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Smoked chicken is one of my favorite smoked meats and chicken thighs are my favorite part of the chicken. So it only makes sense to master this meat. Fortunately, smoking chicken on a pellet smoker is easy to do and it doesn’t take that long to do either. Watch my video below and you’ll see what I mean. Chicken thighs are part of the leg and drumstick, cut just above the knee. It’s referred to as dark meat and has extra fat that makes it darker. This is just fine with me because fat = flavor especially if you’re going to smoke it. Thighs tend to be very tender, flavorful, and as a bonus, cheaper than breasts. Do You Cut The Fat Off Chicken Thighs?I recommend keeping the skin on during the smoking process even if you don’t plan to eat the skin. The skin keeps the meat moist and adds more flavor. Preparing Chicken Thighs For SmokingI like to prepare the chicken the day before so the seasoning can get into the meat but you don’t have to do that. You may be reading this to make dinner in a few hours. No worries. Either way works.
Preparing Your Smoker Grill For Chicken ThighsYou should be familiar with how your pellet grill operates. Most of them follow a simple start up plan.
The Process Of Smoking Chicken ThighsWood pellet smoking surrounds a piece of meat in a confined smokey space while lower heat temperatures (usually between 200-225 degrees) do the actual cooking of the meat. The smoke penetrates the meat giving it the rich, unique smoke flavors that people crave. If done properly, this low and slow method of cooking can yield moist and juicy meat. It can also dry cook thinner meats like jerky into a smoky rich and chewy treat. Pellet grills and smokers are versatile cookers. I usually smoke chicken thighs for about 1.5 to 2 hours at 250 degrees. That can vary a bit by how much chicken or any other meat items are also smoking. In the video, I show that I’m also smoking a meatloaf. During the particular smoke, I kept the chicken on the grill for 2 hours. Both the chicken and the meatloaf came out spectacularly delicious! Competition Smoked Chicken Thighs And Other MeatsI’ve never competed in meat smoking competitions, but you like to learn from people who have, check out these to ideas:
Serving Smoked Chicken ThighsOne way to check the doneness of your smoked chicken is to wiggle the exposed bone ends. If it’s really flexible, it’s probably done. If you use a thermometer, poke it at its thickest part. You’re looking for a temperature of about 160 keeping in mind that the chicken will continue to cook after you take it off the grill. It will reach the perfect temperature of 165°F by the time you are ready to eat. Try not to poke a piece more than once because the inside juices may start leaking out. Juices you’d rather enjoy yourself than getting into your grill. If you set your pellet smoker grill to 250°F, figure about 30-45 minutes of smoke time per pound. Best Side Dishes With Smoked Chicken ThighsSmoked chicken thighs are amazingly good, but let’s not forget about delicious side dishes to make the meal complete. Here a few ideas if you don’t have anything else planned:
Smoked chicken thighs on a pellet smoker grill is an easy dish to prepare and enjoy. Don’t forget the video above. Clearly, if I can cook delicious chicken, you can too! Recent PostsHow long do you cook chicken thighs on a pit boss grill?I use a Pit Boss electric pellet grill, which is easy to use and controls the temperature easily. Do boneless chicken thighs cook faster than bone-in? Yes, they cook much faster, and the cook times would have to be adjusted. These chicken thighs are smoked at 225 degrees F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
What temperature do you cook chicken thighs on a pit boss pellet grill?Directions. When ready to cook, fire up your Pit Boss and preheat to 225°F. ... . Remove chicken from marinade and place on a metal sheet tray. ... . Place skillet with marinade and chicken on the grill. ... . Grill an additional 15 minutes. ... . After 15 minutes, baste chicken thighs with marinade, then flip and baste the other sides.. How do you grill chicken thighs on a pit boss pellet grill?Preheat the Pit Boss pellet grill to 225 F. Arrange the chicken thighs on the pellet grill grates. Leave some space in between each chicken thigh. Close the lid and smoke chicken thighs until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
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