BBQ Glazed Smoked Chicken Thighs (2024)

Published: Dec 22, 2021 · Modified: May 23, 2023 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

This easy Traeger smoked chicken thighs recipe will show you how to smoke boneless thighs low and slow on a pellet grill (with a little rub seasoning). You’ll brush on a simple bbq glaze while it smokes, until the dark meat is juicy and fall-apart tender. It’s a great game day smoker main dish for a crowd. Let’s smoke thighs…

Why these smoked bbq chicken thighs are so good…

• Use a simple spice rub.
• Achieve perfectly crispy skin.
• Create tender, juicy, pull-apart dark meat.
• Easily modify this recipe for bone in chicken thighs by adding to the cook time until the safe internal temperature is reached.
• New to smoking food? See my video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this tasty recipe.

Smoked chicken thighs ingredients

• Chicken thighs, boneless skin on or skinless
• Olive oil
• BBQ seasoning (a bbq rub with salt, or add salt)
• Cilantro, fresh chopped (optional for serving)

Also see how to spatchco*ck chicken and how to make butterfly chicken legs…

For the simple BBQ honey glaze (optional)

• BBQ sauce
• Honey
• Water

How to smoke chicken thighs

Now I’ll walk you through this smoked chicken thighs recipe…

Quick look at the recipe

1. Season thighs with olive oil, bbq rub.
2. Smoke chicken thighs for 20 minutes (without sauce).
3. Make the BBQ glaze and brush some of it on the tops of chicken thighs.
4. After 20 minutes, brush the rest of the glaze on top and smoke until done.

Detailed instructions

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
2. Season thighs. To a large bowl, add chicken thighs and olive oil. Toss to combine. Add bbq seasoning and use fingers to massage seasoning into chicken evenly until they’re fully coated.
3. Cover chicken thighs to let them absorb the dry rub seasoning before smoking for at least 20-30 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
4. Preheat Traeger pellet smoker to 250 degrees F for 15 minutes (and make sure it’s stocked with pellet wood chips). While the smoker is heating, remove chicken thighs from the fridge to come to room temperature.
5. Smoke chicken thighs. Add dry rub seasoned chicken thighs to Traeger smoker grates, skin side up. Close the lid and smoke thighs for 20 minutes (without sauce). During this time, make the BBQ glaze (see steps below).
6. After 20 minutes of cook time, brush half the BBQ glaze on the tops of chicken thighs in the smoker (you don’t need to flip them). Smoke thighs for another 20 minutes.
7. Brush the top with the rest of the glaze and continue smoking chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as measured with a meat thermometer. If you’re wondering exactly how long to smoke chicken thighs, estimate for about 90-120 minutes, depending on how often the smoker lid is lifted (which lets heat escape), how thick the chicken thighs are, and whether they’re boneless or bone in.

How to make BBQ honey glaze for smoked thighs

Making this BBQ glaze for this smoker recipe is done on the stove and takes about 10 minutes.

1. Add the bbq sauce to a small pan on the stove, on medium heat. Add the honey and stir to combine.
2. Once mixture begins to bubble, add water and stir regularly for 30-60 seconds until sauce thickens up (enough to coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat.

I think you’re really going to love this recipe. Smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs are easy for everyone to eat, even my sometimes picky toddler.

If you’re indoor smoking, this recipe can be adapted for electric smoker chicken thighs — just check your device’s manual for adaptation hints.

See how to make grilled chicken thighs and smoked mac and cheese…

See how to get more smoke flavor from smoked foods…

Best chicken smoker recipes from Sip Bite Go

• Smoked whole chicken
• Traeger smoked chicken thighs
• Smoked wings
• Smoked chicken breast
• Chicken temperature guide

Another recipe to smoke on the Traeger at 225 degrees F is this side dish for smoked asparagus. It cooks in about an hour.

FAQs

Get inspired with easy recipes for a tasty backyard bbq menu – starting with this lineup of the best burger recipes ever.

More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes

• Smoked mac and cheese
• Smoked cream cheese
• Smoked brisket flat
• 321 ribs
• Beer can chicken on the smoker
• Smoked wings
• Smoked tomahawk steak
• Traeger tri tip
• Smoked turkey breast
• Smoked turkey legs
• Whole smoked turkey
• Smoked Traeger pizza
• Smoked onion rings
• Traeger smoked ham
• Smoked whole chicken
• Smoked jalapeno poppers
• Smoked corn on the cob
• Traeger beef ribs
• Smoked leg of lamb
• Smoked shrimp
• Roasted chicken
• Grilled chicken wings
• Grilled skirt steak
• Flank steak marinade
• Grilled potato wedges
• Smoked pulled pork
• Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes

See this Traeger Flatrock grill review.

See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.

Meat thermometer recommendations

Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.

On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.

It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.

How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

Are you a foodie, too?

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about making smoked boneless chicken thighs or any other smoker recipes.

If you don’t follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.