My Dad is the smoked Chicken thigh master, Competition Cook and BBQ Judge and this is his recipe and methodology. Once you’ve had these smoked chicken thighs, it makes other types of chicken pale in comparison. First of all, the thigh is an extra juicy cut of meat- it’s surprising that so many people rely on dry chicken breasts when the thigh is really where the flavor is! And they are a great price at the grocery store! Ever wonder why everyone uses Chicken Thighs at BBQ competitions- because they are the best tasting!

Why You’ll Love Smoked Chicken Thighs:

Move over chicken breasts, chicken thighs are really where the flavor is! For competition style smoked chicken thighs, you will want to get bone in chicken thighs which is the dark meat on the chicken that offers a juicy, flavorful chicken eating experience. Chicken thighs are the perfect canvas for layering on your favorite BBQ Rub, infusing with smoke, and then finishing with BBQ sauce at the end. Unlike most recipes, you’ll see that I add sauce on at the end because BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar and burns on the grill and therefore is best to be added at the end. The culmination of moist and juicy chicken thighs cooked over charcoal, kissed in smoke, with a complimentary rub and finishing BBQ sauce is heaven on earth! After you cook your Barbecue chicken this way, you’ll never cook them another way again!

Why Chicken Thighs are Great for Smoking and Grilling

Chicken thighs are a popular choice for smoking because they are less likely to dry out compared to other parts of the chicken. This is due to the higher fat content and more connective tissue in chicken thighs, which helps to keep the meat moist and tender during the low and slow smoking process. Additionally, the fat in the meat lubricates the muscle fibers, preventing them from drying out and resulting in a juicy and flavorful end product. The connective tissue in chicken thighs also breaks down during smoking, resulting in a tender and delicious meat that is perfect for shredding or pulling apart. With a variety of dry rubs and marinades to choose from, smoking chicken thighs is a great way to infuse them with smoky flavor and create a delicious and versatile meat that can be used in a variety of dishes.

Competition style chicken thighs are the culmination of chicken perfumed with smoke, rub, and sauce.

Ingredients to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs:

• 8 chicken thighs
• Brine (see recipe below)
• BBQ Sauce of your choice – 1 cup or so
• Brine Recipe: (this is enough for one large chicken so you can half the recipe if you like).
• BBQ Rub – I use my Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub (use code Sunshine for $1 off)
• Fruit wood- apple, cherry, etc
• Hickory wood

Brine Recipe:

• 1 gallon warm water
• ¾ cup kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil

Another great alternative for Brine is to use Pickle Juice. I often save pickle juice and use it for brining chicken. This is what Chick-Fil-A does with their chicken. 

When making Competition Style Smoked Chicken thighs, add BBQ sauce at the end so it does not burn on the grill.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs:

Part One- Brine!

Start By First Brining You chicken overnight. Mix your brine ingredients in a large container and let your thighs sit in the brine for 4 hours in the refrigerator or longer before putting on the smoker.

Next, Time to Grill! 

1. Oil your grill grates with avocado or coconut oil (high heat non seed oil!) so your chicken won’t stick to the grates.
2. Prepare a grill for direct and indirect grilling with the direct side getting hot enough to sear the chicken briefly.
3. Pat the chicken dry after removing it from the brine. Now, sprinkle your thighs generously with Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ rub or your preferred rub.
4. With the lid off, sear the chicken thighs quickly on the direct side- just until you start to get some coloration or char marks (a few minutes per side).
5. Now, gently put the thighs on the indirect side. Add your wood to the coals. At this point, put the lid on the grill and close the vents to a small crack. You want to get your grill temp down to 250 degrees.
6. The chicken should smoke for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees with an internal read thermometer such as the Thermapen (I love my thermapen!). If you’re curious about what internal temp any protein you’re cooking should reach, check out our BBQ Calculator! During the last 5 minutes, apply a coat of your favorite bbq sauce with a brush and it will form a nice golden glaze while on the grill in the last 5 minutes. If you have a BBQ thermometer with dual thermometers such as the Thermoworks Smoke with a coupler for the grill grate– now is the time to use it. You want to ensure that the actual grates are at this temp. My dad uses a candy thermometer and sticks it into the vents of his Weber kettle to accomplish this. Do what works best for you.
7. Once you’ve reached the proper internal temp of 165 degrees, take the chicken off the grill and let it rest tented under foil for 10 minutes.
8. Serve with your favorite sides! I always pair this with my favorite slaw- I love this with my Charleston style coleslaw recipe.

