Legendary Smoked Chicken Thighs

5 smoked chicken thighs on a board with extra bbq sauce on the side.

5 from 60 votes

Ultra tasty bite-through smoked chicken thighs made entirely on a weber grill with a delicious smoky aroma you won't find with regular grilled chicken.

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 2 15

Resting TIme 5

Total Time 4 20

Servings thighs

Calories 220kcal

Cost $12/ 10€

Equipment

Weber grill or smoker
Digital thermometer
2-3 Whiskey barrel wood chunks or 2 handfuls of wood chips
BBQ trays
Aluminum foil
resting rack
Gloves

Ingredients

For the Marinade

6 pc chicken thighs skin on, bone-in
2 pc oranges juiced
2 tbsp soy sauce

B&D BBQ Spice Rub

1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika mild
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp aleppo chili or ½ tsp normal ground chili
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp cinnamon ground
1 tsp ancho chili powder

BBQ Dip

1 cup BBQ sauce use your favourite brand
2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

The Rest

1 tsp salt
100 g butter 6 nice cubes

Instructions

Rub the BBQ spice blend in the chicken thighs and mix well. Don't season with salt until we are ready to bbq.
Juice the orange and add it to the chicken thighs along with the soy sauce. Line them skin side up in a bbq tray with the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Fill the fire chimney a little more than halfway with charcoal and light it with one fire starter underneath.
After about 15 minutes the coals should be red hot. Using heat-resistant gloves or a kitchen towel, carefully pour the hot coals to one side of the bbq.
If using a thermometer, set it up now as close to the middle of the bbq as possible. Once the temperature reaches 350°F/176°C, add the wood chunks.
*If using an electric smoker bring it to 300°F. The weber will lose a lot of heat once it's opened.
I start the fire with all the air valves open to get it going and bring them down to about ¼ open once it's up to temperature. Keep a close eye on the temperature using your digital thermometer and either open the valves to increase the temp or close them slightly to tame the fire.
Remove the chicken from the fridge. Season with sea salt on all sides. Put 1 cube of butter on each chicken thigh.
Smoke the chicken, uncovered for 30 minutes at 300°F/150°C.
Cover the chicken with a lid or with aluminum foil. Place back in the smoker for 90 minutes at 300°F/150°C.
Once the chicken is ready, add the bbq sauce plus the vinegar together in a small pot and bring to a simmer.
Let the chicken and sauce cool slightly until it's hot enough to handle. Carefully remove the chicken from the braising dish and dip into the warm bbq sauce using gloves or with a fork.
Be careful when lifting the chicken as it's so tender it may fall apart!
Move the charcoal around a little to give it some air and get it hot. If there's still some wood chunks left move them around to get them smoking again or add another chunk.
Finish the chicken thighs directly on the grill with a final smoking at the same 300°F/150°C for about 10-15 minutes.
Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before eating and wondering why you didn't make more of these. Enjoy!

Notes

Try not to open the weber unless you have to. It's critical that the lid stays closed for consistent oven temperature.

Set the temperature alarm on the Inkbird to the range of 250°F-350°F. That way you'll get an alarm if the temperature drops too low or gets too high.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure you could add some small potatoes with the chicken before you smoke them to make a delicious side-dish with minimal extra effort.

Nutrition

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