Awesome Smoked Chicken Thighs

This right here is my go-to method for awesome smoked chicken thighs.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken thighs, smoked

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 14 30

Servings

Calories 5235kcal

Ingredients

5 pounds chicken thighs family pack, bone in, skin-on
brine see below
Your favorite chicken seasoning

For the brine

1 cup water
1 cup apple juice
12 ounces Sprite
½ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place chicken into a large resealable container.
Whisk together the brine ingredients until the salt has dissolved. Pour over the chicken.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Fire up your smoker for 225 F cooking. Use whichever wood you prefer (I went with apple).
Remove chicken from the brine and rinse with cold water.
Pat dry then sprinkle liberally with the rub on both sides.
Tuck the skin underneath of the thighs and transfer to the smoker.
Smoke for 2 hours or more until the internal temperature has reached 165 F.
If you wish to sauce your thighs do so in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Notes

Smoked skin-on thighs will not have a crispy skin because of the low cooking temperature. I prefer to remove the skin, pull the meat away from the bones and chop for sandwiches.

Nutrition