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Smoked chicken thighs with five ingredients and 10 minutes prep - easy, flavorful, and perfect for feeding a crowd at your next BBQ! Ready in under 3 hours.
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I cooked this recipe. It turned out great. Juiciest chicken I have ever ate. Thanks for sharing. - Joyce on Pinterest
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One of my favorite BBQ meals to make - especially in the summertime - is smoked chicken thighs. My family loves chicken recipes of all kinds, but if you asked me, smoked chicken really is the best!
Smoking chicken thighs is much easier than you might think, and they're perfect for feeding a crowd. I love making them for backyard BBQs and get-togethers because they always disappear fast - everyone goes back for seconds!
The best part is how simple this recipe is. You only need five ingredients, and yes, that's counting the salt and pepper! With just a few minutes of prep and a few hours in the smoker, you'll have fall-apart tender smoked chicken thighs packed with smoky, juicy flavor.
Ingredients for Smoking Chicken Thighs
| Ingredient | Notes & Substitutions |
|---|---|
| Chicken Thighs | You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts, according to your tastes. |
| BBQ Sauce | Use your favorite BBQ sauce. I recommend my homemade BBQ sauce recipe, which is truly delicious and totally customizable. |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | You can also use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or red wine vinegar. |
| Salt | Kosher salt, Maldon sea salt flakes, or Himalayan sea salt work best. |
| Cayenne Pepper | For a kick of spice! Feel free to use black pepper (as pictured) if you prefer. |
How to Smoke Chicken Thighs
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F. Salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken thighs. Do not be shy with the seasoning!
- Place your chicken on the smoker, skin side down and let them smoke for 1 hour.
- While the chicken smokes, mix the BBQ sauce with apple cider vinegar. You are just looking for a thinner sauce consistency for easy glazing.
- After the first hour of smoking, bump the temp up to 300°F and let the chicken smoke for another hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken hits 185°F on a meat thermometer. Once the chicken has finished cooking, dunk them in the glaze and cover them entirely.
- Then place them back on the smoker for another half hour, or until the glaze is nice and tacky.
- Remove the chicken from the smoker. Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes and enjoy!
Isabel's Top Tips to Smoke Chicken Thighs
- A pellet smoker is a great choice for this recipe; try this Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker.
- When it comes to the sauce, you can use anything you want. Just be sure it has a thinner consistency so it glazes nicely. If you use a thin BBQ sauce, then you can skip the vinegar. I love smoking chicken thighs with Peri Peri sauce!
- If you wish, you can peel the skin back on the thighs and apply the seasonings directly to the meat. This makes the preparation a little longer, but the results are worth it!
- This recipe can work for chicken wings and legs as well. Just be sure they are whole chicken wings and not just the sections. The cooking time can vary, but the process is essentially the same. You’re largely looking for the internal temperature to be 185 degrees, which is the done mark for smoked chicken.
- Chicken breast also turns out amazingly prepared this way.
- Some great options for the smoke are pecan, applewood, or hickory. This recipe used pecan wood and they were so smoky and tasty.
- I used a pellet smoker for this recipe, but any type of smoker is just fine as long as you control the temperature and get those thighs to the 185 degrees mark, internally.
- Feel free to play around with your favorite spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to make a great spice rub. I also like to include brown sugar.
- I love using leftovers to make chicken salad!
- Although chicken is safe to consume at an internal temperature of 165°F (check my Chicken Temperature Chart for more info), I let these smoked chicken thighs cook until they reach an internal temperature of 185°F. This creates fall-apart, deliciously tender smoked chicken.
- You do not need to flip the chicken when smoking. You can gently move them around to make sure they don't stick. This will ensure crispy chicken skin.
Sauces for Smoked Chicken
- Peri Peri Chicken is incredible when smoked!
- Teriyaki
- Garlic Butter Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
Smoked Meat Recipes
These smoked chicken thighs are a recipe you'll want to make again and again once you see how easy it is - and taste how delicious the results are! Pair this smoked chicken with your favorite sides, and your BBQ will be the talk of the neighborhood.
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Make your Smoked BBQ Chicken Thighs perfect every time with this easy to follow recipe! You only need a few ingredients to serve up some delicious and juicy chicken at your next get together.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs
- 1 Cup of BBQ Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Coarse Salt - to taste
- Coarse Black Pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs. Do not be shy with the seasoning.
- Place your chicken on the smoker and let them smoke for 1 hour.
- While the chicken smokes, mix the bbq sauce and apple cider vinegar. You are just looking for a thinner sauce consistency for easy glazing.
- After the first hour of smoking, bump the temp up to 300 degrees and let the chicken smoke for another hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken hits 185 degrees. Once the chicken has finished cooking, dunk them in the glaze and cover them entirely.
- Then place them back on the smoker for another half hour, or until the glaze is nice and tacky.
- Remove the chicken from the smoker. Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes and enjoy!
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Notes
- When it comes to the sauce, you can use anything you want. Just be sure it has a thinner consistency so it glazes nicely. If you use a thin BBQ sauce, then you can skip the vinegar.
- If you wish, you can peel the skin back on the thighs and apply the seasonings directly to the meat. This makes the preparation a little longer, but the results are worth it!
- This recipe can work for chicken wings and legs as well. Just be sure they are whole chicken wings and not just the sections. The cooking time can vary, but the process is essentially the same. You’re largely looking for the internal temperature to be 185 degrees, which is the done mark for chicken.
- Some great options for the smoke are pecan, applewood, or hickory. This recipe used pecan wood and they were so smoky and tasty.
- I used a pellet smoker for this recipe, but any type of smoker is just fine as long as you control the temperature and get those thighs to the 185 degrees mark, internally.
Nutrition
Serving: 1thighCalories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 406mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Mg says
Can you cook this in advance and reheat for a party?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Mg! You could definitely do that. They'll last for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator, but I would recommend making them the day before for the best results.