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Pit Boss Smoked Chicken thighs on a cutting board

Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs

Mads Martigan
Our Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Thighs are first dry brined and seasoned overnight to get the most flavor and crispiest skin possible.
Then we smoke them at medium indirect heat on the Pit Boss pellet grill. They are optionally finished with a yummy bbq sauce glaze.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Dry Brine Time 6 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Smoked
Servings 4 people
Calories 450 kcal

Equipment

  • Pit Boss Pellet Grill
  • Wood Pellets preferably a fruitwood like apple or cherry; or oak
  • Large Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
  • Meat Carving Knife
  • Paper Towels
  • Instant Read and/or Leave in Probe Thermometer
  • Basting brush
  • Cutting Board

Ingredients
  

  • 8 Chicken Thighs skin on
  • ¼ Cup Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce
  • ¼ Cup Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ Sauce

"In a Pinch" BBQ Rub for Chicken Thighs

  • 2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Paprika
  • 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt or 1 tablespoon Table Salt
  • ½ tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional

Instructions
 

Wash and Trim the Chicken Thighs

  • Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and rinse under cold running water. Pay dry with paper towels.
    8 Chicken Thighs
  • Flip each chicken thigh upside down and carefully remove the excess skin on the bottom of each one with a good meat carving knife
    trimming chicken thighs

Dry Brine

  • Place the chicken thighs on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet.
  • Mix the rub ingredients together and sprinkle over the tops and bottoms of each chicken thigh. DO NOT use cooking oil to adhere or skin will not get crispy.
    2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Paprika, 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt, ½ tablespoon Course Ground Black Pepper, ½ tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
    dry brining chicken thighs before smoking
  • 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.

Start the Pit Boss Pellet Grill

  • Remove the fire pot from the bottom of the Pit Boss and clean out any ashes left over from the last cook. Replace it and make sure it is secured in place with the clips on either side. Also, wrap the drip tray in aluminum foil to limit cleanup needed later.
    a dirty ash pot
  • Add your chosen pellets to the hopper, start the Pit Boss pellet grill and put it on the "Smoke" setting.
    pellets in a pit boss hopper
  • If there are no pellets in the auger, hold the "Prime" button until you hear pellets begin falling in the fire pot. This will speed up the auger to prime it full of pellets before you start preheating.
  • Once the Pit boss begins to produce thick white smoke, let it run for about 5-7 minutes until the smoke turns more of a clearish blue color. This means the fire rod has fully heated up to burn the pellets more cleanly.
    a pit boss pellet grill making smoke
  • Next, set the temperature to preheat the Pit Boss pellet grill to 350°F. We will drop this temperature before we start cooking.
  • Fill an aluminum pan with water pan if you want to add extra moisture, and place it on the far left side of the Pit Boss pellet grill. Place a disposable bucket liner in the grease bucket as well if you want to limit cleanup later.
  • Once the Pit Boss has come up to 350°F, drop the temperature on the control panel to 300° and clean the grill grates with a good grill brush and close the lid.

Smoking the Chicken Thighs on the Pit Boss Pellet Grill

  • Place the chicken thighs on the Pit Boss with the skin side UP. No need to flip during the cook. You can even leave them on the wire rack if you wish.
    smoked chicken thighs on a pit boss pellet grill
  • Continue smoking the chicken thighs, rotating occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F internally. This may take 1.5-2 hours.
    temperature probe in a smoked chicken thigh on a pit boss pellet grill
  • Mix the two types of Blues Hog BBQ sauce together in a small bowl, and once the skin on the chicken thighs is crispy, gently baste the sauce on with a basting brush. Close the lid and continue cooking.
    ¼ Cup Blues Hog Original BBQ Sauce, ¼ Cup Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ Sauce
    saucing smoked chicken thighs on a pit boss pellet grill
  • Once the internal temperature of the smoked chicken thighs reaches 175°F, remove them from the Pit Boss and place on a serving tray
    chicken thighs with sauce smoking on a pit boss
  • Serve immediately with extra sauce if desired.
    pit boss smoked chicken thighs

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal
Keyword barbecue, barbecue chicken, bbq, BBQ Chicken, bbq chicken thighs, chicken thighs, dark meat, dry meat, pellet grill, Pit Boss, pit boss chicken thighs, Pit Boss Recipes, Pit Boss Smoked Chicken, poultry, Smoked Chicken, smoked chicken thighs
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