Smoked Chicken Thighs Crispy Juicy

Published 6/5/2021 • Updated 6/5/2022

Smoked Chicken Thighs

How do you end up with juicy chicken thighs with crispy chicken skin every time? Smoke those thighs! If you are a fan of smoking meat these smoked chicken thighs are going to be your new favorite chicken recipe.

Tools You Need

Along with a smoker here are a few other things you will need to make these smoked chicken thighs.

Ingredients You Need

Below are all of the ingredients you need for these smoked chicken thighs, along with the ingredients for the chicken marinade. We used a very similar marinade to our grilled chicken marinade and it is so flavorful!

Chicken thighs- we suggest using bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs when you are smoking chicken thighs. Why? Because you are cooking them for so long at a low temperature you want hearty chicken thighs so you don’t end up with overcooked chicken. Balsamic vinegar– we use a little balsamic vinegar in the marinade to both sweeten up the marinade and caramelize the chicken skin. Olive oil- we suggest using olive oil as the fat and oil base of the marinade, it has great flavor. Worcestershire– worcestershire sauce adds a vinegar and umami flavor to the marinade! Honey– we used honey to balance out the savoriness of the marinade. It also adds to the caramelization of the chicken skin. Dijon mustard- the mustard adds the perfect amount of bite to any marinade. Lemon juice + zest- you need a little citrus is the perfect addition to any chicken marinade. Minced garlic- don’t ever skip the garlic!Red pepper flakes- the spice in this marinade is a little bit of red pepper flakes. Balance out that sweet with some spice.Salt + pepper– enhance all the flavors in your chicken marinade with salt and pepper.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Thighs

Other Tips + Tricks

Can I use boneless chicken thighs?

We do not suggest using boneless chicken thighs but if you must use boneless chicken tights you will have to cook the chicken for less time. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs every hour or so. We used a the Traeger 575 Pellet Grill. A pellet grill uses wood pellets to heat the chamber. We love our Traeger pellet grill because the grill automatically adds pellets to the smoker to keep the heat at the desired temperature. Other kinds of smokers you can use are below.

Offset Smoker (we have tested this recipe on an offset smoker, too!)Vertical Water SmokerDrum SmokerSmoker Oven

What is the internal temperature of chicken thighs?

The internal temperature of chicken thighs must be 165ºF.

What to serve with smoked chicken thighs

Serve these chicken thighs with your favorite sides or salads! Below are some of our favorites. Baked Potatoes in Foil- One of our favorites dinner sides is a baked potato in foil. Whether you’re hoping to make a grilled baked potato in foil or oven baked potatoes in foil, we’ll teach you how to make a perfect baked potato every time! Greek Salad- This Greek salad is made with sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, and homemade Greek salad dressing! It is perfect for meal prep, a summer picnic, or just a healthy summer meal! Broccoli Salad- This recipe for a broccoli salad gets its sweetness from dried fruit and a sugar/vinegar dressing. Plus, it’s a good way to trick children into eating their veggies. Sweet Potato Fries- Perfectly crispy baked sweet potato fries ready in 30 minutes. In this post, we’re sharing all of our secrets for perfect crispy sweet potato fries every time!