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    Home » Chicken

    Published: Sep 15, 2023 · Modified: Apr 3, 2024 by Mads Martigan · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Learn how to make the best smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs on ANY grill or smoker.

    Whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss, an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional propane grill like a Weber, we've got you covered!

    smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs

    If you've spent any time around the Mad Backyard family, you know we love smoking chicken around here.

    We've done our fair share of Whole Chickens, as well as Spatchcocked Chickens, Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters, and the always fun and popular Beer Can Chicken.

    We've also shown you in-depth how to not only smoke, but get crispy skin, using a dry brine technique on bone-in, skin on, thighs, breasts, legs, and wings.

    But today we are getting back to a simple weeknight dish with some delicious smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs.

    No trimming, no brining.

    First we will season them up with one our all time favorite BBQ rubs for chicken and smoke them with low to medium heat indirectly until they are perfectly cooked and colored.

    Let's jump in and talk about what seasonings and sauces to use and then how to set up your smoker for perfect smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs!

    Jump to:
    • Video
    • Prepare the Chicken Thighs
    • Our Favorite Rubs
    • Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub
    • Our Favorite BBQ Sauces
    • Best Wood Choices
    • Cooking Temperature
    • Target Internal Temperature
    • Cooking Time
    • Monitor your Temperature
    • Saucing and Serving
    • 📖 Recipe

    Video

    Rather WATCH than READ?

    Check out our video on How to Make Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs!

    Prepare the Chicken Thighs

    raw boneless skinless chicken thighs

    You shouldn't need to do much trimming if you are buying a package of boneless skinless chicken thighs to smoke.

    Take them out of the package and give them a rinse in the sink.

    Lay them out on a cutting board or in an aluminum pan and dry them well some paper towels.  Only trim fat is you see a lot of excess on any piece.

    Our Favorite Rubs

    three little pigs seasoning and blues hog sauce

    Once the boneless chicken thighs are rinsed and dried well, give them a little coating some regular olive oil to help the rub stick and keep the chicken moist on the smoker.

    You don't need a lot, just enough to help the seasoning stick.

    oiling raw boneless skinless chicken thighs

    Now, you can use ANY of your favorite BBQ rubs for smoked chicken.

    Since we are only smoking these at 250°F we don't need to worry about burning any sugary rubs.

    So choose any rub you like and sprinkle it on generously on both sides of each boneless chicken thigh after you

    seasoned boneless skinless chicken thighs

    Three Little Pigs Touch of Cherry is one of our personal favorite rubs for smoked chicken, and their Kansas City Championship Rub will give you a good hit of garlic, onion, and some heat if you like more of those flavors.

    You can always mix it in with a more balanced rub like Blues Hog if you want a little of those flavors.

    Three Little Pigs Kansas City Championship BBQ Rub LARGE 12.5 Oz
    Check Price on Amazon

    If you want a quality rub without ANY sugar, we are big fans of Bad Byron's Butt Rub Seasoning.

    Although we typically use it on cuts of beef and steaks where we are going for a more savory flavor, there is no real reason you can't apply it to your smoked boneless chicken thighs if you are looking for big savory flavor without any of the sugar.

    Bad Byrons Butt Rub Barbecue Seasoning 4.5 Ounce - Pack 2
    Bad Byrons Butt Rub Barbecue Seasoning 4.5 Ounce - Pack 2
    • Try Bad Byron Butt Rub on fish, vegetables, potatoes, potatoes, eggs, popcorn and much more!
    • All natural and gluten-f
    Check Price on Amazon

    Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub

    Sometimes, you forgot you ran out of your favorite rub, or don't have all the ingredients on hand to make a complex one from scratch.

    If you just want to get a good classic BBQ rub on your smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs before throwing them on, then we've got you covered with this simple rub recipe with seasonings most people have on hand in the pantry:

    • ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Paprika
    • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt (or ½ a teaspoon Table Salt)
    • ½ tablespoon Fresh Black Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional for heat)

    Mix thoroughly, (using a re-usable plastic shaker works best), and then sprinkle directly on your chicken.

