Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How long do you smoke chicken thighs at 225? ›

Give both methods a try and let me know what you think. The method of using a hot cast iron flat surface is a must! Honestly, I know some say smoking chicken thighs at 225°F for 2 hours is best.

Many grillers brine their chicken to keep it juicy during the smoking process, but I prefer the texture of a chicken breast that isn't brined. If you use a good meat thermometer and cook to the correct temperature then your chicken will turn out juicy and full of flavor without needing to brine it first.

Smoker temps for smoked chicken

Cook your chicken at 225–250°F (107–121°C) for an hour to imbue the meat with smoky goodness. The slow smoking not only gives us flavor, but it also cooks the meat quite gently for that first hour. Once that's done, though, it's time to crank up the heat.

Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the smoker. Heat your smoker to 225°F. Prior to lighting, add the wood, mixing it with the charcoal. It's OK if your smoker gets a bit hotter than 225°F; just note that the chicken will cook more quickly.

The other thing I would suggest is to turn the heat up on the chicken. Low heat + smoke = rubbery and tough skin. I do a lot of barbecue, and I never find any compelling reasons to do chicken low and slow, unless I want to make pulled chicken, at which point the skin is useless to me anyway.

If you want crispy chicken skin the key is to turn up the heat! High heat is essential to remove moisture and tighten up the skin. So, crank the heat up to 375°F and continue cooking your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

With that in mind, what I tend to use and find is the best spritz for smoking is apple cider vinegar but water will work as well, or a 50/50 mix. Another great alternative is apple juice where the sugars in the juice also add another level of flavour to your bark.

Many wood flavors work well with smoking chicken. If you want robust flavors, hickory and oak are ideal. Maple is enchantingly sweet like wood such as applewood, peachwood, and cherrywood have sweet and fruity undertones that are highly desirable.

Dryness: Chicken that is overcooked on the smoker can become dry and tough, making it difficult to chew and enjoy. Burnt flavor: If the chicken is left on the smoker for too long, it can develop a burnt flavor that can be unpleasant to eat.

It's important to oil the food so that the meat doesn't dry out, and so that it does attract the smoke.

Should I put olive oil on chicken before smoking? ›

Tips for Delicious Smoked Chicken

Here are a few extra little tips and tricks I love to use while smoking chicken: Use that olive oil. Before I season, I like to coat my chicken liberally with olive oil. Smoking chicken at a low temperature tends to melt the fat underneath the skin and dry it out.

How Long to Smoke Chicken Thighs. Chicken thighs take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes to fully cook on a smoker set to 275 degrees F. Keep an internal meat thermometer handy and continue to smoke until your chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F.

If it's not over cooking (and it sounds like you're pulling it out before that), but drying out - try brining your chicken before hand, embedding butter under the skin of the chicken, or a steam pan under your chicken in the smoker.

The advantage is that it's already all cut up and no carving is required. These pieces, as I figured, took about 4 hours and 10 minutes at the 220 degree temperature I cooked them at. The rub did NOT burn and they were perfectly tender and juicy at 165 degrees internal temperature.

Do You Flip Chicken Thighs When Smoking? No, do not flip them over. You can move them around the grill grate to expose all sides to the heat and smoke source better, but the skin should always remain on top. As its fat renders it will both flavor and protect the thigh meat from overdrying.

Using an approximately 4lb whole chicken (fully thawed and cavity empty) and smoking at 225 degrees F. it will take approximately 3.5 – 4.5 hours to smoked a whole chicken. That being said the best way to track when your bird is done is to keep track of the internal temp.

Smoke chicken for 30-40 minutes at 225F to maximize the smoke infusion. Raise the temperature to 275F and cook for another 80-90 minutes—or until breast meat near bone registers 160-165°F and thigh meat registers 180°F, about 2 hours total depending on size.