Are looking for a delicious way to cook your chicken? This recipe for tender and super juicy smoked thighs is perfect. They are smoked to perfection and doused in a delicious BBQ sauce which gets caramelised in the last part of the cook, leaving you with extra crispy skin.
Why You’ll Love These Smoked Bone-in Chicken Thighs
– You end up with moist chicken with a smoky flavor and crispy skin, which is simply delicious and goes with anything.
– Chicken thighs are a cheap cut, saving you money.
The dark chicken leg meat is easier to cook than the white meat in the breast, retaining more moisture and flavor from fat and connective tissue.
– Get creative with flavors and aromatics! Chicken meat pairs with so many cooking ingredients!
Sick of dry chicken? These are one of our top Traeger recipes because the chicken always stays super moist and juicy unlike when you grill or bake it.
What You Need for Our Traeger Chicken Thighs Recipe
Skin On Chicken Thighs (bone-in)
BBQ Rub
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Honey
Oil Olive/ Mustard – Pick one for your binder
How To Make Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Step 1: Apply The Rub to The Chicken
Pat the chicken dry, add a binder like oil or mustard then apply enough bbq rub to coat both sides of your chicken thighs.
Step 2: Place Your Chicken on The Grill and Smoke
– Load the pellets, prime, and set the Traeger to a temperature of 275°F and wait until temp.
– Place the chicken thighs skin-side down on the grill grates of your Traeger.
– Insert 2 separate temperature probes into the 2 largest thighs, avoiding the bone.
- You can spritz your chicken, however you may not get the skin as crispy.
– Smoke with indirect heat until an internal temperature of 165°F. (Around 45 minutes to 1 hour)
– Remove from the grill (check for a nice charred skin) and place into an oven-proof tray.
Step 3: Baste With the Honey-Bbq Marinade & Finish Smoking
– Baste the chicken with your honey BBQ sauce.
– Place the tray into the smoker until the internal meat temp hits 175°F. (Around a further 20 to 30 minutes.
– Rest covered in foil for a further 20 minutes.
What Temperature to Smoke the Chicken Thighs
We are smoking the chicken thighs on medium and indirect heat of 275°F for the whole process.
How to Accurately Monitor the Internal Temp
Place the temperature probes into the thickest part of the latest thigh you are smoking. This ensures that every other thigh will be cooked to perfection. The safe-to-eat temperature for the dark chicken meat is 180°F. The connective tissue and fat need more time to break down.
Ensure your probe isn’t touching the leg bone in the thigh. Otherwise, you will get an inaccurate reading and risk underdone or overdone meat.
Note: A Traeger Grill typically will come with 2 built-in temperature probes. Use them to your advantage!
How to Store Leftovers
Chicken can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Tips For Crispy Chicken Skin
– Draw and remove excess moisture before you start smoking.
– Smoke skin-side down for the first stage of smoking, towards the heat, and then skin-side up when adding your basting sauce.
My Favorite Wood Pellets for Smoking Chicken Thighs
Try to pair the flavors of your pellets with your basting sauce. We picked the medium/strong oak wood to compliment the depth of flavor of our BBQ sauce.
A lighter fruit wood, like an apple, may complement a lighter-tasting basting sauce. It’s all about getting creative and having fun with the flavors!
What to Serve With Our Delicious Chicken Recipe
Soft and Buttery Homemade Biscuits.
Looking for More Chicken Recipes?
Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 Traeger
Ingredients
- 2.2 ;bs Skin On Chicken Thighs bone-in
- 3 tbsp Traeger BBQ Rub
- 4 tbsp Your favorite barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry, add a binder like oil or mustard then apply enough bbq rub to coat both sides of your chicken thighs.
- Load the pellets, prime, and set the Traeger to a temperature of 275°F and wait until temp. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down on the grill grates of your Traeger. Insert 2 separate temperature probes into the 2 largest thighs, avoiding the bone.
- Smoke with indirect heat until an internal temperature of 165°F. (Around 45 minutes to 1 hour)
- Remove from the grill (check for a nice charred skin) and place into an oven-proof tray.
- Baste the chicken with your honey BBQ sauce. Place the tray into the smoker until the internal meat temp hits 175°F. (Around a further 20 to 30 minutes.
- Rest covered in foil for a further 20 minutes.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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