    If you don't want that much sugar, you can replace it with more paprika, smoked paprika. or increase the amount of chili powder and other savory seasonings.

    Our Favorite BBQ Sauces

    blues hog bbq sauce in a bowl

    Now, there is no law you have to use a barbecue sauce on smoked boneless chicken thighs.

    We actually think they taste great with a just a rub like Three Little Pigs.

    But if you DO want a barbecue sauce, Blues Hog wins the day with their amazing lineup of sauces.

    While their rubs are great, their sauces are WORLD CLASS.

    Their Original BBQ Sauce is VERY thick, VERY sweet, and incredibly heavy on flavor, so a little goes a LONG way.

    In fact, we actually like to cut it with a less intense sauce, OR, with their Tennessee Red Sauce, which is a thinner, more vinegar based sauce, that is our hands down favorite sauce to use on our pulled pork.

    You can pick up both and mix them like we do, or mix some Blues Hog Original in with one of your other favorites (we'd suggest more savory sauces to balance the sugar, like this one from Aaron Franklin.)

    Blues Hog Premium BBQ Large Sampler (Variety Pack of 5 with 4 Different Sauces and 1 Rub)
    Check Price on Amazon

    Kosmos also makes a great lineup of BBQ sauces that work great on boneless chicken thighs, especially if you want to try some more adventurous flavors such as their Peach Habanero or Honey Jalapeno.

    Kosmos Q BBQ Sauce Sampler Pack | Sweet, Smoky & Spicy Flavors | Full Size Bottles
    Check Price on Amazon

    Best Wood Choices

    Poultry, like fish, absorbs smoke very quickly and a little goes a long way.

    The best woods for smoking chicken include the fruitwoods like apple, cherry, and peach, but also the milder smoking woods like pecan, oak and alder.

    a bag of pit boss apple wood pellets

    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.

    If you want to keep it simple and straightforward, choose a lighter smoking wood like oak, apple, or peach.

    Middle of the road?  Try hickory or cherry.

    We recommend staying away from mesquite unless you cut it with another type of wood chip or pellet.

    A little goes a long way with mesquite.

    Pit Boss 20 lb Apple Blend Hardwood Pellets
    • 100% all natural hardwood pellets
    • The flavor is mild and fruity with a subtle sweetness that taste best with poultry, pork, seafood and lamb
    • Free of artificial flavors, spray scents, glues, or chemicals
    Check Price on Amazon

    For fun, you can choose your woods seasonally, using beech and cherry in spring and summer and pecan and apple into the fall and winter.

    For the best results, if you are using a pellet grill or pellet tube smoker, store your unused pellets in a sealed room temperature container like this 20 lb pellet container rather than in the hopper outside.

    Pellets do not last forever, but will definitely last a LOT longer if stored indoors in a quality, airtight container.

    Oklahoma Joe's Pellet Bucket Kit, Black
    • Store up to 20 pounds of hardwood pellets in the heavy-duty plastic pellet bucket.
    • Weatherproof, airtight lid protects pellets from the elements, keeping them fresh and dry
    • Wire-mesh filter separates wood dust from the pellets for a clean burn
    • Heavy-duty plastic scoop to easily transfer pellets
    Check Price on Amazon

    Cooking Temperature

    We are going to set up the grill or smoker for moderately low and slow indirect cooking at 250°F.

    This will give the chicken thighs plenty of time to absorb smokey flavor and will not burn any sugar in our rub.

    boneless skinless chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill

    The extra fat in the dark meat thighs will keep them from drying out like smoked chicken breasts might do if smoked at this low of a temperature.

    However, if you are more crunched for time, you can turn the temperature up to 300°F if need to but they won;t get as much smoke flavor.

    Target Internal Temperature

    You HAVE to use a good instant read meat thermometer to know where the internal temperature is of your smoked boneless chicken thighs, so as to make sure they are not over, or worse, under cooked.

    We are particular fans of this one from ThermoPro because of its durability and affordable price.

    ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Digital Meat Thermometer - Backlit
    Check Price on Amazon

    We are targeting a final internal temperature of 175°F on the smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs to know that they are safe to eat and finished cooking. 

    Cooking Time

    At 250°F, our smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs will take about 1 hour to cook and come up to 175°F internally.

    This gives the smoked chicken thighs plenty of time to absorb a good amount of smoke and really develop some great flavors on the smoker.

    boneless skinless chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill

    They may take a little longer or less time depending on the size of your thighs.

    That is why you need a good instant read thermometer and why we always cook to TEMPERATURE, not TIME.

    Monitor your Temperature

    Almost every grill and smoker will have some sort of temperature gauge on them.

    Now, if you are using a pellet grill or electric smoker, you should be able to pretty accurately dial in your desired temperature of 250°F with the turn of a dial.

    This is what makes them so convenient!

    If, however, you are using a charcoal or propane grill/smoker, you can't rely on the cheap lid mounted temperature gauge that come installed on them.

    thermo prop cooking temp probe reading 275 degrees

    We have found these can sometimes be up to 30°F off from the true actual temperature at the grill grate level!

    This is unacceptable.

    This is why you will always see competition cooks, and backyard chefs who know their stuff, using wireless digital probe thermometers to keep track of both their meat AND their cooking chamber.

    And even if you have a fancy pellet grill like a Traeger or even an electric smoker, it can't hurt to double check how accurate your temperature settings are to the true temperatures you are getting.

    We are big fans of the ThermoPro Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer series for doing this.

    ThermoPro TP08 300FT Wireless Meat Thermometer for Grilling Smoker BBQ Grill Oven Thermometer with Dual Probe Kitchen Cooking Food Thermometer
    ThermoPro TP08 300FT Wireless Meat Thermometer with Dual Probe
    • 300ft remote range
    • Oven safe with highly accurate stainless steel meat probe and oven/ grill/ smoker temperature probe, to allow you to monitor both food and ambient temperature simultaneously
    • Food temp & HI/LOW ambient temp alarm
    • Highly accurate temp range 14˚f to 572˚F; Displays both Fahrenheit and Celsius
    Check Price on Amazon

    While we have used and recommended ThermoPro for years, lately we have also become big fans of the MEATER leave in thermometer.

    It is extremely accurate and has an incredible 165 foot Bluetooth range and works right with your smartphone so you don't need to carry a separate controller around with you like many other remote thermometers require.

    It's 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.

    It's like a GPS for your meat!

    MEATER Plus | 165ft Long Range Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer with Bluetooth for The Oven, Grill, Kitchen, BBQ, Smoker, Sous Vide, Rotisserie
    • ► 2 Sensors, 1 Probe: Dual temperature sensors can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously. Dishwasher safe.
    • ► Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Can estimate how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
    • ► Connectivity Suite: Monitor your cook from a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. Extend your range Using MEATER Link WiFi and MEATER Cloud to use Alexa and monitor your cook from a computer.
    Check Price on Amazon

    Anyways, back to our smoked chicken...

    Again, we are going to bring the internal temperature of our smoked bonless chicken thighs up to 175*F.

    Since the smoked boneless chicken thighs are dark meat, they need to cook up a little higher than say a white meat chicken breast that only needs to hit 165°F internally.

    We also think the meat just tastes better when cooked that high as all the fat really renders out completely.

    Saucing and Serving

    smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs

    If you are going to apply a barbecue sauce, don't put it on when the boneless chicken thighs are still raw and have just gone on the grill or smoker.

    Give the rub some time to firm up on the chicken, and rotate and flip as needed depending on how even the temperature of your grill or smoker is.

    Once the chicken has about 20 minutes left, then you can baste on some barbecue sauce using a good silicone basting brush.

    This will give the barbecue sauce time to firm up on the chicken without drying out or interfering with the rub.

    smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs

    Serve your smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs while they are still hot, with some extra warmed up BBQ sauce on the side if your guests wish.

    Smoked chicken thighs are great on their own, or you can pair them with our maple bourbon smoked pineapple for a Hawaiian theme.

