Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
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You'll love these Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs that make the best chicken ever on your Traeger pellet grill. Enjoy tender and smoky dark meat with crispy skin that gets its flavor from a delicious brown sugar dry rub!
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Why You'll Love It
- budget friendly
- easy recipe with quick prep time
- smoky flavor goes great with southern sides
- homemade dry rub is sweet and zesty
- skin-on thighs create crispy skin
Recipe Highlights
If you have a wood pellet grill, one of the first recipes you'll want to try is Traeger smoked chicken thighs. The smoking time is less than 2 hours, and moist and juicy dark meat is easy to create with the right equipment. It's much easier than smoking chicken breasts which can be tricky to keep moist.
Depending on what type of wood pellets you use, the smoky taste will blow you away with this simple chicken thigh recipe. Add your favorite BBQ sauce, or bite into the crispy skin that's loaded with great flavor!
Since we're smoking dark meat, it comes out juicy and tender every time. You'll love learning how to smoke chicken thighs using the low and slow method on your Traeger wood pellet electric smoker.
Looking for another great pellet grill recipe? Try this delicious Smoked Leg of Lamb that's perfect for St. Patrick's Day or your Easter dinner table.
Equipment You'll Need
- Traeger pellet grill smoker
- hardwood pellets (hickory, mesquite or apple)
- digital thermometer or a wireless model
- sheet pan or aluminum pan
- grill gloves or kitchen tongs
Ingredients
This is the best smoked chicken thighs recipe because it uses bone-in chicken with the skin still intact. This creates crispy chicken skin that crackles when you take a bite! See quantities in recipe card.
Marinade
- bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on
- balsamic, Greek or Italian Dressing
Dry Rub
These are the ingredients for my standard dry rub recipe that I use for smoking pork and chicken. The brown sugar helps make a crunchy crust!
- smoked paprika
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- chili powder
- instant coffee granules
- coarse salt
- black pepper
- brown sugar
How to Smoke Chicken Thighs on a Traeger Grill
For reference, I use a Traeger Grills® Pro Series 22 to make this recipe.
TEMPERATURE: To avoid rubbery skin, I like to smoke bone-in thighs at a temperature of 275º F. Depending on the type of smoker used, a lower temperature may work just fine. Check your manufacturer's guidelines for recommendations.
PREP: Before you begin the smoking process, be sure your grill is prepped and preheated to 275 degrees. Purchase a digital meat thermometer or use the probe that comes with your smoker so you can cook to temperature instead of time.
Marinate the Chicken
MARINATE: I recommend marinating thigh meat the night before for best flavor. You can skip this step, but it works like a charm if you have extra time. Simply place the thighs in an aluminum pan (or a pan lined with aluminum foil) and pour a bottle of Greek or balsamic dressing on top.
REFRIGERATE: Cover pan and refrigerate chicken overnight. When it's time to cook, pat the thigh meat dry with paper towels and discard marinade. Trim any excess fat from meat.
Add a Dry Rub
DRY RUB: Sprinkle thighs with homemade spice rub. Be sure to get under the skin and on top and bottom for best results. This is what makes the chicken skin extra crispy when smoked!
Smoke the Thighs
SMOKE: Place thighs skin side up directly on the grill grates in your preheated smoker and insert thermometer probes. Cook at a smoker temperature of 275º F until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 175º F. The cooking time can be from one hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on the size of the thighs.
REST: Let the chicken thighs rest for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the juices to flow back into the meat. Don't skip this step! It makes a big difference.
How to Create Crispy Skin
Some recipes call for a barbecue baste during the cook, but if you want extra crispy skin, it's best to skip this step. You can always add barbecue sauce at the table after everyone has taken a crunchy bite out of their chicken!
What to Serve With Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
One of the things I love about serving smoked chicken thighs is how well they go with southern side dishes. They're just begging for a side of Red Skin Potato Salad or a pan full of Smoked Baked Beans.
My favorite sides to serve with Traeger smoked chicken thighs are Collard Greens with Bacon and Smoked Potatoes. Both of these can also be cooked alongside the chicken thighs on your Traeger pellet grill.
Other great side dishes include Southern Corn Pudding and Yellow Eye Beans. Whatever you do, don't forget the Pickled Green Tomatoes or Fire and Ice Pickles. You just gotta have pickles with smoked meat! And, remember to make some Carolina Gold BBQ sauce which is the perfect choice for Traeger smoked chicken thighs!
Recipe FAQS
A pellet grill or smoker uses indirect heat from hardwood pellets to infuse smoke flavor into whatever you're cooking. It's so versatile, you can smoke just about anything you can think of...including vegetables, meats and desserts!
Yes, if you don't have a smoker, you can use a grill to cook thigh meat. However, to get the smoke flavor, you'll need to purchase a smokebox (ad) that can be used inside the grill which uses wood chips instead of pellets.
The secret to crispy chicken skin is to use a dry rub containing brown sugar and smoke it at 275º F so the skin won't get rubbery. If it's not crispy after the internal temperature reaches 172º, crank up the grill to 400º, or place thighs under the broiler in your oven until they crisp to a golden brown.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on your smoker set at 225º until heated through. You can also reheat in a 350 degree oven.
Leftovers can be frozen if wrapped well and kept in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the smoker or in the oven at 225º for best results.
More BBQ Recipes
- Smoked Chuck Roast - learn how to smoke a chuck roast on your pellet grill
- Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings - the best and most crispy wings you'll ever taste!
- Smoked Baby Back Ribs - ribs that have just the right bite
- Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin - cook pork tenderloin in your dutch oven in 30 minutes
- Roasted Whole Chicken - make the juiciest and most delicious chicken ever
- Pellet Grill Meatloaf - your favorite meatloaf recipe with an extra burst of flavor
- Traeger Smoked Chicken Legs - go along great with this recipe!
Recipe Card
Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin)
- 1 bottle balsamic dressing (16 ounces)
Dry Rub
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
Marinate
- Arrange chicken thighs in an aluminum pan. Pour a bottle of balsamic dressing over chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.6 bone-in chicken thighs, 1 bottle balsamic dressing
Smoke
- Preheat Traeger grill / smoker to 275º F. Make sure there are plenty of wood pellets in the hopper.
- Dry chicken thighs with paper towels until they are sticky but not wet. Dispose of marinade.
- Sprinkle each thigh generously with dry rub. Rub it under the skin, on top and bottom of each thigh.1 Tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon onion powder, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup brown sugar, 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- Place thighs on the bottom grill grates with skin side up. Insert thermometer into the thickest chicken thigh.
- Smoke at 275º F on Traeger grill until thighs reach an internal temperature of 172º F. This may take anywhere from 1 hour to 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the thighs.
- Remove thighs from grill and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Don't skip this step because it allows the juices to settle back into the meat. Do not cover thighs while resting or the skin will become rubbery.
Notes
- To create crispy skin, be sure to dry the thighs completely with paper towels after marinating. Sprinkle generously with dry rub and work into and under the skin.
- After smoking, make sure not to cover the chicken thighs or the skins will become rubbery. Allow them to rest uncovered for 30 minutes before serving for best results.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, do so in a 350 degree oven until heated throughout. Broil skins for a few minutes to crisp them up.
- You can skip the marinating if you're pressed for time. Just use the dry rub on the raw chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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I'm excited to try this recipe because I've never smoked chicken thighs before. I love your tips for getting crispy skin. Thanks so much.