Sprig Originals's kitchen / Apple-Smoked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Apple-Smoked BBQ Chicken Thighs
By Sprig Originals · with credit
Adapted from dinneratthezoo.com
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Bone-in chicken thighs rubbed with barbecue spice and smoked low over apple wood until the meat is falling-tender, then glazed with sauce at the end. Almost no work, and the smoker does the rest.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons BBQ spice rub
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
For the smoker
- apple wood chips
Instructions
- Heat your smoker to 250°F and load the wood tray with apple wood chips. Give it a few minutes to start producing steady smoke before the chicken goes in.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry, then rub the BBQ spice all over them. Lift the skin gently with your fingers and work some of the rub directly onto the meat underneath — that's where the flavor sticks.
- Arrange the thighs skin side up on the smoker grate, leaving a little space between each one so smoke can circulate. Close the lid.
- Smoke for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer pushed into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding the bone) reads 165°F. Peek every 45 minutes or so and top up the wood chips if they've burned down.
- Brush the thighs generously with BBQ sauce, close the lid, and smoke 10 minutes more so the glaze sets and turns tacky.
- Pull the chicken off and serve right away, with extra sauce on the side.
Chef's tips
- Dry skin smokes better. If you have time, salt the thighs and leave them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before rubbing.
- Smoked chicken skin stays soft rather than crisp. If you want crackle, finish the glazed thighs under a hot broiler or over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Thighs are forgiving — a few degrees past 165°F only makes them more tender, so don't panic if you overshoot.
- Cherry or pecan wood work just as well as apple; avoid mesquite, which can overpower poultry in three hours.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
388calories
28gprotein
22gcarbs
18gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
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