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Juicy Smoke Chicken Thighs

Perfectly Juicy Smoked Chicken Thighs

It is easy to dry out chicken in the electric smoker, but this recipe which is brinded and then finished on the grill gives perfectly juicy chicken every time.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Idle Time/ Brining Time 5 hours
Servings: 8 thighs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Brine
  • ½ cup Coarse Kosher Salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp dried minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dried chives
Chicken
  • 8 bone-in (skin-on) chicken thighs
  • dry rub of choice we used Semiconservative Granola Girl Dry Rub
  • 1 gallon water divided

Equipment

  • electric smoker
  • grill

Method
 

Brine
  1. Add salt, sugar, garlic, chives and 1 cup of water to a large pot (enough to hold chicken plus water to cover--we used a 4 quart Dutch oven). Heat on high until sugar and salt are dissolved.
  2. Add about half the water (and ice, if desired) to cool the water before adding the chicken.
  3. Place the chicken in the brine. Add the remaining water (to cover). Refigerate for 4-12 hours.
Preparing the Chicken
  1. Remove chicken from brine to dry. We place the chicken on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet with paper towel on it). Pat the chicken dry. Add dry rub to both sides of the chicken.
  2. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature (about an hour before you put it in the smoker).
Smoking the Chicken
  1. Preheat the electric smoker to 225°F and add wood chips per manufacturer's instructions. We generally use hickory because it gives the deepest smokey flavor.
  2. When the smoker is full of smoke, add the chicken directly to the racks and close the door.
  3. After about an hour and a half, check the internal temperature of the chicken. At around 160°F, preheat the grill.
Finish on the Grill
  1. Transfer the chicken to the grill. Cook on both sides until the chicken reaches a done temperture of 165°F. About 15-20 minutes.