Smoked Chicken Thighs

Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs are the perfect summertime BBQ dish. They’re juicy, flavorful, and easy to make. Everyone loves them!

When it comes to making dinner – I love to take it outside on the grill. When the weather gets nice it seems we make as much as we can on our Traeger.

These bone-in chicken thighs are no different. You’ll love how they are tender and juicy and have such a wonderful smoky flavor!

When it comes to making chicken – we love making chicken thighs in a multitude of ways. But when it comes to a simple dinner that is practically effortless, these chicken thighs on the pellet grill take the win for sure!

Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs are the perfect choice for your next barbecue or tailgate. They’re easy to prepare and you’ll fall in love with that perfectly smoky flavor.

Here are some commonly asked questions

Can I use skinless chicken thighs?

Like with most chicken recipes, the skin and bones give the meat the most flavor throughout. As the meat is cooked, oils and nutrients are released from the skin and bone to be absorbed by the meat for flavor and moisture while tenderizing rather than allowing it to develop a more rubbery texture.

However, much of the flavoring, moisturizing, and tenderizing properties lost by the absence of the bones and skin are compensated by the use of a marinade. You can also balance the lack of oils by brushing the chicken with some olive oil just before placing the pieces on the grill if you would like to use skinless chicken for this recipe.

What Traeger wood pellets should I use?

It is all in how you want to add to the flavor of your meat through the smoke. Hickory and mesquite tend to be the pellet of choice when one is going for a rich flavor without adding so much sweetness.

However, a little sweetness may not be a bad thing when trying a bit of applewood or maple in your recipe.

What is the best way to store leftover Smoked Chicken Thighs?

Just keep it refrigerated for up to 4 days. As long as you don’t let it sit out at room temperature for too long, this should keep well chilled. The biggest issue is when people leave their food sitting out a while after serving and everyone is sitting down to eat.

Bacteria like E. coli and other microbes can double their numbers in as little as 20 minutes at room temperature. Thus, it is generally ill-advised to eat food that has been sitting out for more than an hour at room temperature. 

Another item of note, a refrigerator is not cold enough to stop bacteria growth in your food. Rather, it only slows the rate of growth long enough for you to store your food for a few days without consuming a sufficient quantity of microbes to cause an infection.

Therefore, if you leave your food out for too long, you are starting slower growth with a larger population. The doubling of the population of microbes – though slower – can make your food unsafe to eat sooner than if you put food in the refrigerator with a smaller starting population. In short, put uneaten food in the fridge ASAP!

Ingredients for Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs

• chicken thighs – bone-in with skin
• Chicken marinade

What if I don’t have a thermometer? How do I make sure the chicken is done?

Sometimes you may not have a thermometer available or easily accessible. No problem! You always know when your chicken is done when the flesh is white and the juices run clear.

Juices that run on the pink side are an indicator that you will need to put your chicken back on the grill for another five minutes or so.

The drawback of this method of checking is that you will have to remove one piece from the grill and cut it open at the thickest part, draining those important juices that give it all the flavor.

Can I use a different marinade?

I recommend using my Best Chicken Marinade but you can always substitute with one of your own favorites too! The beauty of cooking is that you can almost always customize a recipe to fit your own individualized tastes.

How to Make Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs

1. Create the marinade – combine the ingredients and then pour over the chicken in a gallon freezer bag.
2. Lay flat in your fridge for at least 3 hours. You could also coat with a dry rub instead of marinating.
3. When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 400℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available.
4. Arrange the chicken directly on the grill grates. Then, insert the probe into the thickest part of a chicken leg, avoiding the bone. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 15 minutes per side. The chicken should be golden brown, and the juices should run clear.
5. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for 8-10 minutes before serving.

What does the Super Smoke feature do?

The Super Smoke feature on Traeger grills allows for maximum smoke output, allowing the meat to absorb more of the flavor of the wood you are using to cook with.

Hotter fire burns more cleanly, meaning that it will produce less smoke despite that it will cook the food faster.

Traeger knows this fact well. Thus, their Super Smoke feature burns the pellets at a lower temperature – typically between 165℉ to 225℉ – to burn pellets for optimal smoke production, allowing you to capture more of the flavor in a way that is well worth the wait you get from cooking low and slow.

What to serve with smoked chicken thighs

• Slow Cooker Corn on the Cob
• Cherry Fluff
• Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad

• Macaroni Salad
• Green Pea Salad
• Air Fryer Potato Chips

• Three Bean Salad
• One Hour Disappearing Fat Rolls
• Smoked Olives

Why should the meat rest after cooking?

It is important to let your meat rest so that the muscle fibers are able to retain the juices that are still quite fluid inside.

Particularly, we are considering the fats, oils, and water that were heated from a solid to a liquid phase (or liquid to gas state in the case of the water) during cooking, allowing them to move throughout the muscle.

If we were to cut into the meat right away, we would release all of these liquids, making our food quite dry.

Instead, letting the meat rest allows fats and oils to condense into a more viscous state, helping them stick in the muscle fibers better.

This also lets the vaporized water return to a liquid phase, preventing it from evaporating into the air as soon as you make a cut in the meat. Overall, you will notice that this will keep your meat more tender and juicy when serving.

What works as the best type of marinade?

A marinade serves the purpose of moisturizing, tenderizing, and flavoring your meats. Therefore, you should make sure you find a marinade that incorporates clean oils like olive oil or canola oil to penetrate the meat and retain moisture.

Secondly, you should ensure that it includes an acidic base to break-down tough muscle fibers. Finally, add ingredients that flavor the meat to your liking. Some people like to add peppers for a little kick, while others prefer to incorporate a more rich flavor found in herbs like basil and rosemary.

What else can be made with Smoked Chicken Thighs?

Besides eating Smoked Chicken Thighs plain with some freshly grilled corn on the cob, my favorite way to eat them is in tacos! However, shredding the meat can make this recipe a very versatile addition to any dish ranging from chicken alfredo to caesar salad.

Tips and Tricks

Make sure that the skin is oiled prior to cooking on the pellet smoker if you like crispy chicken skin.

This recipe can be made using bone-in chicken breasts if you desire.

Change up this chicken thighs recipe by adding ingredients such as brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, spice rub, chicken rub, cayenne pepper, chili powder, kosher salt, barbecue sauce, BBQ rub, homemade rub, apple cider vinegar, or avocado oil when making this delicious chicken.

During the cooking process, you can change the type of wood you use in your electric smoker. Wood chunks, cherry wood, or wood chips are great options. Some of these can be used when modifying this easy recipe to be made on a charcoal grill using indirect heat.

Be sure to use a digital meat thermometer when making this chicken thigh recipe.

Products I love when making Smoked Chicken Thighs…

This chicken recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand

OR maybe you have never cooked on your smoker before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this dinner recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)

• Traeger/pellet grille
• Traeger applewood pellets
• meat thermometer

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If you love this easy smoked chicken recipe, you’re going to love these other Traeger recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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