Chicken Thighs on Pellet Grill

These succulent, juicy, and mouth-watering chicken thighs on pellet grill start with a homemade rub, are smoked, and then finished off with BBQ sauce.

They certainly make a simple dinner on your pellet grill, and nothing can beat that.

I’m sure you love making dinner on your smoker, but you will also agree that those recipes sometimes seem to take so long.

That is why you will love these chicken thighs on a pellet grill, as it will take less time and is also perfect for a weeknight.

When it comes to rub, you can use BBQ chicken rub on them, which helps give them so much flavor.

I suggest that you mix up a batch of that and use it on all your smoked, baked, and, most importantly, grilled chicken.

With just a brush of BBQ sauce, you can just finish these chicken thighs off, which will make them perfectly sweet, sticky, and delicious.

However, keep in mind that the BBQ sauce finish is based on your preference, so you can always skip it if you want.

Important Things to Know When Grilling Chicken Thighs

When it comes to grilling chicken thighs that are bone-in and skin-on, there are a few important things you need to know, regardless of what grill you are using.

I always go for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs rather than boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but this recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

They come with more flavor, and by cooking something on the bone, you absorb so many nutrients.

A Marinade Is Important

Even though chicken thighs are much more flavorful compared to chicken breasts, they can also get boring.

So, keep in mind that a good marinade is important, and it does not have to be anything grand or complex.

Cook Them Skin Side Down First, For At Least 15 Minutes

I recommend that you cook your thighs skin side down first when you are placing them on the grill and for a longer time compared to when you cook the other side.

You will agree that there’s nothing like crunchy skin with a kiss of smoke and sear.

Don’t Overcook Them

To ensure that you are cooking the meat perfectly, use a digital-read meat thermometer.

For these chicken thighs on the pellet grill, when the middle of the thickest part of the chicken next to the bone reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then you know they are done.

Remove them from the grill immediately after you hit that temperature.

Allow Them Rest Before Serving

Immediately after the chicken is cooked, allow it to rest before you proceed to serve it. This should take around 10 minutes.

Doing this will help the juices draw back into the meat, which will in turn give you more flavor and moisture!

Pellet Grilled Chicken Thighs

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Along with a mouth-watering marinade, you will be making the best simple pellet grilled chicken thighs.

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 2 tablespoons of gluten-free soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon of gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Laid-Out Instructions

• First, you are to get a large Ziploc bag and add the thawed chicken thighs to it, then proceed to add in the soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and ground ginger.
• That being done, proceed to seal the bag and coat the chicken well. Also, allow this to sit and soak for at least 2 hours, or just all day. Keep in mind that the longer, the better.
• After that, proceed to preheat the pellet grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit when you are ready to cook.
• Then, place the chicken thighs on the grill and cook for around 15 minutes.
• Afterward, turn them over and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F, then serve.

Serving Suggestions

• I’m sure that after you have a taste, you will agree that it does not get easier than these fast and finger-licking grilled foil packet potatoes with onions. It is just the ideal side dish on the grill for a simple weeknight dinner.
• For a fast and simple side dish recipe, you can try BBQ-baked beans on the grill, particularly if you are grilling in the summer. They are just finger-licking, with three different types of beans, seasonings, and BBQ sauce.
• You can also go for a grilled corn salad recipe, which is a summer salad that is filled with flavor from grilled corn, avocados, lime juice, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion. This salad comes with a delectable homemade lime vinaigrette that brings out the flavors of the fresh vegetables.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Thighs

You can store any cooled, leftover chicken thighs in a tightly sealed container and place them in the refrigerator. This will make it last for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Leftover Chicken Thighs

You have the option of microwaving them to reheat them; however, remember that the skin will become rubbery and they might dry out.

Can You Make This Recipe With Chicken Breast?

Of course, this recipe can be done with chicken breast. But it is highly recommended that you go with chicken thighs.

For this recipe, I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and you will find that the taste and texture will be so much better.

Chicken breasts are very likely to dry out much more quickly compared to chicken thighs; however, if you do use chicken breasts for this recipe, make sure you start checking on them for about 20 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

What Kind of Sauce Should I Put on My Chicken Thighs?

Well, for this, the straight answer is simply your favorite barbecue sauce. This is to say, in short, that any sauce will certainly work.

But I suggest you opt for something sweet, tangy, smoky, or just your homemade sauce.

If you are not aware already, chicken is a blank canvas, and it can take on big and bold flavors.

What Kind Of Pellets Are Best For Smoking Chicken?

Personally, my favorite pellet is the competition blend, which blends nicely with anything you smoke.

However, if specificity is what you want, then you have the option of pecan, cherry, mesquite, or apple pellets, as they will give you a nice mellow taste without overpowering the chicken.

Not to forget, hickory is also another excellent option that comes with a sweet-to-strong taste.

How Do I Know When A Chicken Thigh Is Done?

Keep in mind that the chicken thigh needs to be 165 degrees F in the thickest part of its thigh.

You need to make sure that you have a digital meat thermometer or that your smoker comes with a probe with a built-in thermometer to monitor this.

You can cook your chicken thighs at 175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. They will still be extremely succulent and juicy, but they won’t have some of those bloody spots around the bone that way.

Final Thoughts

Make sure you marinade your chicken thighs first if you want the best flavor in them.

Also, keep in mind that the pellet grill has to be heated up to 350 degrees first before you place the chicken thighs on the grill.

You can then cook them for around 30 to 35 minutes, or until they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But I prefer to get them closer to 170 degrees F.

In addition, I recommend that you flip them about halfway through the cooking time.

Immediately after that, you will get juicy, mouth-watering chicken thighs, which brings us to the end of this guide on chicken thighs on pellet grill.