You would imagine that when you smoke chicken thighs that you use the Smoke setting on the Pit Boss pellet grill. Pay attention to this and you will get the best possible results out of your wood pellets. When this happens, you let cold air in and let hot air rush out. Next, pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Remove from the grill, and take inside. Thus, it is up to you to decide what you like. Ideally place the baking sheet in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4-6 hours, or at least allow the rub about 30 minutes to "set" on the chicken. Marinate the thighs in Italian dressing for one hour. However, the ideal temperature for smoking chicken breasts is between 325 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn it on and let it go through its initial start up. This loose skin will never get crispy while tucked under the chicken in the smoker and is best to just discard. Some like to wrap up the chicken thighs in aluminum foil during this period so that the meat becomes more moist. Mix the dry brine ingredients in a small saucepan. In turn, this can lengthen the time of your cook. Our Favorite Rubs and Sauces for Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs, Best Store Bought Rubs for Smoked Chicken Thighs, Our Favorite BBQ Sauces for Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs, The Best Wood Pellets for Smoking Chicken Thighs on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill, How to Smoke Chicken Thighs on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill, How to Start up the Pit Boss Pellet Grill. The skin will now crisp up nicely on the Pit Boss while the inside meat stays moist. That salty moisture that formed on the surface will work its way BACK into the meat to help flavor the interior of the chicken thighs. The skin will have browned. Now, I covered this in a post about chicken thighs temperature but let me break it down for you here: Chicken thighs are dark meat, which means that they have more collagen than white meat. As you will have seen, there are more commercial rubs than you can imagine. We are attempting to slow cook them and crisp up the skin at the same time, and it takes time for that tougher dark meat to get fall off the bone tender and all the fat to render out from under the skin. They will also take longer to cook. As outdoor living enthusiasts, we love to mention and link to various products we have used or researched. If you want to put BBQ sauce on your Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs, great. Good news for you this brand of pellet grill is actually pretty easy to use! I love cooking, but I really LOVE eating!!!! Make Texas barbecue for a living, love food from all parts of the world. Again, no need to oil them up, this will just inhibit the skin from getting crispy. If using a gas or charcoal grill, set it up for low heat. If you want to prevent them from overcooking, you can take them off sooner. Now, gently put the thighs on the indirect side. Youll want to monitor the internal temperature of the chicken thighs closely for doneness. Mix the dry rub ingredients together. Start off by trimming up a little of the extra fat and skin. They can get soft and become difficult to smoke. I would advise against it, though. The only time that I would suggest using olive oil to the surface of the chicken thighs is if you are using skinless thighs. Place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours . Mesquite and hickory will give a very aggressive smoke flavor and should only be used if mixed in with some of the other types mentioned above. Brining chicken thighs is easy. Applying oil to the chicken thighs undoes this hard work. or increase the amount of chili powder and other savory seasonings. In case you have an older model, I would suggest getting one that has a wire that can be arranged outside of the hood. You can easily skip it and simply serve the chicken thighs with a side of sauce. We love smoking chicken and turkey around here. Serve immediately with extra sauce if desired. Then, we will season them up with one our all time favorite BBQ rubs for chicken and smoke them on the Pit Boss with medium heat indirectly until they are perfectly cooked and colored. Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs 2 hr 30 min Chicken thighs, bbq sauce, dark brown sugar, bbq rub, chili powder 5.01 Smoked Beer Can Chicken on a Pit Boss, Traeger or Other Pellet Grill 2 hr 10 min Chicken, olive oil, can beer 5.02 Easy Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe on a Pellet Grill 1 hr 10 min Dry rub, chicken breasts, olive oil 5.081 Then turn the heat up to about 350 degrees and cook for 30 - 60 minutes depending on how many chicken pieces you have and how hot your grill gets. This is all the moisture you need to get the salt or rub to adhere. Cook chicken breast side up for the entire cook. Insert temperature probe into thickest part of chicken thigh. How Long Do Chicken Quarters Take To Smoke At 225? If you dont want that much sugar, you can replace with more paprika, smoked paprika. Smoke at 275F for one hour. Smoking some chicken thighs on this nice rainy day. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, Caribbean Jerk seasoning, garlic, ginger, lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a bowl and whisk until evenly mixed. Despite this, I would avoid using olive oil or cooking oil to get the ingredients to stay in place. Smoke for approximately 45 minutes until an internal temperature of 170F is reached. Place thighs on grates allowing space between pieces for smoke to get through. Smoke the chicken, skin side down until the chicken is lightly browned and the skin releases from the grate without ripping, about 6-8 minutes. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_11',164,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1');.large-leaderboard-2-multi-164{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Place the chicken thighs on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet in the refrigerator overnight. Sprinkle the spice rub all over each chicken thigh, working some under the skin as well. Season Chicken Thighs: Drizzle each thigh with a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then liberally apply dry rub to each thigh. This is to ensure that the skin gets nice and crispy since I am smoking the chicken thighs at 225 degrees. It is all about timing it just right. