“Deliciously Grilled Chicken Thighs Made Easy with Pellet Grill: Unleash the flavors of perfectly cooked chicken thighs using a pellet grill, ensuring tender and juicy meat every time. Elevate your grilling game with this foolproof method for mouthwatering results!”
SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BLOOD ORANGE GLAZE
These smoked chicken thighs are juicy, tender, and loaded with flavor. The blood orange glaze adds a sweet and spicy kick that everyone will love. Chicken thighs are really easy to prepare using a pellet grill, as the temperature control allows you to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process.
To prep the smoked chicken thighs for cooking, start by trimming off any bone fragments or cartilage that may have been missed by the butcher. Also, remove any big pieces of fat that are hanging over the thighs. Flatten out the chicken thighs and square them up so they cook as evenly as possible.
After trimming, let the chicken thighs sit in the fridge uncovered for at least a few hours to dry out the skin. This will help the skin crisp up when it cooks. About 30 minutes before cooking, take the thighs out of the fridge and season them generously on both sides with your choice of BBQ dry rub. The Yardbird dry rub from Plowboys BBQ is recommended.
Preheat your pellet grill to 375 degrees F. Once it has reached this temperature, smoke the chicken thighs skin-side up for 1 hour. Spray them with avocado oil spray every 30 minutes during this time to help achieve crispy skin. After one hour, move the chicken thighs to a pan with 3 tablespoons of butter and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F., and their skin is crispy.
To make the blood orange glaze, squeeze the juice of blood oranges into a bowl and whisk together with other ingredients such as Orange Blossom honey and Blue Agave Sriracha from Yellowbird. The glaze does not need to be cooked but should be kept at room temperature.
Once the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F., brush them with the glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F. This will ensure fall-off-the-bone tenderness and juicy dark meat. Serve and enjoy!
TRIMMING AND PREPARING SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS
When preparing smoked chicken thighs, it is important to trim any excess fat or bone fragments. Additionally, check for any cartilage that may have been missed by the butcher. It is recommended to remove any large pieces of fat that are hanging over the thighs for even cooking.
To ensure crispy skin, flatten out the chicken thighs and square them up as much as possible. After trimming, let the chicken thighs sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours. This will help dry out the skin and promote crispiness during cooking.
About 30 minutes before cooking, take the thighs out of the fridge and generously season both sides with a BBQ dry rub of your choice. Yardbird dry rub from Plowboys BBQ is a popular option for chicken. Let the seasoned thighs come up to room temperature before placing them on the grill.
HOW TO SMOKE CHICKEN THIGHS ON A PELLET GRILL.
Smoking chicken thighs on a pellet grill is a simple and delicious way to prepare juicy and flavorful meat. Start by trimming the thighs, removing any bone fragments or excess fat. If possible, let the thighs sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to dry out the skin, which will help it crisp up during cooking.
Once you’re ready to season the thighs, generously coat them on both sides with your favorite BBQ dry rub. Let the seasoned thighs come up to room temperature before preheating your pellet grill to 375 degrees F. Once the grill has reached the desired temperature, place the chicken thighs skin-side up and smoke them for about an hour.
During the smoking process, it’s important to maintain moisture and enhance flavor by regularly spraying the chicken thighs with avocado oil spray every 30 minutes. After an hour of smoking, transfer the thighs to a pan with butter and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F., ensuring that the skin is crispy.
To add a sweet and spicy kick to your smoked chicken thighs, brush them with a blood orange glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F. The glaze can be easily prepared by squeezing blood orange juice into a bowl and whisking together with other ingredients. Keep the glaze at room temperature while preheating the smoker so it’s ready when needed.
BLOOD ORANGE GLAZE
The blood orange glaze for these smoked chicken thighs is a delicious combination of flavors. To prepare the glaze, start by squeezing the juice of the blood oranges into a bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, including Orange Blossom honey and Blue Agave Sriracha from Yellowbird, to create a sweet and slightly tangy glaze.
The glaze does not need to be cooked, but it should be kept at room temperature. If you prefer to make it ahead of time, simply leave it out on the counter when you preheat the smoker and it will be ready to use by the time you need it.
INGREDIENTS LIST FOR BLOOD ORANGE GLAZE
– Juice of blood oranges
– Orange Blossom honey
– Blue Agave Sriracha from Yellowbird
WHAT TEMPERATURE TO COOK SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS?
When cooking smoked chicken thighs, it is recommended to start by smoking them at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This initial smoking process helps infuse the meat with smoky flavor and begins the cooking process. After about an hour of smoking, the chicken thighs should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, they can be transferred to a pan with butter to continue cooking until they reach a final internal temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking the chicken thighs to an internal temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit ensures that they are fully cooked and tender, while also allowing the skin to become crispy and flavorful. It is important to use a meat thermometer to accurately monitor the internal temperature throughout the cooking process, as overcooking can result in dry and tough meat.
Smoked Chicken Thighs w/ Blood Orange Glaze Recipe
These smoked chicken thighs are juicy, tender and loaded with flavor. The blood orange glaze adds a sweet and spicy kick that everyone will love. To prepare the glaze, simply squeeze the juice of the blood oranges into a bowl and whisk together the remaining ingredients. The glaze doesn’t need to be cooked but should be kept at room temperature.
