Once all of the chicken thighs have been pat dry, coat them with bbq rub. Once the fire is lit, preheat to 250° F. If using a gas or charcoal grill, set it up for low, indirect heat. Smoked chicken thighs are one of my favorite things to make on the smoker. https://www.vindulge.com/traeger-grilled-chicken-thighs-and-wine-pairing All the things, but NO. Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram. Bonus! True, it’s hard to beat but I’m here to say that a wood pellet grill will more than satisfy your needs. No arguments necessary. If you want to pin this recipe, use the little pin button at the top of the card. Dark meat chicken is so much better than white meat. I’m throwing down the gauntlet here because it is SO important. The result is delicious and tasty! And your best friend's best friend. It’s easy to make a large batch and then individually package them for meals during the week, or to use at another time. Chicken thighs with Char-Crust seasoning after about 30 minutes on my pellet smoker. Do you remove chicken skin before smoking? This will create steam inside the foil that cooks the meat quickly while moistening it. From whole chickens and chicken legs to a white wine chicken and mushrooms to serve over a big plate of pasta, you’re going to find it all here. During the last 20 minutes of the cook, you could brush each thigh with your favorite BBQ sauce, but it’s not necessary. Preheat your grill to 420 degrees. Place the brine bucket in your fridge overnight, or at least 6 hours. There are so many opinions out there on the right way to do this, so your mileage may vary, but this is my favorite way to do it, and it doesnt’ involve a bunch of skin peeling and scraping like some other methods do that I’ve seen floating around online. They were moist, tender and delicious! Join our Easy Traeger Recipes Facebook group! It’ll work out. Just like with our classic chicken wing brine, this … These tender, juicy smoked chicken thighs are slow smoked on over live wood fire on your pellet grill before being finished off in a pan with hot oil to crisp up that delicious chicken thigh skin. Added some garlic and onion powders to the brine. That way I have enough for lunch during the week too! If you’re looking for a great pellet smoker recipe using chicken, keep reading. In a stockpot over medium high heat combine the following ingredients: Stir the brine solution until it just starts to boil and then remove from the heat and let cool to room temp. NOTE: If you are using a traditional gas grill, you will need to cook the chicken indirectly to avoid flareups. Along with affordability and shorter time on the smoker, they have a high-fat content, which makes them very forgiving. During the last 20 minutes of the cook, brush each thigh with your favorite BBQ sauce. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Remove the skin if you like - the rub is applied primarily under the skin, so the flavor is still intense. 1/3 Kinder’s Cali Gold sauce, 1/3 Kinder’s Roasted Garlic sauce, and 1/3 no sauce. Using pellet grills for smoking jerk chicken thighs is the best way to go. I'm sharing what I've learned from the best pitmasters and BBQ school to help you create winning competition chicken thighs. Set aside. Your email address will not be published. Remove from the grill. Experiment with what works best for you, or follow my recipes. Cooking smoked chicken leg quarters on a pellet grill is an easy process. After an hour at 180 degrees, turn the heat up to 350 and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Fire up your Louisiana Grills pellet grill and with the lid open, set your temperature to SMOKE mode. Thanksgiving is my favorite meal and I’ll go to great lengths for it, but if I HAVE to pick one I’m going for the dark meat every time. One of the best ways to preserve the moisture and flavor in chicken while it smokes is to use a good brine. I’m from Minnesota, and I think I was in my 30’s before I had ever eaten pulled pork off of a smoker instead of out of a crockpot. Stir until brine just starts to boil and then remove from heat. Get your smoker up to 180 degrees and place your chicken thighs inside. I don’t wrap anything in foil when I smoke it because I actually enjoy the flavor of the wood-fire. In Jamaica, jerk chicken stands are on the roadside. What remains at the end of the cook is incredibly juicy chicken that will please your taste buds with every bite. Thanks! Check internal temperature; chicken is done at 165 degrees F, but there is enough fat that they will stay moist at an internal temperature of 180 degrees F and the texture is better. What should I serve with crispy smoked chicken thighs? If skin isn’t crispy I don’t want it, please, thank you, and everything in-between. Place chicken thighs on the grill grate and cook for 35 minutes. If you need a stop-watch you AREN’T DOING IT RIGHT. If you want to get both crispy chicken skin AND chicken that isn’t overcooked, you need to break out that cast iron, some oil and do a quick pan-fry on the skin-side before serving that. How to smoke chicken thighs on a pellet grill. https://memphisgrills.com/smoked-chicken-thighs-wrapped-in-bacon I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Pull the meat when it says it is time to pull it, and not before. Next, and the secret to these amazing thighs, is the crispy skin. There is plenty of flavor in the meat from the brine you used. Will use a higher temp at the end to better crisp