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5 from 29 votes

Pellet Grill Chicken Thighs

When it comes to juicy delicious chicken, these smoked chicken thighs are hard to beat. We smoke the dark meat to an internal temp of 180 - 190F for fall off the bone tender bites and finish with a bbq baste and sear for that perfect crispy skin!
Prep Time1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: bbq, Main Course
Cuisine: American, barbeque
Servings: 10
Calories: 451kcal
Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs Bone-in skin on chicken thighs.
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Chicken Rub We use GirlsCanGrill Chicken rub or Jack Daniel's Chicken Rub
  • 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Prep the Chicken

  • Pat chicken dry
    5 lbs Bone-in skin on chicken thighs.
  • Arrange on wire rack over baking sheet
  • Sprinkle liberally with salt and spices.
    1 tbsp Salt, 2 tbsp Chicken Rub
  • Allow to sit in the fridge for 1 hour before you grill

Prep the Pellet Smoker

  • Prep pellet smoker for 350 degrees F.
  • Clean and oil grill grates.

Smoke the Chicken Thighs

  • Arrange chicken on the cooler side of your grill skin side up. Close the lid
  • Cook 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken thighs reach 180 to 190F with an instant read thermometer, rotating the position of each thigh halfway through so that all pieces are being cooked evenly.

Sear

  • Remove the chicken from the grill and increase the heat to sear.
  • Meanwhile, lightly brush the chicken in the bbq sauce.
    1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
  • Working in batches, sear the chicken, skin side down until lightly charred and skin is crisp, flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
  • Repeat with remaining chicken thighs.

Rest and Serve

  • Remove from the grill and place on a platter tented with foil to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve hot with additional bbq sauce if desired.

Video

Notes

Pour your bbq sauce into a bowl when you baste the chicken. This helps to prevent any cross-contamination from the remainder left in the jar. Do not return any leftover sauce to the jar.
When cooking chicken, be sure to wash your grilling tongs between touching the raw meat and rotating the chicken thighs while grilling. 
These smoked thighs are delicious with barbecue sauce or without it. Serve it however you wish, but be sure to crisp up the skin at the end, even if you aren't using any sauce. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 994mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg