Smoked Turkey Thighs
Learn how to make smoked turkey thighs on ANY grill or smoker, whether its a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, a Masterbuilt propane smoker, or just a simple Weber kettle!Smoked turkey thighs are simple to make and a delicious way to enjoy smoked turkey without making a whole bird!First we trim, season, and smoke the turkey thighs at a lower temperature to get extra smoky flavor, then raise the temperature to finish to get the skin nice and crispy.
Equipment
- Gas Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker
- Wood pellets, chunks, or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips preferably a fruitwood like apple
- Paper Towels
- Cutting Board
- Boning Knife
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Instant Read and/or Leave in Probe Thermometer
- Grilling Tongs
Ingredients
- 3 Raw Turkey Thighs separated from the legs
- A Favorite BBQ rub like Famous Dave's Chicken Rub -OR - our BBQ Turkey Rub Below. sugar free so that the rub will not burn
BBQ Turkey Rub
- 2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt or 1 tablespoon Table Salt
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional for heat
Instructions
- Light or turn on your smoker, grill or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 220°F. If using a grill, only light a small amount of charcoal or light a single burner on one side for indirect cooking
Trimming the Turkey Thighs
- Remove the turkey thighs their packaging and rinse under cold running water.3 Raw Turkey Thighs
- Pat the turkey thighs dry with paper towels, and place them on a cutting board.
- If they are connected to the legs as turkey leg quarters, separate the legs from the thighs using a sharp boning knife.
- Flip the turkey thighs skin side down and trim any excess skin hanging off the sides of each turkey thigh and also remove the small triangular tail bone at the bottom of each thigh if present.
Season the Turkey Thighs
- Gather your favorite BBQ rub or chicken and turkey or mix together the ingredients to the BBQ Turkey Rub above in a small mixing bowl.A Favorite BBQ rub like Famous Dave's Chicken Rub -OR - our BBQ Turkey Rub Below., 2 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Chili Powder, 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, 2 tablespoon Paprika
- Generously sprinkle the BBQ rub all over the turkey thighs on each side. Do not use oil to help the rub adhere.
Finish Setting up your Grill or Smoker
- 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.
- Oil the grates well with canola or vegetable oil using a paper towel
- Once smoke is being produced and the grill or smoker is at 220°F, put your turkey thighs on the indirect side, skin side UP, and close the lid.
Smoking the Turkey Thighs
- Rotate the turkey thighs as needed, maybe every 30 minutes for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thighs has reached 130-140°F.
- Then increase the heat of your grill or smoker to 325° and continue cooking INDIRECTLY.
- Rotate the smoked turkey thighs as needed and cook at this temperature for about another hour, or until the internal temperature has reached 175°F.
- Remove the smoked turkey thighs from the smoker and place on a wire rack or cutting board to cool.
Serving the Smoked Turkey Thighs
- Let the smoked turkey thighs cool for about 15 minutes.
- Carve or pull the meat of the smoked turkey thighs and serve hot. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!