These smoked chicken thighs are one of the easiest smoker recipes you will ever make! Covered in a savory chicken rub, they are quick to prep and turn out juicy and tender every single time. These are perfect for any weekday dinner or for a backyard bbq!
Smoking chicken thighs has never been so easy and with this recipe, you'll be amazed at the flavor and how fall-apart tender these turn out! While these smoked chicken breasts are also tender and juicy, these smoked chicken thighs contain more fat and turn out even juicier because of the dark meat.
Now don't get me wrong, the oven is still perfect when making a roasted chicken with vegetables and these baked chicken thighs with Dijon lime sauce. And the air fryer comes in handy when I want to make these crispy and delicious chicken thighs. But anytime I can use my smoker to make quick and easy smoker recipes, I'm up for it!
The thing about smoking chicken thighs is that thigh meat absorbs smoke and flavor extremely well. Each piece is covered in a rosemary seasoning and smoked to perfection. The flavor is out-of-this-world delicious! We're talking about some seriously delicious smoked chicken thighs every single time!
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✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
Why These Are The Best Smoked Chicken Thighs: Regardless of the type of smoker you use, this smoky chicken recipe doesn't take long to prepare and tastes incredible! You'll end up with juicy chicken every single time!
How Long It Takes: 2 hours
Equipment You'll Need: smoker, wood/pellets, bowl, basting brush
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
1. Seasoned with a savory chicken rub that is made with simple ingredients, you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen pantry!
2. Any type of smoker can be used to make these smoked chicken thighs.
3. Smoked to perfection, these are the best chicken thighs and are more flavorful than grilled chicken!
4. This is a great beginner smoker recipe.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
I use a wet rub on these smoked chicken thighs instead of a dry rub. While sweet rubs with a brown sugar base work really well when smoking a whole chicken, a good savory chicken rub works well on individual pieces. Similar to using acid, oil, and flavoring agents when making a good steak marinade, the same components apply when using a wet rub.
- Web Ingredients - this wet rub uses olive oil for the base while using fresh garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice as the acid components. Not only can this combination of ingredients help tenderize the meat, but it also helps the dry ingredients stick to the meat better.
- Dry Ingredients - dried rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds add extra robust layered flavor which is one of the main reasons this recipe stands out from the rest. Fennel balances out the robust flavors in the rosemary and thyme. It has a slightly sweet flavor that you can taste in every bite.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📋 Variations
- Types of Chicken - This is a boneless, skinless chicken thigh recipe but it also works extremely well with bone-in, skin-on thighs.
- Brining - While you can brine chicken thighs, it's not necessary. I tend to use a brine when I'm making white meat, like this smoked pork tenderloin and in this smoked turkey breast, not only because they are larger in size but because brining helps keep moisture in naturally drier meat. It's true that brining helps retain moisture and that equals a more juicy piece of meat, but individual pieces are already naturally juicy and tender, especially if they are bone-in.
- Coarse Salt & Pepper - Use a coarse salt and pepper to add even more flavor and texture.
- Flavored Olive Oil - If you have a flavored olive oil, use it in this recipe for more added flavor.
- Make Extra - You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a large crowd or if you're meal prepping.
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Learning how to smoke chicken thighs has never been so simple!
Step 1: Start by preparing the smoker accordingly and preheating it to 225°F. While it is preheating, prepare the chicken rub.
Step 2: Put the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, dried rosemary, dried thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.
Step 3: Place each piece of completely thawed meat flat on a plate. Baste each piece of chicken with the wet rub, ensuring both the front and back are covered. Set aside.
Step 4: Once the smoker has preheated, place each piece of chicken directly on the smoker grates.
Step 5: Insert a digital meat thermometer into the side of the meat until the tip is resting in the middle of the meat.
Step 6: Close the lid and let the smoker do all the hard work.
👩🍳 Expert Tip! There is no need to flip the chicken thighs while they are smoking. The goal is to keep as much smoke in as well as maintaining a constant temperature throughout the entire smoking process.
The more you open the smoker, the more smoke (flavor) you're letting out. And incoming air will affect the internal temperature. So try to refrain from opening the smoker lid unless absolutely necessary.
Step 7: When smoking, it's important to cook to temperature, not time. When the internal temperature reaches 165°F, it's considered done.
According to the FDA, cook all poultry to the minimal safe internal temperature of 165°F. Many prefer to cook thighs to a higher temperature based on their personal preference.
Step 8: Using tongs, remove the smoked chicken thighs from the smoker and put them on a dish. Cover with aluminum foil and allow them to rest for at least 5-minutes before serving. Resting allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat and this helps ensure the chicken doesn't dry out.
And that it! We're talking delicious chicken smoked chicken thighs in your own backyard! They are easy to smoke and have amazing flavor! You're going to love every tender and juicy bite!
🙋🏼 Recipe FAQs
Depending on the size of the pieces and whether or not they are bone-in or boneless, it typically takes 75-90 minutes to smoke. For larger bone-in chicken thighs, it takes at least 2 hours to smoke. Always rely on the internal temperature of this chicken and not the time.
The secret to tender and juicy meat is to smoke it "low and slow". All smokers will fluctuate in temperature 7-10 degrees pretty frequently. My recommendation is to ensure the internal temperature doesn't go below 225°F and doesn't exceed 250°F for this particular recipe.
You can, yes. There is a temperature danger zone but for this recipe, I apply the 40-140-4 rule. This means that the meat should rise from 40° F to at least 140° F within 4 hours to reduce the amount of bacteria growth on the meat. Since the internal temperature of the smoker will range between 225°-250°F and the internal temperature for the chicken thighs will reach 165°F by hour 2, you're safe.
💭 Expert Tips
- Using flavored wood adds to the flavor of the meat, but you don't want to overpower the meat with too much flavor. Use a milder wood, such as cherry or apple, when smoking poultry to obtain a nice balance of smoky flavor.
- If using a pellet smoker, ensure the wood pellets are topped off before you begin. Check the pellet hopper periodically while smoking to ensure the pellets don't run out during the smoke.
- Even though you're basting on the rub, apply some pressure with the basting brush to help ensure the flavors are penetrating the top layer of the meat.
- Trim off any excess fat before applying the chicken rub.
- If you're cooking thighs with the skin on, place them skin side down on the grill grate. Also, make sure the wet rub gets under the skin to penetrate the meat. The skin helps retain the moisture in the piece as it smokes and also adds additional flavor.
- Store any leftovers in a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
🥘 More Smoker Recipes
If you tried these smoked chicken thighs or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Easy Smoked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless or bone in, skin on
For The Wet Rub
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- juice of ½ lemon
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing the smoker and preheating it to 225°F. While it is preheating, prepare the chicken rub.
- Put the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, dried rosemary, dried thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Place the thighs flat on a plate. Baste each piece with the wet rub ensure both the front and back are covered. Set aside.
- Once the smoker has preheated, place each piece of chicken directly on the smoker grates.
- Insert a digital meat thermometer into the side of the meat until the tip is resting in the middle.
- Close the lid and let the smoker do all the hard work.
- When the internal chicken thighs temperature reaches 165°F, it's considered done.
- Using tongs, remove the smoked chicken thighs from the smoker and put them on a dish. Cover with aluminum foil and allow them to rest for at least 5-minutes before serving.
Notes
- If using a pellet smoker, ensure the wood pellets are topped off before you begin. Check the pellet hopper periodically while smoking to ensure the pellets don't run out during the smoke.
- Use a coarse salt and pepper to add even more flavor and texture.
- If you have a flavored olive oil, use it in this recipe for more added flavor.
- Even though you're basting on the rub, apply some pressure with the basting brush to help ensure the flavors are penetrating the top layer of the meat.
- Trim off any excess fat before applying the chicken rub.
- If you're cooking thighs with the skin on, place the skin side down on the grill grate. Also, make sure the wet rub gets under the skin to penetrate the meat. The skin helps retain the moisture in the piece as it smokes and also adds additional flavor.
- There is no need to flip the pieces while they are smoking. The goal is to keep as much smoke in as well as maintaining a constant temperature throughout the entire smoking process. The more you open the smoker, the more flavor you're letting out. And incoming air will affect the internal temperature. So try to refrain from opening the smoker lid unless absolutely necessary.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a large crowd or if you're meal prepping.
- Store any leftovers in a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Lu
HI Amanda! I am definitely going to try this. I love grilled chicken thighs, but when I have smoked chicken, the skin is rubbery and tough. How to prevent this? Thanks.
Amanda Mason
I use boneless and skinless for this recipe!
Moop Brown
Thighs are like my favorite part of the chicken to cook and eat so this recipe is definitely one I need to try.
Amanda Mason
Let me know how it turns out for you! Can't wait to hear!!