Smoked chicken thighs are one of the easiest, most flavorful meals you can make on a pellet grill or smoker. Bone-in chicken thighs stay naturally juicy and tender, making them a forgiving cut that absorbs delicious smoky flavor. Season them with a dry rub, then finish with your favorite barbecue sauce or glaze near the end for smoky, tender chicken that's perfect for weeknight dinners, backyard cookouts, and weekend barbecues.
Chicken thighs are especially good for smoking because the dark meat stays moist, takes on light smoke beautifully, and becomes tender without much fuss. Serve them with classic cookout sides like baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, corn, or a fresh green salad. Smoke a few extra while the grill is hot because the leftovers are great for sandwiches, wraps, tacos, salads, grain bowls, and quick meals throughout the week.
Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe Snapshot
- Juicy dark meat - Bone-in chicken thighs stay tender and moist on the smoker.
- Easy smoker recipe - Great for a pellet grill, smoker, or outdoor BBQ setup with a smoke tube.
- Dry rub flavor - Season with my homemade dry rub or your favorite seasoning blend.
- Optional glaze - Brush with barbecue sauce for a glossy, flavorful finish.
- Great leftovers - Use extra smoked chicken in sandwiches, wraps, salads, bowls, or tacos.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken thighs - Use bone-in thighs for moist flavorful meat.
- Seasoning - Use my smoky barbecue rub, blackening seasoning, lemon pepper, or a simple blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- BBQ sauce - Make my homemade BBQ sauce or use your favorite.
Chef's Tip: Buying bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Thighs contain bones, skin, and fat, so you'll end up with less edible meat than the package weight reads. Plan on 1 to 2 thighs per person, depending on their size and your side dishes. For my husband and me, I usually buy 1½ to 2 pounds, which gives us a satisfying dinner plus leftovers if the thighs are on the larger side, so double that for 4 people.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the barbecue sauce - Try hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey mustard, or another favorite glaze. Brush it on during the final 10-15 minutes so it sets.
- Skip the sauce - Leave the thighs dry-rubbed for a smoky, savory finish with crisper skin.
- Use boneless chicken thighs - Boneless thighs cook faster and work well, but they will not be quite as juicy or deeply flavored as bone-in thighs. Check the temperature earlier.
- Make them sweeter - Finish the thighs with a maple barbecue glaze, hot honey, or a mixture of barbecue sauce and a little hot honey.
Chefs tip For pellets - I use a premium all-hardwood blend of hickory, cherry, hard maple, and apple blend.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Turn chicken thighs under side up and trim of excess off skin and fat with a sharp knife.
- Place the thighs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season both sides well with dry rub.
- Place the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side up on preheated grill grates at 275°F.
- During the final 10-15 minutes of cooking, gently dab the sauce onto the chicken thighs with a pastry brush. Use a light touch so you don't disturb the rub or crisp skin. Let the sauce warm, thicken, and set into a glossy glaze.
Chef's Tip: The Best Temperature for Chicken Thighs. At 275°F, smaller bone-in chicken thighs may take 60-75 minutes, while large thighs, such as 8-ounce thighs, can take close to 2 hours. Chicken thighs are safe to eat at 165°F, but dark meat is more tender and flavorful when cooked to 175°F-185°F. The higher temperature gives the connective tissue and fat more time to break down, creating softer, juicier meat. If the thighs are taking longer than expected and you need to speed things up, increase the smoker temperature by about 25°F and monitor the internal temperature closely. Check the temperature in the thickest part, avoiding the bone.
Serving Suggestions
Serve smoked chicken thighs with classic barbecue favorites like Boston baked beans, red potato salad, fresh coleslaw, grilled corn on the cob, or an antipasto pasta salad. For lighter meals, pair them with a crisp green salad, grilled vegetables, roasted broccoli, or a simple cucumber and tomato salad.
Leftover smoked chicken thighs are just as versatile. Slice or shred the meat for sandwiches, wraps, tacos, grain bowls, pasta, or salads. They also make an easy protein for meal prep throughout the week.
Leftovers and Storage
Store leftover smoked chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven, air fryer on reheat, or microwave until warmed through.
For longer storage, freeze cooled chicken thighs in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
At 275°F, bone-in chicken thighs usually take 60-75 minutes, depending on their size and how steadily your smoker holds the temperature. Cook to internal temperature rather than relying only on time. Larger thighs such as 8-ounce thighs will take longer.
Smoke chicken thighs at 275°F for a good balance of smoky flavor, tender meat, and reasonable cooking time. If you need them done faster, increase the temperature slightly. They'll have a little less smoke flavor but still turn out delicious. If your pellet grill has a Smoke Boost or Super Smoke setting, use it.
Cook smoked chicken thighs to 175°F-180°F for the most tender, juicy dark meat. Check the temperature in the thickest part without touching the bone.
Add barbecue sauce during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking so it has time to warm, thicken, and set into a glossy glaze. Dab it on gently instead of brushing hard, which can disturb the rub and crisp skin. Avoid using sauce straight from the refrigerator; let it come to room temperature or warm it gently first.
More Pellet Grill Recipes
From smoked salsa to turkey, pork, and of course more smoked chicken recipes, be sure to check out the grill & smoker recipe index.
If You Make Smoked Chicken Thighs
If you make these smoked chicken thighs, I'd love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment and rating below-it helps other readers and I enjoy hearing what you're cooking on your smoker.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Pellet grill, smoker, or gas grill with smoker accessory
- premium hardwood pellets
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 pounds bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons dry rub
- avocado oil spray
- ⅓ - ½ cup BBQ sauce
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Instructions
Prepare the grill
- Pre-heat the pellet grill to 275°F. Check the hopper to be sure it's full of pellets and the grates are clean.
Trim and season chicken
- Trim the thighs of excess skin and fat. Season with dry rub, adding salt first if the rub is salt-free.
Smoke chicken
- When the grill reaches temperature, place the chicken thighs on the grates and give them a quick spritz of avocado oil spray. Set a timer for 60 minutes.At 60 minutes, check the thighs with a digital thermometer. If they are close to 170°F, brush them with warm barbecue sauce and continue smoking for another 10–15 minutes, or until they reach 175°F–180°F. If they are still well below 170°F, continue smoking before adding the sauce. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.Note – Large chicken thighs, such as 8-ounce thighs, may take up to 2 hours to reach the proper internal temperature. If any size thighs are taking longer than expected and you need dinner done, increase the smoker temperature by 25°F and watch the internal temperature closely. They will finish faster.
Notes
Nutrition
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