This Traeger Chicken Thighs The recipe is low carb, easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing! The smoked chicken thighs it comes out moist, tender and has the perfect amount of smoky flavor. Prepare some Traeger smoked potatoes or smoked corn on the cob to serve on the side.
This Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs recipe is my new go-to recipe for smoking chicken thighs. By following the simple steps in the recipe, you will guarantee the best Smoked chicken legs have you ever had! Juicy and early smoked chicken in less than an hour, can you believe it?
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😍 Why you’ll love this recipe
If you love crispy chicken skin, I’ve got you covered! We will in the evening vice versa chicken thighs to get the skin nice and crispy during the last 5 minutes of smoking on high heat.
Simple marinade is also perfect for pickling chicken breast, chicken wingsand boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
If you prefer to hit your thighs first, check this out brine for chicken legs recipe from MICHEL TO Greedy gourmet!
Leftover chicken thighs are a great protein-rich on-the-go snack with 19 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbohydrates! You don’t even have to reheat them. That’s right, I said it, I eat them cold like the rest of the pizza!
🛒 What this recipe includes
🔖 Ingredients and substitutions
- CHICKEN: This recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs with skin. If you are substituting boneless chicken thighs, you will need to reduce the cooking time.
- Oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil are all acceptable for use in the marinade.
- Lemon juice: If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can substitute bottled lemon juice.
- Garlic: I prefer to add freshly crushed garlic. If necessary, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- SPICES: I thought about using mine dry rub recipe because it makes everything taste amazing. I also thought about using a store bought spice mix, but decided to keep it simple with some of my favorite spices like chipotle and cayenne. I also added dried rosemary (fresh rosemary would be amazing), sea salt and black pepper.
- Orange juice: You’ll notice I don’t have orange juice pictured. 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 thought about making it an optional ingredient, but no, it added to the amazing flavor of the smoked chicken, so make sure you 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 toss to incorporate flavors.
Step 2: Dip the chicken thighs, one at a time, in the marinade and transfer to a large gallon-sized bag. Pour off any remaining marinade in the bag. Remove the air from the bag, then seal and refrigerate for at least a few hours to marinate the chicken.
Step 3: Preheat your Traeger or wood pellet grill 200 F for 15 minutes. Place the seasoned chicken thighs directly on the grill (skin side up) and smoke for 20 minutes using super smoke. Save the remaining marinade for the final basting in the last step.
Step 4: Then raise the temperature to 375 F and smoked the chicken for another 30 minutes.
Step 5: Finally, increase the temperature to 400 F. Brush the chicken skin with the remaining marinade and turn the chicken skin side down. Smoke for 5 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165-180 degrees F.
🍽 Other chicken recipes
Looking for more great chicken recipes? Check this out broccoli with chicken rice casserole the recipe or these crispy ones smoked chicken wings. They are cooked low and slow and have a delicious smoky flavor!
🫔 What to do with leftover smoked chicken?
Wondering what you can do with leftover smoked chicken? Why not try this smoked chicken salad from Nicole at orwhateveryoudo.com? It’s quick, easy and delicious. Or, make it awesome chicken croissant sandwich. You can also mix the shredded chicken with green chili salsa and use it as a filling in these Instant Pot Tamales!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQ
Fruit woods are always a great choice when smoking chicken. Apples, peaches, and cherries are great choices when smoking chicken. However, you can’t go wrong with pecan, hickory and Traeger’s signature blend.
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 period of time at a higher temperature to prevent the chicken skin from becoming rubbery.
To get juicy chicken thighs with deliciously crispy skin, try reverse-frying the chicken thighs. To do this, raise the temperature of the smoker to 400 degrees for the last 5 to 10 minutes of smoking, skin side down.
The only time you should flip the chicken thighs while smoking is at the end to get the chicken skin nice and crispy. This process is called reverse combustion.
🥗 Garnishes to serve with smoked chicken legs
There are so many side dish options to serve with these Traeger smoked chicken legs. Here are just a few possibilities:
One of the downsides of smoking chicken instead of baking it is that you don’t have pan drippings for sauce. Fortunately, you can make this delicious dripless chicken gravy!
🥩 Other recipes for smokers
If you’re looking for more smoky recipe ideas, you’re in luck! try me juicy smoked burgers or any of these readers’ favorites:
👩🏼🍳 Professional advice
- If your smoker it doesn’t come with a probe, use a meat thermometer instead.
- If you don’t have a pellet smoker, you can still try this marinade. Grill the chicken thighs or bake the chicken in the oven.
- The remains of smoked chicken legs can be added California burritosquesadilla or a chicken sandwich. You can also cut up chicken thighs to make smoked chicken salad!
- Serve the chicken thighs with a salad for a great low-carb or keto option!
🍖 More Bird Recipes
If you like this Smoked Chicken Thighs recipe, check out these similar recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Traeger smoked chicken legs
Juicy and tender smoked chicken legs with crispy skin in less than an hour.
Print
Pine
Rate
Portions: 6 people
Calories: 519kcal
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 toss to incorporate flavors.
-
Dip the chicken thighs, one at a time, in the marinade and transfer to a large gallon-sized bag. Pour off any remaining marinade in the bag. Remove the air from the bag, then seal and refrigerate for at least a few hours to marinate the chicken.
-
Preheat your Traeger or wood pellet grill 200 F for 15 minutes. Place the seasoned chicken thighs directly on the grill (skin side up) and smoke for 20 minutes using super smoke. Save the remaining marinade for the final basting in the last step.
-
Then raise the temperature to 375 F and smoked the chicken for another 30 minutes.
-
Finally, increase the temperature to 400 F. Brush the chicken skin with the remaining marinade and turn it over, skin side down. Smoke for 5 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165-180 degrees F.
Notes
- If your smoker it doesn’t come with a probe, use a meat thermometer instead.
- If you don’t have a pellet smoker, you can still try this marinade. Grill the chicken thighs or bake the chicken in the oven.
- The remains of smoked chicken legs can be added California burritosquesadilla or in a chicken sandwich. You can also cut up chicken thighs to make smoked chicken salad!
- Serve the chicken thighs with a salad for a great low-carb or keto option!
Nutrition
Service: 2in pieces | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 4Mr | Protein: 37Mr | Fat: 41Mr | Saturated fats: 11Mr | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1352mg | Fiber: 1Mr | Sugar: 1Mr
