• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Biscuits & Burlap logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes

    Published: Jul 25, 2023 · Modified: Aug 4, 2023 by Pam

    Smoked Chicken Thighs

    Thanks for sharing!

    237 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Email
    pin image for smoked chicken thighs.

    The tenderest and most flavorful part of the chicken gets infused with smoke flavor. Here you'll find the full recipe for brining and smoking chicken thighs.

    smoked chicken thighs on plate with fork.
    Jump to:
    • About brining first
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • The steps for making it
    • What internal temperature is best for chicken thighs?
    • What sauce is good with smoked chicken?
    • Saving chicken thighs for later
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More dishes to cook on the smoker

    For the most moist and tender chicken dishes, you want to choose skin-on, bone-in chicken. Chicken thighs are the part of the chicken with the most flavor.

    Cajun Baked Chicken is a recipe that is specifically written for bone-in chicken and it calls for a variety of pieces. You could certainly substitute all thighs in that recipe, too.

    Now we know that y'all love your boneless chicken breast. No doubt it's the leanest, most low fat option out there. Various recipes like Preacher Chicken and Grilled Blackened Chicken make it as flavorful as possible with marinades and seasonings.

    But, for real melt-in-your-mouth chicken goodness, you can't beat thighs that have been brined and smoked. Read on for full instructions and the spice blend.

    About brining first

    Why should you brine chicken? The brine infuses flavor and tenderness throughout the meat - not just on the surface.

    A friend of ours who is a well trained chef says that she absolutely always brines chicken before cooking. It's a good practice, though we admit to not always having the time.

    That being said, if you're short of time you can make these smoked chicken thighs without the brining process and they'll still be outstanding. But, if you can, the brine will give a light taste of salt and an extra bit of tenderness to your meat.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Chicken thighs (skin on and bone in)
    • Salt (for the brine and the seasoning)
    • Water
    • Brown sugar for the brine - light or dark brown sugar is fine
    • Garlic powder
    • Onion powder
    • Smoked paprika
    • Black pepper - we recommend coarse ground, but any is fine
    • Cumin
    • Cayenne pepper (optional, but we always like to add it)

    (see recipe card for quantities)

    smoked chicken piled up on plate.

    The steps for making it

    1. First you'll make the brine. Stir the salt and brown sugar into the water to dissolve. You can bring it to a boil and that will make the salt and sugar easier to dissolve, but if you do so you'll need to cool the brine before using it.
    2. Put the chicken in a container that you can completely cover it with the brine. If it floats up you can use a heavy plate on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
    3. Mix the remaining ingredients to make the seasoning blend.
    4. Pull the thighs out of the brine and pat them dry.
    5. Coat on all sides with the seasoning.
    6. Smoke in a Big Green Egg or other smoker for about 2 to 2 and a half hours. Use a flavorful wood for smoking. Our favorites are hickory and applewood, but choose whatever you like. Maintain the heat in your smoker as closely as possible to 225 degrees.
    close up of temperature gauge on smoker.

    What internal temperature is best for chicken thighs?

    They will be safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165 degrees. However, the dark meat of chicken thighs is actually the most succulent and tender if cooked until it reaches 175 to 185 degrees. This does not result in overcooked chicken.

    This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    A thermometer is essential to properly cooking your chicken. Many people love to use instant read thermometers like this one.

    We actually like the type of thermometer with multiple probes so you can have a probe inserted in smaller and larger pieces. They connect wirelessly to your phone with an app and you can monitor the progess of your meat from wherever you are.

    This is especially helpful when slowly smoking a dish that will take hours. It can cut back on times running back and forth to the smoker. Also, each time you open the lid on the smoker, it takes time for the temperature to recover.

    These probes stay in the meat with the lid down until ready to take it off the heat.

    chicken thighs on grill with temperature probe

    What sauce is good with smoked chicken?

    The truth is that this chicken is perfectly delightful without a sauce at all. But, if you prefer to serve a sauce alongside we have two that we would recommend.

    First is Georgia Mustard BBQ Sauce. It's a staple in our refrigerator so there's always a container of it around. We just set it out for a little while before serving so it's not ice cold.

    A completely different option is this Yogurt Sauce for Chicken. It's going to give a tangy, but cool complementing flavor to your meat. Both are very easy to make.