    Smoked broccoli, smoked asparagus, smoked carrots, and even smoked cauliflower are great if you're eating healthy.

    If you want something a little richer, check out our Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Baked Beans, or our Buttery Smoked Sweet Potatoes to cook and serve right alongside your smoked chicken thighs.

    📖 Recipe

    smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs on a cutting board

    Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs

    Mads Martigan
    Learn how to make the best smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs on ANY grill or smoker.
    Whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss, an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional propane grill like a Weber, we’ve got you covered!
    5 from 2 votes
    PRINT PIN SHARE SAVE Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Smoked
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 500 kcal

    Equipment

    • Gas Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker
    • Wood pellets, chunks, or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips
    • Paper Towels
    • Instant Read Thermometer
    • Grill Tongs
    • Basting brush

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • Your favorite BBQ rub or our "In a Pinch" BBQ rub below
    • Barbecue Sauce optional

    In a Pinch BBQ Rub for Chicken

    • ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp Paprika
    • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt or ½ tablespoon Table Salt
    • ½ tablespoon Fresh Black Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional for heat

    Instructions
     

    Rinse, Dry, and Season the Boneless Chicken Thighs

    • Rinse the chicken thighs under cold running water. Place on a cutting board or in an aluminum pan and pat dry with paper towels
      8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
      raw boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • Brush a light coating of regular olive oil on all sides of each boneless chicken thigh.
      2 tablespoon Olive Oil
      oiling raw boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • Sprinkle on your favorite BBQ rub or mix up our "In a Pinch Rub" and rub on all sides of each chicken thigh.
      Your favorite BBQ rub or our "In a Pinch" BBQ rub below, ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Paprika, 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, ½ tablespoon Fresh Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
      seasoning boneless chicken thighs

    Set up your Grill or Smoker

    • Light or turn on your smoker, grill or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 250°F. If using a grill, only light a small amount of charcoal or light a single burner on one side for indirect cooking
      a pit boss pellet grill smoking with white smoke
    • Brush the grill grates with oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
    • Add your wood chunks directly to the firebox of a smoker, or use chips in a smoker box, or pellets in a tube smoker or pellet grill.
    • Once smoke is being produced and the grill or smoker is at 250°F, put your seasoned chicken on the COOL side of the grill.
      boneless skinless chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill

    Smoking the Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

    • Smoke the chicken for about 1 hour, flipping and rotating occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 175°F using an instant read thermometer.
      boneless skinless chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill
    • Brush both sides with barbecue sauce if you wish during the last 10-20 minutes.
      Barbecue Sauce
    • Remove the smoked boneless chicken thighs from the smoker and serve immediately.
      smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 500kcal
    Keyword boneless chicken thighs electric smoker, boneless chicken thighs in a smoker, Masterbuilt, pellet grill, pellet grill boneless chicken thighs, pellet grill boneless skinless chicken thighs, pit boss boneless chicken thighs, pit boss bonless skinless chicken thighs, Pit Boss Recipes, pit boss smoked boneless chicken thighs, smoked boneless chicken thighs, smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs, traeger boneless chicken thighs, traeger boneless skinless chicken thighs, Traeger Recipes, traeger smoked boneless chicken thighs
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Mads Martigan

    Mads is the founder of Madbackyard.com and has been a BBQ and Grilling enthusiast for the past 15 years. He loves to write about and make videos on smoking and barbecuing all kinds of great food.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sharon Peters says

      September 04, 2022 at 7:24 am

      5 stars
      These were really good, we liked that seasoning too.

    2. Craig Buck says

      July 06, 2024 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Good recipe, but never ever rinse chicken. The health hazard of cross-contamination is much higher than any other risk. The temperature in the smoker will deal with any surface bacteria better than rinsing will according to the USDA.

    5 from 2 votes

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    Robert "Mads" Martigan, the founder of Mad Backyard

    Hi, I'm Mads, the founder of Mad Backyard and an avid outdoorsman, barbecue/smoker buff, and pellet grilling enthusiast who loves to share my passion for outdoor living and outdoor cooking with the world.

    More about me →

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