Chicken thighs are cheap, forgiving and full of flavor, which makes them a great first cook on any smoker. The hard part is the skin, which can turn rubbery at low temps. This recipe dries the skin, smokes the thighs hot and finishes them with high heat.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for the dry brine (optional)
- 1 tsp baking powder (not baking soda), for crisper skin (optional)
- 3–4 tbsp herb-and-paprika poultry rub
- 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce or Alabama white sauce, for brushing or serving (optional)
- Smoking wood: apple, cherry or pecan (chunks, chips or pellets)
Steps
- Pat the thighs very dry with paper towels. Trim off any loose flaps of skin and extra fat around the edges.
- For the best skin, mix the salt and baking powder and sprinkle it on all sides. Set the thighs skin side up on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 4–24 hours.
- Set up your smoker for 275°F with apple, cherry or pecan wood. Let the fire settle until the smoke runs thin and blue.
- Rub the thighs lightly with the oil or butter, then season all sides with the poultry rub. Go light on extra salt if you dry brined.
- Place the thighs skin side up on the grate and insert a probe into the thickest thigh, close to but not touching the bone.
- Smoke until the thickest thigh reads 165°F, the USDA safe temperature for poultry, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- For crisper skin, raise the smoker to 400–425°F, or move the thighs to a hot grill, and cook 5–15 minutes more until the skin is golden and taut. Thighs stay juicy up to about 185°F, so this extra heat is fine.
- Brush with sauce in the last 5 minutes if you like. Rest 5 minutes, then serve.
Why this works
Chicken skin is mostly fat and water. At 225°F the water never cooks off, so the skin stays soft and chewy. Drying the skin in the fridge and running the smoker at 275°F fixes most of that. A short blast of high heat at the end renders the last of the fat and gives you skin you can bite through.
Baking powder raises the pH of the skin a little, which helps it brown and crisp. Use plain baking powder, not baking soda, which tastes soapy.
The rub
Our herb-and-paprika poultry rub is low in sugar, so it won't burn during the hot finish. If you'd rather use a store-bought blend, look for one made for poultry in our best BBQ rubs guide.
Best wood
Chicken soaks up smoke fast. Fruit woods like apple and cherry give a mild, sweet flavor and a nice color. Pecan is a little stronger. Save hickory and mesquite for a light hand, since too much can taste bitter on poultry.
How to tell it's done
Chicken is safe at 165°F. Thighs have more fat and connective tissue than breasts, so many cooks take them to 175–185°F for a more tender bite. Check the thickest thigh with an instant-read thermometer, keeping the tip off the bone. Juices should run clear and the meat should pull away from the bone easily.
Make ahead / storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate up to 3–4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer until hot to 165°F, which also brings back some crunch.
Variations
- Alabama style. Skip the BBQ sauce and dunk the finished thighs in Alabama white sauce.
- Boneless thighs. Cook the same way, but expect them to be done in 45–60 minutes.
- Spicy. Add 1 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder to the rub.
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