Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs

Name: Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 5 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs ((12 pieces)); ½ cup olive oil; 1 large lemon, juiced, and zested ((3 tbsp)); ¼ cup orange juice; 6 cloves garlic (crushed); 1 Tbsp dried or fresh rosemary; 1 Tbsp sea salt; 2 tsps black pepper; 1 tsp chipotle pepper ((or smoked paprika)); 1 tsp cayenne pepper ((optional))

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This Traeger chicken thighs recipe is low in carbs, easy to prepare, and tastes absolutely amazing! The smoked chicken thighs come out moist, tender, and have the perfect amount of smokey flavor. Prepare some Traeger smoked potatoes or smoked corn on the cob to serve on the side.

Why This Recipe Works

This Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe is my new go-to recipe for smoking chicken thighs. Following the simple recipe steps will guarantee the best Smoked chicken thighs you've ever had! Juicy and tender smoked chicken in under an hour, can you believe it?

If you like crispy chicken skin, I've got you! We will reverse sear the chicken thighs to get the skin nice and crispy during the last 5 minutes of smoking using high heat.

The simple marinade is also perfect for marinating chicken breast, chicken wings, and boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Leftover chicken thighs make a wonderful high-protein, on-the-go snack, with 19 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbs! You don't even need to reheat them. That's right, I said it, I eat them cold like you would leftover pizza!

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken: This recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs with skin. If you substitute boneless chicken thighs, you will need to decrease the cooking time.
Oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil are all acceptable to use in the marinade.
Lemon Juice: If you don't have fresh lemons, you may substitute bottled lemon juice instead.
Garlic: I prefer adding freshly crushed garlic. If you need to, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Spices: I thought about using my dry rub recipe because it makes everything taste amazing. I also considered using a store-bought spice rub but I decided to keep it simple with some of my go-to spices like chipotle pepper and cayenne. I also added dried rosemary (fresh rosemary would be amazing), sea salt, and black pepper.
Orange Juice: You'll notice that I don't have orange juice represented in the picture. That's because it was a last-minute decision. I wanted to increase the volume of the marinade and give it a touch of sweetness without adding brown sugar. I considered making it an optional ingredient, but no, it contributed to the smoked chicken's amazing flavor, so be sure to add it!

How to Make Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs

STEP 1: Add oil, lemon juice and zest, orange juice, crushed garlic, rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, chipotle pepper, and cayenne pepper to a large bowl and whisk to incorporate the flavors.

STEP 2: Dip the chicken thighs, one at a time, into the marinade and transfer them to a large gallon-sized bag. Pour any remaining marinade into the bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag, then seal and place in the fridge for at least a few hours to marinate the chicken.

STEP 3: Preheat your Traeger or wood pellet grill to 200 F for 15 minutes. Place the seasoned chicken thighs directly on the grate (skin-side up) and smoke for 20 minutes using super smoke. Retain the remaining marinade for final basting in the last step.

raw marinated chicken thighs being smoked

STEP 4: Next, turn up the temperature to 375 F and smoke the chicken for an additional 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Finally, increase the temperature to 400 F. Baste the chicken skin with the remaining marinade and flip the chicken skin-side down. Smoke for 5 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165-180 degrees F.

Recipe FAQs

What wood flavor is good for smoking chicken?

Fruitwoods are always a great choice when smoking chicken. Apple, peach, and cherry are all great choices when smoking chicken. However, you can't go wrong with pecan, hickory, and Traeger's signature blend.

How long should I smoke my chicken thighs?

Chicken thighs can be smoked for 45 minutes or they can be smoked for hours. It really depends on your personal preference or the recipe you are following. If you decide to smoke the chicken at 225 degrees, it will take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours.

However, it is best to cook the chicken for a shorter time at a higher temperature to keep the chicken skin from getting rubbery.

How do you get crispy skin on smoked chicken thighs?

To get succulent chicken thighs with delicious crispy skin, try reverse searing the chicken thighs. To do this, turn up the smoker's temperature to 400 degrees during the last 5 to 10 minutes of smoking the thighs skin-side down.

Do you flip chicken thighs when smoking?

The only time you need to flip chicken thighs while smoking is at the end to get the chicken skin nice and crisp. This process is called reverse searing.

Side Dishes to Serve with Smoked Chicken Thighs

There are so many side dish options to serve with these Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs. Here are just a few possibilities:

Recipe Pro Tips

If your smoker does not come with a probe, use a meat thermometer instead.
If you don't own a pellet smoker, you can still try this marinade. Just grill the chicken thighs on your barbecue grill or bake the chicken in the oven.
Smoked chicken thigh leftovers can be added to burritos, quesadillas, or in a chicken sandwich. You can also chop up the chicken thighs to make smoked chicken salad!
Serve the chicken thighs with a salad for a great low carb or keto option!

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