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madbackyard_com-narrow-sky-2','ezslot_27',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-narrow-sky-2-0');Its got a great free app that is constantly being updated and even has an algorithm to predict how much longer your type of meat will take to cook based on cooking temperature, target temperature, current internal temperature. Place the chicken quarters in a pot and smoke for an hour and a half, or so, until the meat is heated to 165oF and has cooked fully.In a bowl, place the chicken parts, then let them rest for about 10 minutes. The thigh muscles are well worked, meaning the meat is dark and well-worked - a sure-fire ingredient for delicious flavor. Flip the chicken thighs over so the bottoms are exposed and trim away the loose flabby skin that is likely hanging off each one. This is why you should remove the skin from the underside of the thighs, but keep the bit on the top. In this case, you will need the help. Check out some of our other favorite recipes below that can all be easily modified for a Pit Boss if not done so already. 8. The Pit Boss pellet grill automatically feeds these small wood pellets via an auger mechanism to a fire pot where they are burned up, providing both heat and smokey flavor. I find that this process helps the smoked chicken thighs maintain their moisture while resulting in a crispier skin. 2 weeks ago smokergrillgirl.com Show details . Chill in the fridge for at least three hours, and up to 24 hours before smoking. Smoke at 275F for a cook time of approximately two and a half hours until the internal temperature of the breast is 165F and the thigh is 180F. Combine the seasonings (paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, sugar) and mix well. It means the salt has penetrated into the meat where you want it to be and has taken all the moisture with it. Furthermore, bones are great for helping the meat retain moisture as well. Well be here when you get back!***. If you are planning on basting the smoked chicken thighs later on, it is a good idea to consider if your spice rub matches the flavor profile of the sauce. Now adjust the temperature to where you need it to cook your food. They will cook faster and you will need to track this carefully to ensure that the thighs are taken out at the right point. For Great Baking Recipes, Check Out Our Partner Site Youre Gonna Bake It After All. Do not keep them in the Pit Boss pellet grill hopper for longer than a week. Chicken Thighs Smoker Recipe in 4 Easy Steps Please enjoy and carefully read our chicken thighs smoker recipe. The salt inside will help the chicken retain moisture and not dry out while it smokes on the Pit Boss. Usually only about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. At this point, the risk of a foodborne illness is too high. At the same time, you dont want to try to smoke cold chicken thighs. Place skillet with marinade and chicken on the grill. Mix the rub ingredients together and sprinkle over the tops and bottoms of each chicken thigh. No Worries! Pour the oil over the chicken and rub to coat each piece, then season with Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub. While some skin on the chicken thighs adds flavor and moisture, you dont want the entire thigh wrapped up in it. So if you need a more in-depth review on how to use your Pit Boss for the first time, check those articles out first! Grill an additional 15 minutes. Then turn the temperature to 250F. Best of all, though, there is a taste of freshness that you just cant replicate with the homemade version. Season the chicken. Prime rib on my Pit Boss. Due to this, you dont want to use any woods that would overpower it. of kosher salt 1 tsp. The salt inside will help the chicken retain moisture and not dry out while it smokes on the Pit Boss. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madbackyard_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',161,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madbackyard_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',161,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-medrectangle-4-0_1');.medrectangle-4-multi-161{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. For competition meats like chicken and pork , we play off different versions of sweet and . Remove from smoker and let rest for 5 minutes. Step 1. Total Time: 150 min Prep Time: 30 min Pellet Type: Blend Smoke Temp: 250 degrees Internal Temp: 165 degrees If you're like me you frequently crave chicken wings. If you are planning on dry brining your smoked chicken thighs, I would suggest skipping the salt in the dry rub, then. Dip it in a bowl of sauce and paint on a thin layer all over the thighs. Smoking both the legs adds a flavorful taste you just can't get from a traditional charcoal or gas grill. When dealing with raw meat, it is important to avoid letting it reach room temperature. Required fields are marked *. Well, actually you dont instead, you are going to set the temperature to 225 F. According to the manufacturer, the temperature range for the Smoke setting on the Pit Boss grills is between 180 and 210 F. This is far too low to cook chicken thighs. pit boss recipes chicken thighs . Turn the Pit Boss pellet grill smoker temperature up to 400 degrees F. Lightly baste the smoked chicken thighs with the BBQ sauce. With the temperature turned up so high, it is easy to overcook the smoked chicken thighs. I have found that it makes the skin rather soggy. turkey, salmon etc work too since they won't turn out as tough as slower cooking proteins like chicken thighs. Turn the dial to Smoke and press the Power button. Place a disposable bucket liner in the grease bucket as well if you want to limit cleanup later. I like t take the chicken thighs out of the refrigerator about half an hour or so before they are meant to be smoked. If you are cooking on a Pit Boss Smoker that does not have the 275F setting then smoke at 250F and extend the cooking . Apply the rub to the underside of each quarter, and then underneath the skin. Fill your hopper with pellets as described above. Now, due to the process of carryover cooking, the temperature of smoked chicken thighs can go up by as much as 10 degrees once they have been taken off the Pit Boss pellet grill.