I have been smoking all sorts of meats for years. But for some reason, chicken thighs never made it onto my list of things to smoke. I was jonesin’ for a BBQ chicken sandwich.
Now normally, I’d smoke a boneless chicken breast that I had brined (to keep it moist and tender) and shred or chop it. But since I’ve been on a chicken thigh kick lately, and had a freezer full of thighs from the last time they went on sale, I decided on smoked chicken thighs. And boy I could not have been happier.
After just a few hours on my Weber smoker, these smoked chicken thighs were done. Super juicy and tender, I knew I was in for a treat. It didn’t take long to remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Smoked thigh meat is perfect on BBQ sandwiches or nachos or pizzas.
I prefer to use fruit or nut woods when I smoke unless I want a heavier smoke flavor. Pecan, apple or cherry are my favorites.
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 pounds chicken thighs bone in, skin on
For the brine
- ½ gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup hot sauce
For the rub
- Prepared yellow mustard
- Your favorite BBQ rub I used my basic BBQ rub
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the thighs. Place them in a large (large enough to hold the chicken and brine) resealable container.
- Add the brine. Stir gently to make sure the chicken is all exposed to the brine. Seal and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the brine (discard) and rinse with cold water. Return the chicken to the (now dry) container.
- Squirt the thighs with the mustard, turning to get all sides. Rub the mustard around and cover the thicken.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the rub, making you sure you get it on all sides.
- Fire up your smoker for cooking at 230 F. Use a nice fruit wood such as apple. For a stronger smoke flavor use hickory.
- Add the chicken to the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 170 F, 2 to 2 1/12 hours.
- Remove the chicken. Discard the skin. Pull the meat from the bones and chop or shred as desired.
For the brine
- Combine all ingredients. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.