These simple-to-make smoked chicken thighs are incredibly flavorful and pair well with so many side dishes or a simple salad. You’ll find instructions for boneless skinless chicken thighs, as well as bone-in and skin-on. There are also plenty of tips for which to use and how to make them into simple meals. Make these with just garlic and salt to use them with anything, or try them with my Rib Rub and BBQ sauce for classic American flavors.
Since I shared my smoked chicken breast a few years back, I’ve meant to get my chicken thighs written down and shared too.
But I’m against the clock with ‘1 million’ recipe ideas every summer, and somehow, I’m only now sharing them with you!
I think you’ll enjoy these smoked chicken thighs and all the ways you can use them. They are so easy to make and add a lot of flavor to whatever you pair them with.
You can go the classic way and brush them with barbecue sauce in the last bit of cooking. Then, serve them with a simple salad and grilled potatoes or potato salad.
Or you can keep them plain and serve them with just about anything you can imagine! I also have instructions written down for how we make these with bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. They take a little longer to cook, but they’re incredibly juicy and my favorite thing to serve with simple side dishes.
If you’re looking for something quicker to make, I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The recipe includes easy instructions for both, and I know you’ll enjoy them!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken thighs – this recipe can be made with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Use whichever works best for your purposes. Boneless are more convenient to eat and perfect with salads. Bone-in chicken thighs are great when chicken is more the ‘main course’ with cooked veggie sides like mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.
- Olive oil – helps the seasoning coat the chicken thighs and keep them moist.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic adds a nice flavor that compliments the chicken without being overwhelming.
- Sea salt & pepper – are essential to bring out the best flavor in either kind of chicken thighs.
- Optional seasoning – you can use your favorite seasoning if desired. Lemon pepper, rib rub, or garlic herb seasoning are all nice choices. I like to use rib rub seasoning when I brush the finished chicken thighs with BBQ sauce. You can make your own rib rub from my Oven Baked Ribs Recipe.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by tossing the chicken thighs with the olive oil and seasonings.
You’ll find extra options below, but I usually make this simply with salt, pepper, and a little minced garlic.
Step 2: Place the chicken thighs on your preheated smoker.
If you’re making bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs, I start them bone-side down, with the chicken skin covering them. That way, they stay nice and juicy as they cook.
Step 3: About halfway through the cooking time, turn the chicken thighs for more even cooking. This isn’t completely necessary for small, boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
But if you use bone-in skin on chicken thighs, I like to render the skin by turning them halfway through the cooking time. When the chicken thighs are done, brush them with barbecue sauce, if desired, or serve them plain.
Ways to serve this
- Enjoy these chicken thighs with just about any side dish recipe we have.
- The boneless skinless chicken thighs pair really well with any salad. We love them with Caesar Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, or Apple Spinach Salad. If you brush them with barbecue sauce, they’re very tasty with my Easy Green Salad and Dairy Free Ranch Dressing for some classic American flavors.
- You can also use plain smoked chicken thighs in my Chicken Salad or Healthy Chicken Salad.
- Serve these chicken thighs with Mashed Potatoes or my Mashed Sweet Potatoes. They are also wonderful with my Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.
- Add a simple veggie dish like Roasted Broccoli, Garlic Roasted Carrots, Perfect Roasted Asparagus, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
FAQ’s
Boneless skinless chicken thighs will cook in about 1 hour at 225ºF
I like to turn bone-in skin on chicken thighs halfway through the cooking time to help the skin get crispier. You can also smoke them skin side down to render the skin as much as possible. However, it will never be as crispy as cooking at a higher temperature. You can also remove the chicken thighs early from the pellet grill and ‘reverse sear’ with the skin side down in a skillet to help the skin crisp up.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftover smoked chicken thighs in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
- Make ahead – these chicken thighs are best served right off the smoker, but you can make them ahead and freeze them. I sometimes cook a large batch and chop up the meat to freeze for future salads and chicken salads.
- Reheating – reheat any leftover chicken thighs by placing them in a small skillet. Add a little water and heat covered over medium until the chicken thighs are heated. Add a touch more water if needed.
- To freeze – place any leftover chicken thighs in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating as directed above.
Tips & Tricks
- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure your smoked chicken thighs are cooked perfectly and still super juicy. The internal temperature should read 165ºF.
- I love my Meater thermometer, it has been indispensable for perfect juicy meat every single time.
- A thermometer is even more important with bone in skin on chicken thighs because they can be more difficult to determine doneness.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free – these chicken thighs are naturally dairy-free. But be sure to check any seasoning or barbecue sauce you might use to be sure it is dairy-free.
- Paleo – for Paleo chicken thighs, use a Paleo barbecue sauce like Primal Kitchen if you’re using the barbecue sauce option.
More Chicken Thigh Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this Smoked Chicken Thighs recipe! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Smoked Chicken Thighs
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs - or 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp seasoning of choice if desired - lemon pepper, garlic herb, rib rub, see notes
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce - optional, perfect with the rib rub seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper along with the seasoning of choice if desired. Toss to combine.
- Preheat a smoker pellet grill to 225ºF. Place the chicken thighs on the preheated pellet grill. If you're using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, place them skin-side up.
- Lower the lid and smoke the chicken thighs until an instant-read thermometer reads 165ºF. This takes about 1 hour for boneless skinless chicken thighs and 1.5-2 hours for bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
- If you're using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, turn them over halfway through the cooking time to lightly crispy the skin. You can also turn boneless skinless halfway through for even cooking, but it's not necessary unless they're very large.
- When the chicken thighs are done, brush with the optional BBQ sauce if desired and serve immediately.