-in thighs are less likely to dry out and will give you a nice crispy exterior.
- Seasoning: choose your favorite poultry seasoning and paprika to sprinkle on before putting it on the smoker.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
If you’re using a Traeger or other grill, we highly recommend using an internal wired or wireless thermometer. Heat escapes and lowers the inside temperature whenever you open the lid to check on the food. This can unnecessarily lengthen your cooking time.
Important Equipment
Both a grill with a smoke tube stack and a Traeger grill offer excellent options for smoking chicken. They provide rich, smoky flavor and juicy, tender meat.
They both are great for temperature control, allowing precise adjustments to maintain the low, steady heat necessary for smoking.
With their automatic pellet feeding system, Traeger grills are very convenient because they need minimal supervision during smoking.
Grills with smoker stacks require minimal hands-on management but provide an efficient and effective way to smoke meats. This is a budget-friendly option as it might eliminate the need for both a grill and Traeger.
Whether you want convenience, versatility, or flavor, both grill types are perfect for smoking chicken thighs.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Stir together the marinade.
Coat the poultry pieces with olive oil and seasoning, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1-2 hours. This allows the chicken to absorb all that delicious flavor and tenderize.
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- Insert the temperature probe.
Before placing the chicken in the smoker, put the temperature probe in the thickest part of one thigh. If using bone-in thighs, avoid the bone, as this will read hotter than the meat.
- Finish them off on the grill or oven.
Turn on the grill to 350°F and quickly grill the outside of the meat to get that wonderfully charred flavor. Or bake them in the oven.
Let them rest for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
We like using apple wood pellets, chips, fruit wood, or mesquite. These add the best flavor to chicken thighs grilled on a pellet grill.
Cook bone-in thighs for 50 minutes or boneless thighs for 40 minutes, and then finish them on the grill or oven for another 30-45 minutes.
It’s important to use a thermometer when smoking meat. Smoking meat tends to produce a pink interior, indicating it’s not cooked through. But if the thermometer reads 165°F, you can rest assured that it’s cooked all through, regardless of the interior color.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or frozen for up to three months.
To reheat the chicken from the refrigerator, put it on a plate and microwave in 30-second increments until reheated.
Other Smoked & Grilling Recipes to Consider…
If you tried this Smoked Thighs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- apple wood pellets - or mesquite, or fruit wood pellets of choice
- digital cooking thermometer - for monitoring internal temperature of food
- wireless thermometer - for monitoring grill/smoker temperature
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs bone in or boneless
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons dried poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Arrange thighs on a shallow platter or rimmed sheet pan in a single layer. Brush or rub each piece with olive oil.
- Add poultry seasoning and paprika to a small bowl, stirring with a spoon to combine. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over each poultry piece. Cover the platter/pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat smoker or grill to 225ºF. If using an internal temperature probe, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone (if using bone-in)
- For bone-in: Smoke for 50 minutes, turning pieces over after 25 minutes.
- For boneless: Smoke for 40 minutes, turning pieces over after 20 minutes.
- Cook until internal temperature reaches 150ºF.
- *If using a stand-alone smoker, transfer smoked thighs to a 350°F. grill or oven to finish cooking and crisp the skin.
- Increase grill temperature (or preheat oven) to 350ºF.
- Move pieces from the lower rack of the grill to the top rack. Alternatively, turn off the burners on one side and place the thighs there so they cook over indirect heat. Cook until the internal temperature at the thighs are 165ºF, about 30-45 minutes. **Be sure the probe of the thermometer isn't touching a bone.
- Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
To reheat the chicken from the refrigerator, put it on a plate and microwave in 30-second increments until reheated.
Previous
Cindy Payne says
What do you do if you don’t have a smoker… All I have is an oven… where can I purchase a smoker…
Gianne - TFN Team Member says
Do you have a griller? This might help https://thefeatherednester.com/smoke-tube/