    Saving chicken thighs for later

    As long as you cover them tightly, you can store your smoked chicken in the refrigerator for up to 5 or 6 days.

    In fact, a day or two in the fridge will actually give a little more intensity to the smoke flavor and we see that as a good thing! We have not tested freezing this recipe.

    For a quick and fun look at this recipe check out the Google Web Story.

    📖 Recipe

    close up of smoked chicken thighs.

    Smoked Chicken Thighs

    Pam
    The tenderest and most flavorful part of the chicken gets infused with smoke flavor. Here you'll find the full recipe for brining and smoking chicken thighs.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 2½ pounds chicken thighs skin on and bone in
    • 6 cups water
    • 6 Tablespoons salt for the brine
    • 4 Tablespoons brown sugar light or dark brown
    • ½ teaspoon salt for the seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper recommend coarsley ground
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, but recommended

    Instructions
     

    • Make the brine by dissolving the 6 Tablespoons salt and the brown sugar in water.
    • Submerge the chicken in the brine. If needed a heavy plate can be set on top of the chicken to keep it totally submerged.
    • Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
    • Mix the remaining ingredients to make the seasoning blend.
    • When the chicken has brined removed it and pat dry. Coat on both sides with the seasoning blend.
    • Cook on a smoker for two to two and a half hours, maintaining the heat of the smoker to as close to 225 degrees as possible. Remove chicken when internal temperature is between 175 and 185 degrees. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • Fragrant wood such as apple or hickory should be used in smoker for optimal smoke flavor. 
    • This recipe will work for between 2 and 3 pounds of chicken thighs.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More dishes to cook on the smoker

    bowl of smoked queso with cilantro on top.
    Smoked Queso Dip without Velveeta
    baked beans in skillet that have been cooked on a smoker.
    Smoked Baked Beans
    bowl of sweet potatoes in corner with peelings
    Smoked Sweet Potatoes
    smoked vegetables in grill basket
    Smoked Vegetables
    spoonful of smoked mac and cheese over skillet
    Smoked Mac and Cheese
    Complete instructions for smoking ham (non-spiral-sliced) on the Big Green Egg
    Smoked Ham on the Big Green Egg

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tara says

      August 04, 2023 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      Oh yum! I love all the tips to help make these smoked chicken thighs perfect. The flavors sound incredible.

      Reply
    2. Ned says

      August 04, 2023 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      I heard smoked chicken thighs and I came runnin! These were delicious! I'm so glad I tried. Will be putting this on the regular rotation. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        August 05, 2023 at 9:28 am

        Yay!!!

        Reply
    3. Tracy says

      August 04, 2023 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      Oh I love chicken thighs and I feel like they don't get the love that they deserve! So good and will definitely be making again.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        August 05, 2023 at 9:28 am

        Thanks, Tracy.

        Reply
    4. Kushigalu says

      August 04, 2023 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      Simple and easy recipe with chicken thighs. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    5. Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

      August 04, 2023 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this outstanding recipe; it has certainly become a staple in my BBQ repertoire. I can't wait to fire up the smoker again and indulge in these amazing smoked chicken thighs. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this flavor sensation!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        August 05, 2023 at 9:28 am

        Thanks for letting us know!

        Reply
    6. Hank Edwards says

      August 05, 2023 at 6:48 pm

      What if I don't have a smoker? Can I use the recipe in the oven

      Reply
      • Pam says

        August 05, 2023 at 9:54 pm

        You could Hank. It just wouldn't have the flavor of the smoke, but it would still be good.

        Reply

    Tell us what you think! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, y'all!

    Pam and Sara sitting on blanket with picnic.
    Photo cred: Angie Webb Creative

    We’re Pam and Sara, a Southern mother/daughter team on a mission. We’re here to help you keep those precious food memories alive and create new ones, too. 

    Read more-

    Recent Posts

    • overhead shot of carrot pumpkin soup.
      Carrot Pumpkin Soup with Brown Butter
    • close up of brown butter pecan cookies.
      Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
    • steak omelet on a white plate with fork in background
      Steak Omelette with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms
    • square image of pan friend sweet potatoes with small flowers.
      Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Disclosures and Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact Us
    • Work With Us

    Copyright © 2021 Biscuits & Burlap

    237 shares