the skin, or do a better job of drying the skin after brining. The sweet and savory spices form a delicious crust that compliments these As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Smoking is an art, really. Smoked Chicken Thighs with Applewood. With your Traeger heated and ready to go, remove your chicken thighs from the brine and pat each … Posted on Published: September 6, 2019 Categories Chicken, Recipes, Traeger Recipes, Home » Grilling » Traeger Recipes » Smoked Chicken Thighs. You’re going to love this easy, economical meal that is knock-your-socks-off delicious. https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/competition-style-bbq-chicken-thighs Join the OWYD Newsletter for delicious dinner ideas, exclusive discounts and deals, and all of the latest recipes right to your inbox! Removed the skin before putting on my homemade rub, then put the skin back on and secured with a toothpick and some more rub. This will take 30 to 40 minutes. Easy smoked chicken thighs on the pellet grill are not only simple and fast, but SO delicious too. If you aren’t going to fry the chicken post-smoke, I DO recommend removing the skin. I DO recommed removing that chicken skin if you aren’t going to treat it properly though. You will not get traditional crispy chicken skin without a fry pan and oil, period. There. You can't miss these! If it’s for a family dinner and presentation isn’t crucial, I’d skip the barbecue sauce. That being said, it is REALLY hard to get crispy skin on chicken without oil and a searing-hot fry pan, so have some grace with your family grill-master. These easy Traeger Chicken Thighs are pretty classic barbecue, so I typically recommend classic barbecue sides. Not everyone can fire up a fry pan after the food is done for this last step. Then you can have one whole chicken for your main meal, with some additional chicken thighs, chicken legs, and chicken wings on the side. The thighs are done when the internal temp of the thickest part of each thigh is at 165 degrees. They are either rubbery or the meat is overcooked. Luckily, smoking chicken on a pellet smoker is easy to do and it doesn’t take that long to do either. Not these, because they are pulled from the grill at 165° and then hit a searing hot cast iron pan with pre-heated oil inside to make that skin crispy and delicious. If you need to wrap in foil you might as well cook that ish in the oven because the smoke isn’t doing a thing for you in that case. There is really only one way to know when your meat has cooked to the proper temperature., and that’s by using a quality meat thermometer. That is the 1st commandment of proper BBQ. With the lid off, sear the chicken thighs quickly on the direct side- just until you start to get some … Set this aside for 30 minutes. There is definitely a place for a good chicken or turkey breast in my life. Barbequing Chicken Thighs on a Charcoal or Propane Grill is something most of us have done countless times over the years. This is a simple process that adds some awesome flavor and moisture to the chicken thighs before they take on heat. There is literally nothing worse than rubbery, floppy chicken skin on chicken. What temperature should chicken be smoked at? Remove the chicken from the smoker and using a pair of tongs, one by one dunk the chicken thighs into the BBQ, coating both sides. What you turn it to after the smoke it really up to you. … So get yourself a good, reliable wireless thermometer, and Hakuna Matata a little and don’t have set “dinner time” when you are dealing with pellet grilling. All of that fat protects the chicken thigh meat while it cooks by slowly basting the thigh while it melts away. Place a cast-iron pan on the stovetop with about 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom. Dry the chicken completely with paper towels and place the legs on a sheet pan. To get the rub underneath the skin of the chicken thighs just snip one edge of the skin, peel it back and apply the rub, and then pull the skin back over. My son said these thighs were the best he’s had. Your email address will not be published. Thermapen Mk4 Instant-read Thermometer for meat & more. You’ve Gotta Try This Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce, Ten Minute Sweet and Spicy Shrimp – Grilled on a Traeger. Before we smoke the thighs, we need to brine them. Getting the outside of the chicken thighs dry before going in the smoker will help the skin have better bite once the thighs are done being cooked. Liberally rub the chicken thighs with the. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Even me). Once the chicken has been sufficiently smoked, crank the heat up to 325-350°, flip those suckers over so they are skin-side down, and probe them with a wireless thermometer (see the recipe card for my recommendation here), and let them cook until they reach 165° internally. The chefs typically use a steel drum that has been cut in half and turned into a big barrel style smoker grill. I said it. Click here for my full Affiliate Disclaimer, Tender and Delicious Smoked Whole Chicken, Dr. Pepper Chicken Wing Recipe • Smoked Meat Sunday, Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe • Smoked Meat Sunday, Smoked Cornish Game Hens • Smoked Meat Sunday, 45 Snacks You Can Make on Your Smoker for the Super Bowl, A Simple Smoked Corned Beef Burnt Ends Recipe on a Traeger, Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash Cooked on a Traeger, Love Sauce? You won’t