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Smoked Chicken Thighs

The Best Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe

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What I love about this recipe is the fact I can also prepare the thighs using the same ingredient list and instructions, but in the oven. Sometimes my whole family craves some smoked chicken thighs but neither of us is in the mood to use the giant smoker from the backyard. So, I just toss the rubbed and seasoned chicken thighs in the oven and use a smoked bbq sauce to achieve a similar taste.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • x bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (I prepared this recipe for 4 servings, however, you can adapt the number of thighs considering how many mouths you have to feed.);
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar;
  • 1 tbsp paprika;
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika;
  • 1 tbsp black pepper;
  • 1 tbsp Kosher salt;
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder;
  • 1/2 tbsp onion powder;
  • 1 tsp dry mustard powder;
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar;
  • 1/4 water;
  • 2 tbsp barbeque sauce.

Instructions

  1. First of all, preheat your smoker (oven, if you donțt want to go outside in the cold) to 275 degrees F.
  2. Next, trim off any excess skin or extra thin chicken meat around the edges of the bone. Roll the chicken tightly into uniform pieces.
  3. Season on all sides with the sweet rub prepared by mixing all the seasonings (you don’t need to use the entire amount of the ingredients as specified in the list, simply use enough to completely cover the chicken).
  4. Next, place the chicken thighs on the smoker (or the oven, in my case), with their skin side up. Close the lid, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. This will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on how big the chicken thighs are.
  5. After they are almost cooked, baste the chicken thighs with the premade sweet smoked sauce. Now, throw them again in the grill/oven for another 30 minutes.
  6. Finally, remove them from the grill (or the oven in my case), and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes, while the smell will drive you nuts! Only now, you are ready to enjoy your homemade smoked chicken thighs!
  • Author: Rosie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: oven baked
  • Cuisine: American