Substitutions/Variations:

Not everyone is a chicken thigh lover and that’s okay! There are several substitutions you can use for smoked chicken thigh, depending on what you’re looking for in terms of flavor and texture. Here are a few options:

1. Grilled chicken thighs: Grilling chicken thighs will give you a similar smoky flavor and charred exterior to smoked chicken. You can brush the chicken with a marinade or spice rub for extra flavor.
2. Grilled BONELESS chicken thighs: boneless skinless chicken thighs are my go-to weeknight dinner. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe- they will cook much faster than bone in and can be cooked directly on the grill versus in this recipe which starts with direct and then indirect.

Tools Need to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs:

Thermapen

Temperature is everything in all cooking, not just grilling. If you aren’t using an instant-read thermometer in cooking, you are leaving everything up to chance. This can be dangerous but it’s also a great way to ruin a perfectly good piece of meat. The Thermapen is the gold standard in temperature used by chefs around the world. The Thermapen is known for it’s lightning-fast temperature reads of 3 seconds or less, with new and improved Thermapens giving 1-second temperature readings. If you can’t afford a Thermapen, you can still get super quick temperature reads at only $29 with the Thermopop.

Meater WiFi Enabled Meat Thermometer

While I am a grilling purist and don’t like too much technology involved in my cooks, I cannot deny that the Meater Bluetooth Enabled Meat Thermometer will make you a better cook and simplify the overall cooking process! The Meater thermometer has an app full of cooking videos, recipes and tutorials that essentially idiot proofs any cook for you because you can tell the thermometer exactly what you are cooking, what your desired temp is (medium rare, etc), and it will pretty much guide you through your entire cook, giving you updates the entire time. It will give you general guides on temp so you can select the ideal setting, gives you real time updates of the the internal temp of the meat, and the ambient temperature of the grill during the entire cook, notifying you as it gets close to the proper internal temp AND giving you an alarm as the food gets ready. Essentially, you cannot overcook a piece of meat using the thermometer! For those cooks who want to track temperature ebb and flow on your smoker, you can download charts from the app on your phone for the anal OCD smoker type that wants to analyze every cook. The Meater makes a great gift for the BBQ person in your life because, well, it’s an awesome gift!

Tips for Making Smoked Chicken Thighs:

Brine the chicken thighs: Brining the chicken thighs in a mixture of water, salt, and other seasonings for several hours before smoking can help to keep the meat moist and tender.

Why Brine?  Brining chicken thighs before smoking can help to ensure that the meat stays juicy and flavorful throughout the cooking process. Brining involves soaking the chicken in a mixture of water, salt, and other seasonings for several hours before cooking. This allows the chicken to absorb moisture and flavor from the brine, which helps to prevent it from drying out during smoking. The salt in the brine also helps to break down the muscle fibers in the chicken, which makes it more tender and easier to chew. Brining can be particularly helpful when smoking lean meats like chicken thighs, which can easily become tough and dry if not properly prepared. Another great option for brining chicken this is by using leftover dill pickle juice. This is an excellent brine for chicken that adds a ton of flavor! Just make sure to use pickle juice that does not include the preservative Polysorbate 80 which is very common additive in pickles (Polysorbate 80 has been linked to colon cancer and other diseases so it’s best to avoid!). 

Smoked Chicken Thighs FAQ:

Q: How long does it take to smoke chicken thighs?

