How To Smoke Chicken Thighs - Easy Recipe - A Grill For All Seasons

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Low and slow with these smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs ensures great flavor, moist meat, and tons of flavor in every bite. Learn how to smoke chicken thighs and deliver perfection every time.

Why Smoke Chicken Thighs? When it comes to poultry, dark meat is my favorite. I find it has the most taste and it stays moist and juicy better than leaner poultry. The dark meat can hold up to any flavor of smoke and they are versatile with rubs, sauces, and marinades. Thighs are easy to grill, but they are also my favorite chicken cut to smoke.

Whether you are using a charcoal smoker, a pellet grill, or a stick burner, chicken thigh recipes are a great smoke. If it is your first smoke, it will be an easy one, but you will find yourself smoking boneless skinless chicken thighs over and over because of the flavor.

Thighs are easy to make and you can get them ready to go on the grill in no time. They don't need much prep, and they are one of the cheaper cuts of meat as well. They check all the boxes when trying to come up with an inexpensive, easy delicious meal.

Ingredients

Chicken - Skinless and boneless chicken thighs are the best for flavor and texture. I trim off the excess fat as well.

BBQ Rub or a Spice Rub - A few simple ingredients are all you need for an amazing rub. I used kosher salt, onion powder, smoked paprika (for extra smoke flavor), and brown sugar in our homemade rub. 

How to Smoke Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Step One: Preheat your smoker. You want to cook these between 225 and 250 degrees F.

Step Two: Prep your boneless thighs. Add the dry rub of your choice and rub it into the chicken.

Step Three: Then place chicken thighs directly onto the grill grate in the preheated smoker.

Step Four: Smoke the chicken thighs directly on the wire rack just until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees for juicy chicken. You can then baste them with your favorite bbq sauce, cook them for five more minutes and remove them and serve.

Top Tip

Bone-in chicken thighs are fine but will take a bit longer to cook. But if you have skin on the chicken thighs, be sure to remove it. Save some time trimming off any excess fat as well. This should only take a few minutes.

Variations

BBQ Sauce - Slather these with your favorite barbecue sauce like our Sweet BBQ Sauce, Sriracha BBQ Sauce, or Hot Honey BBQ Sauce.

Seasonings - If you want a heartier and spicier rub, add garlic powder, mustard powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Sometimes we add chili powder too. Or you can just use your favorite store-bought rub. This doesn't have to be complicated.

Storage

Store any leftovers of this smoked chicken thighs recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We love chopping it up and using in cranberry pecan chicken salad. Or make some baked chicken wraps!

You can also freeze cooked chicken in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Try to get as much air out as possible before freezing or wrap each piece in plastic wrap.

Common Questions

What temperature for smoking chicken thighs?

Low and slow will require the temperature to stay under 250°F. When I cook chicken thighs and I am looking for crispy skin, I will cook them on my Traeger pellet smoker or gas grill at a 325°F or higher temperature.I used a combination of hickory and cherry wood pellets for this smoke. You can get the same results with using wood chips or wood chunks in your charcoal smoker or use whatever type of wood you have on hand. The thighs are versatile.

Can I use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs?

You will not get crispy chicken skin with this cooking time and temp. If the skin is on, it will just turn tough and rubbery. You need to cook at a higher temperature for crispy skin.

How to smoke chicken thighs for pulled chicken

The beauty of the chicken thighs is their ability to stay moist and juicy way better than chicken breasts. This also makes them the best candidate for making smoked pulled chicken. Once the smoked chicken thighs reach 160°F, wrap them in aluminum foil with about an ounce of BBQ sauce and put them back on the smoker for about another 60 minutes.When they are done, let them rest for about 20 minutes, then drop them into a large bowl. They will be so tender, you can easily pull them apart with a couple of forks for the best tasting pulled chicken ever.

Recipe

Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Paul Scarfone Low and slow with these chicken thighs ensure great flavor, moist meat, & flavor. Learn how to smoke chicken thighs to perfection! 5 from 2 votes Print Recipe Prep Time 5 minutes minsCook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes minsTotal Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins Course Main CourseCuisine American Servings 6Calories 189.1 kcal

Equipment

• Traeger Grill or other smoker

Ingredients 1x2x3x

• 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

• Trim any excess fat from your boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Thoroughly cover chicken with spice rub.
• Place chicken thighs on preheated smoker and smoke at 225°F for about 90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Baste with BBQ sauce if desired.
• Remove from smoker and serve.

Notes

Sugar-Free Option: Want these to be low carb and keto-friendly? Just use a brown sugar sweetener in the rub and brush on some keto bbq sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 189.1kcalCarbohydrates: 2.2gProtein: 29.3gFat: 6.3gSaturated Fat: 1.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 143.6mgSodium: 911mgPotassium: 394.1mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1.4gVitamin A: 364.6IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 19.3mgIron: 1.4mg Enjoy this recipe?Please leave a 5 star rating!

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Originally Published Mar 31, 2022. Revised and Republished July 23, 2025.

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