be sorry. These Chicken Thighs are brined and then smoked. So, if you are still on the propane grill or charcoal grill train, I’d like to take this opportunity to step into the smoke and add to your collection. Some great options include: Chicken skin is a tricky thing, especially on a smoker. This is pretty subjective. How do you get crispy chicken skin on a pellet grill? Let the chicken cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Yes, I am a dark meat fan and I don’t care who knows it. Thank you guys for watching! The next time you are looking for a simple, delicious, and inexpensive recipe, consider making this recipe. After at least 12 hours in the brine, pull the chicken thighs out of the brine solution, pat them dry, … Period. Chicken thighs cooked on your pellet grill or smoker just take things to a whole different place than you are likely used to if you didn’t grow up around a bbq pit or in the South. Required fields are marked *. BBQ isn’t a science it is an art, and a part of that art is interpreting what is what and when is when and things need as much time as they need to reach the ideal temperatures, and there’s nothing you can do beyond praying to make that work out the way you’d like it to. Prep time : 10mins. Preheat your pellet grill to 180-200°, on the smoke setting, if you have one. Smoked chicken thighs pellet grill . Awesome! After the thighs are prepped, it’s time for the smoker. If you love great barbecue, you’ve come to the right place. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Evenly place the marinated chicken thighs onto the grates stretched out. Be my best friend. I’M GLAD I DID! You’ll get the most smoke flavor on chicken between 180-200°, in my experience, so that’s where I like to start when I am smoking chicken. Total time : 1hr 15mins. Cut off any excess fat from the back of the pieces, season with your favorite rub, place skin side up and cook. Cook time : 55mins. How to Make Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Breasts. I’ve seen packs of thighs at the store with 10-14 thighs, and I always cook the whole pack. If you enjoyed the video be sure to subscribe to view more of my upcoming videos. After at least 12 hours in the brine, pull the chicken thighs out of the brine solution, pat them dry, and place them on a grilling rack. Not much but a Shrimp stuffed Chicken Thigh comes awfully close!! For 2-6 hours before cooking, place the chicken thighs, mustard, bbq sauce, poultry rub, and lemon juice into a large bag and mix it up well. I think that may be changing a bit with the booming popularity of the pellet grill, but I haven’t been back there for a hot minute so I can’t be sure. I know in the Pacific Northwest where I’ve lived for the last 13 years, there are almost as many Traegers and Camp Chefs and Blackstones in my neighborhood as there are chickens, and that’s saying a lot because EVERYONE has chickens here. After the smoke time, crank up the grill to 325° and place a temperature probe so you can track the temperature. I love great BBQ. Share these recipes and you'll definitely get more dinner invites. Then take extra smoked chicken breasts and shred it for the most amazing bbq chicken sandwiches the next day. Smoked Chicken Thighs on Pit Boss Pellet Grill | 5 Spice Chicken - … And I've included a bonus trimming video. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Description: Smoked chicken is one of my favorite smoked meats and chicken. When you’re ready to smoke, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room … Pro tip #3: The chicken needs to come to room temperature before placing it in the smoker. When you make chicken thighs with applewood instead of wood chips, you will get a different taste in your chicken thighs. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Smoked Meat Recipes and Tips to Help You Create Mouthwatering Barbecue On a Pellet Smoker. Place this into the refrigerator. Place each chicken onto a flat cooking … Once brine has cooled add chicken thighs and brine to a brine bucket. For this recipe, you just season the chicken thighs well with your favorite dry rub (I’m partial to this one), stick them on your pellet grill (I use a Traeger and a Camp Chef pretty much interchangably), and let the smoke do its work for at least 30 minutes, at most an hour and a half, with the thighs skin-side up. Heat your oven or pellet grill to 325 degrees and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Combine brine ingredients in a stock pot over medium high heat. Should you wrap chicken in foil to smoke? Chicken thighs are very affordable, the local supermarket almost always has them in stock, they’re usually sold in a pack of 10-12, and I’ve paid as little as $5 for a whole pack! Smoked Jerk Chicken Thighs. Used Camp Chef Hickory Charwood pellets. Drizzle olive oil on the chicken thighs, then season with Caribbean Key Lime.   Once all the chicken thighs are dried, generously sprinkle the rub on all sides of each thigh. After an hour, turn the heat up to 350 and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. I was put off by the price of the Thermapen when I first was looking at thermometers, but after reading countless reviews about how great the thermometer is, I finally made the plunge. Step 5: Preheat the Traeger pellet grill. Some people wrap things like brisket in butcher paper at a certain point, and I’m on board with these shenanigans, but in general just let the grill do its thing.