Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Enjoy juicy, flavorful smoked boneless chicken thighs for easy weekly meal prep or weekend cookouts. Smoking this forgiving, succulent, and protein-dense entree delivers a versatile main any day of the week.
For me, weekly prepping for stress-free cooking is essential. After my grocery run, I clean the veggies, chop onions and garlic, and prep a salad mix. And depending on what proteins were on sale, I season or freeze meat and chicken in meal-size portions.
This week, chicken thighs were on sale, so I loaded up. Bone-in thighs are cheaper, and the bones make great stock. The few minutes I spent deboning the thighs were well worth that gorgeous chicken stock I got. But the true jewel was putting those now boneless chicken thighs on my Traeger pellet grill for set-it-and-forget ease while I finished prepping for the week.
Why Go Boneless
Convenience! If buying already deboned thighs will get dinner on the table, then go for it. They prep faster, cook faster, and are super versatile. It’s almost impossible to overcook them, and you can easily chop them into chunks for recipes calling for precooked chicken.
How to Smoke Boneless Chicken Thighs
Make the marinade, marinate the chicken, then smoke until tender.
Recipe Tips
- Any chicken cut will work, but you’ll want to adjust smoking time accordingly. Breasts are done at 165°F (74°C) in 45-90 minutes, while thighs and legs can go considerably longer for juicier meat.
- If smoking in your grill, add some wood pellets in a foil envelope and slow-cook your chicken thighs over indirect heat.
- A resting period of 5-15 minutes after coming out of the smoker will give you juicier meat.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Starting to marinate the chicken the day before is a great flavor enhancer. We double or triple the batch of chicken thighs because they’re such a meal prep time saver. They’ll last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Don’t forget to label it if freezing it for later.
For dinner in a hurry, we heat some tortillas or flatbread, set out prepped veggies and sauces, and make delicious smoked chicken tacos. Leftovers also go great in soups, stews, salads, and back-to-school sandwiches.
Smoked Chicken Menu Ideas
It depends on when we’re enjoying it. For a crazy weeknight dinner, rice and a healthy salad are simple and filling. On the weekends when we’re on the go, I pull a few slices of bread out of the freezer, toast them, then slather them with homemade BBQ sauce. Pile on the chopped chicken, add a few pickled jalapeños, and we’re off again.
More Easy-Peasy Chicken Recipes to Try
- Chicken and Waffles
- Pellet Grilled Whole Chicken
- Yassa Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Tenders
- Southern Fried Chicken
By Imma
Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless chicken thighs (2-2½ pounds or about 1kg)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30g) Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (7g) minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (4g) chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons (2g) minced thyme
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon (1g) red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse (see notes), pat dry, and lightly salt and pepper the chicken. Place the thighs in a large bowl or zip-lock bag.
- Whisk the olive oil, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, and pepper flakes in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour the marinade over the thighs, mix thoroughly, cover the bowl or seal the zip-lock bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for around 2 hours. You could go overnight so that the flavors have time to infuse into the chicken.
- Remove the marinated chicken thighs from the refrigerator and drain them. When smoking, it's not always necessary for them to come to room temperature.
- When ready to smoke, remove the chicken from the marinade, drain off the excess, and discard the remaining marinade.
- Preheat the smoker to 225-250°F (107-120°C). I used a Traeger pellet grill for this recipe.
- Place the chicken thighs directly on the grates, leaving a little space between them for airflow and smoke circulation.
- Close the smoker and let the chicken thighs smoke for 1½-2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thighs. Thighs vary in size, resulting in varying smoke times.
- During the smoking process, you can baste the chicken thighs during the last 5-10 minutes of smoking.
- Once the chicken thighs reach the desired internal temperature, take them out of the smoker and transfer them to a cutting board.
- Let the chicken thighs rest for 5-10 minutes to retain their juices and ensure tenderness.
- Serve with BBQ sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Tips & Notes:
- Rinsing chicken is controversial. I prefer disinfecting my kitchen over not knowing where my chicken has been. Please choose responsibly.
- Fruitwood pellets (apple, cherry, peach) are excellent for chicken because they infuse a mild and slightly sweet flavor that complements it without being overpowering. Apple, cherry, and peach wood are versatile options for smoking poultry.
- An instant-read meat thermometer ensures your chicken thighs are fully cooked and safe. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. An internal temperature of 175-190°F (79-88°C) gives you beautifully juicy thighs, though 165°F (74°C) is the minimum for food safety.
- If brining chicken, leave the salt out of the marinade.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional data is an estimate and can vary greatly depending on the products used in the recipe.
Awesome and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe.