Smoked Pulled Chicken

Learn how to make the best smoked pulled chicken 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!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Pulling Time 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 766kcal

Author Mads Martigan

Cost $25

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
Aluminum Foil Trays
Instant Read Thermometer
Grill Tongs
Bear Claws or two forks to shred

Ingredients

8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Your favorite BBQ rub such as Three Little Pigs or our Pulled Chicken BBQ rub below
¼ Cup Barbecue Sauce such as Blues Hog Tennessee Red optional
4 Large Brioche Buns or any hamburger buns

BBQ Rub for Smoked Pulled 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
Brush a light coating of regular olive oil on all sides of each boneless chicken thigh.
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Sprinkle on your favorite BBQ rub or mix up our BBQ Rub for Smoked Pulled Chicken and rub on all sides of each chicken thigh.
Your favorite BBQ rub such as Three Little Pigs or our Pulled Chicken BBQ rub below, ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Tbsp Paprika, 1 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt, ½ Tbsp Fresh Black Pepper, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Onion Powder, ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper

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
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 or in the smoker.

Smoking the Chicken Thighs for Pulled Chicken

Smoke the chicken for about 1 hour, flipping and rotating occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 175°F using an instant read thermometer.
Remove the smoked boneless chicken thighs from the smoker and place in a large aluminum foil tray to shred.

Pulling the Smoked Chicken

Use two forks or a pair of bear claws, push down and pull each one from the other one. Then keep repeating until the smoked chicken thigh is nicely pulled and shredded and then move on to the next one.
Once you have pulled the smoked chicken, test it for seasoning, you may need to add some salt depending how much rub you initially used. If not, move on to saucing the chicken if you wish.
Start with half the sauce and then add more after tasting.
Stir the sauce first as it may have settled in the jar and then pour some in a small dish to drizzle on the smoked pulled chicken.
¼ Cup Barbecue Sauce such as Blues Hog Tennessee Red
Stir it around and then check for how it tastes. Add more as desired and mix up thoroughly with the smoked pulled chicken.
Serve on large brioche or hamburger buns with extra sauce on the side for guests to add if they wish and enjoy!
4 Large Brioche Buns

Nutrition