A: The cooking time for smoked chicken thighs can vary depending on the size and temperature of your smoker. On average, chicken thighs take 2-3 hours to smoke at a temperature of around 225°F to 250°F. However, it’s important to check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer to ensure that it has reached 165°F, which is the safe temperature for poultry.

Q: Do I need to remove the skin from chicken thighs before smoking?

A: It’s up to you whether or not to remove the skin from chicken thighs before smoking. The skin can help to keep the meat moist and add flavor, but it can also prevent the seasoning from penetrating the meat. If you prefer crispy skin, you can smoke the chicken with the skin on and then crisp it up on the grill or under the broiler after smoking.

Q: Should I baste the chicken thighs while smoking?

A: Basting the chicken thighs with a sauce or glaze during the last 30 minutes of smoking can help to add flavor and moisture to the meat. However, be careful not to apply too much sauce, as it can cause the chicken to become overly sweet or sticky.

Q: Can I smoke frozen chicken thighs?

A: It’s not recommended to smoke frozen chicken thighs, as they will not cook evenly and may take longer to reach the safe temperature of 165°F. It’s best to thaw the chicken thighs in the refrigerator overnight before smoking.

Q: How should I store leftover smoked chicken thighs?

A: Leftover smoked chicken thighs should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, wrap the chicken in foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.

How To Make Kick Ass Smoked Chicken Thighs

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• Author: Brian Blair
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4: (2 thighs each) 1x

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Description

This is a relatively simple recipe that can be achieved on any grill that has enough surface area to create direct and indirect zones. Once you've had Competition Style Smoked Chicken Thighs, all other BBQ Chicken recipes will pale in comparison!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 chicken thighs
• Brine (see recipe below)
• BBQ Sauce of your choice – 1 cup or so
• Brine Recipe: (this is enough for one large chicken so you can half the recipe if you like).
• BBQ Rub (you can use my recipe here if you don't have your own)
• Fruit wood- apple, cherry, etc
• Hickory wood

Brine Recipe:

• 1 gallon warm water
• ¾ cup kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil

Before Grilling Directions

Mix your brine ingredients in a large container and let your thighs sit in the brine for 4 hours in the refrigerator or longer before putting on the smoker.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Oil your grill grates with canola oil so your chicken won’t stick to the grates.
2. Prepare a grill for direct and indirect grilling with the direct side getting hot enough to sear the chicken briefly.
3. Pat the chicken dry after removing it from the brine. Now, sprinkle your thighs generously with BBQ rub.
4. With the lid off, sear the chicken thighs quickly on the direct side- just until you start to get some coloration or char marks (a few minutes per side).
5. Now, gently put the thighs on the indirect side. Add your wood to the coals. At this point, put the lid on the grill and close the vents to a small crack. You want to get your grill temp down to 250 degrees. If you have a BBQ thermometer with dual thermometers such as the Thermoworks Smoke with a coupler for the grill grate– now is the time to use it. You want to ensure that the actual grates are at this temp. My dad uses a candy thermometer and sticks it into the vents of his weber kettle to accomplish this. Do what works best for you.
6. The chicken should smoke for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees with an internal read thermometer such as the Thermapen (I love my thermapen!). If you're curious about what internal temp any protein you're cooking should reach, check out our BBQ Calculator! During the last 5 minutes, apply a coat of your favorite bbq sauce with a brush and it will form a nice golden glaze while on the grill in the last 5 minutes.
7. Once you’ve reached the proper internal temp of 165 degrees, take the chicken off the grill and let it rest tented under foil for 10 minutes.
8. Serve with your favorite sides! I always pair this with my favorite slaw- I love this with my Charleston style coleslaw recipe.

Notes

Affiliate links have been used. I only recommend product I use and endorse!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Brine Time (4 hours to overnight):
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner, BBQ Chicken
• Method: Grill, smoke
• Cuisine: American, American BBQ, BBQ, Barbecue

Did you enjoy these smoked chicken thighs? Check out our Grilled Chicken Recipes!