Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Succulent and tender smoked chicken thighs with crispy skin in under an hour.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 519kcal
Equipment
- 1 Smoker
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 tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 tsps black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper (or smoked paprika)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Next, turn up the temperature to 375 F and smoke the chicken for an additional 30 minutes.
- 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.
Notes
- 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 California 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!
Nutrition
Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