To start, trim the chicken thighs by removing any extra pieces of fat or bone fragments. If possible, let the thighs sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to dry out the skin. Once it’s time to season, coat the chicken thighs on both sides with your chosen BBQ rub and let them come up to room temperature.
Preheat your pellet grill to 375 degrees F. Once the grill has reached temperature, smoke the chicken thighs skin-side up for 1 hour. Spray them with avocado oil spray every 30 minutes to help achieve crispy skin. After about one hour, move the chicken thighs to a pan with 3 tbsp of butter and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. and the skin is crispy.
Brush the chicken thighs with the blood orange glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F. This higher temperature will ensure fall-off-the-bone tenderness and juicy dark meat. Serve your smoked chicken thighs with their glossy lacquered finish from the blood orange glaze.
Equipment
To prepare the smoked chicken thighs with blood orange glaze, you will need the following equipment:
- Pellet grill (such as the RT-700 from Rectec)
- Knife for trimming
- Bowl for whisking the glaze
- Grill brush or spray bottle for avocado oil
- Instant-read thermometer
To ensure the best results, follow these steps to prepare the smoked chicken thighs:
- Trim any excess fat or bone fragments from the chicken thighs.
- If possible, let the thighs sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the skin to dry out.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs generously with your preferred BBQ dry rub.
- Let the seasoned thighs come up to room temperature before cooking.
Follow these instructions to smoke and glaze the chicken thighs on a pellet grill:
- Preheat your pellet grill to 375 degrees F.
- Place the chicken thighs on the grill, skin side up, and smoke for 1 hour.
- Spray the chicken thighs with avocado oil every 30 minutes during smoking.
- After 1 hour, transfer the chicken thighs to a pan with 3 tablespoons of butter and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. and have crispy skin.
- Brush the chicken thighs with glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.
Remember to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken thighs are cooked to the appropriate internal temperature. Enjoy your juicy, tender, and flavorful smoked chicken thighs with blood orange glaze!
Ingredients
– Smoked chicken thighs
– Blood oranges
– BBQ dry rub
– Avocado oil pan spray
– Orange Blossom honey
– Blue Agave Sriracha
– Butter
Blood Orange Glaze
The blood orange glaze is a sweet and spicy mixture that adds a delicious kick to the smoked chicken thighs. To prepare the glaze, squeeze the juice of the blood oranges into a bowl and whisk together with the remaining ingredients. The glaze does not need to be cooked, but should be kept at room temperature. If making ahead of time, simply leave the glaze out on the counter to come to room temperature while preheating the smoker.
Trimming and Seasoning the Chicken Thighs
Before smoking the chicken thighs, it’s important to trim off any excess fat or bone fragments. Additionally, flattening out the chicken thighs and squaring them up will ensure even cooking. Once trimmed, let the thighs sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to allow the skin to dry out, which helps in achieving crispy skin when cooked. About 30 minutes before cooking, season both sides of the chicken thighs generously with your preferred BBQ dry rub.
Smoking and Glazing Process
Preheat your pellet grill to 375 degrees F. Once at temperature, place the chicken thighs skin-side up on the grill and smoke for one hour. Every 30 minutes during this time, spray the chicken thighs with avocado oil pan spray to help achieve crispy skin.
After one hour, transfer the chicken thighs to a pan with 3 tablespoons of butter and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F., ensuring crispy skin. Brush each thigh with the blood orange glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F., creating a glossy lacquered finish on top.
By following these steps, you can create juicy and flavorful smoked chicken thighs with a sweet and spicy blood orange glaze that everyone will love.
Additional ingredients
In addition to the main ingredients listed in the recipe, you may also need the following:
- BBQ dry rub (of your choice) for seasoning the chicken thighs
- Avocado oil pan spray for spraying on the chicken thighs during cooking
- Blood oranges (for making the glaze)
- Orange Blossom honey (for adding sweetness to the glaze)
- Blue Agave Sriracha (for adding a spicy kick to the glaze)
- 3 tbsp of butter (for cooking the chicken thighs)
Instructions
To prepare the smoked chicken thighs, start by trimming any excess fat or bone fragments from the thighs. Additionally, flatten out the thighs to ensure even cooking. If possible, let the thighs sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the skin to dry out.
About 30 minutes before cooking, season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with your preferred BBQ dry rub. The Yardbird dry rub from Plowboys BBQ is recommended for its flavor.
Preheat a pellet grill to 375 degrees F and place the seasoned chicken thighs on the grill with the skin side up. Smoke for approximately 1 hour, spraying with avocado oil pan spray every 30 minutes to achieve crispy skin.
After an hour, transfer the chicken thighs to a pan containing 3 tablespoons of butter. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F and the skin is crispy.
Brush the chicken thighs with blood orange glaze every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F. This will give them a glossy lacquered finish and enhance their flavor.
Notes
– Chicken thighs should be trimmed of any excess fat or bone fragments before cooking.
– Allowing the chicken thighs to sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours helps to dry out the skin, resulting in crispier skin when cooked.
– Seasoning the chicken thighs generously with a BBQ dry rub of your choice adds flavor to the meat.
– Using a pellet grill with temperature control allows for consistent cooking throughout the process.
– Smoking the chicken thighs at a higher temperature (around 375 degrees F) will result in crispy skin.
– Spraying the chicken thighs with avocado oil pan spray every 30 minutes during cooking helps to achieve crispy skin.
– The blood orange glaze, made by whisking together blood orange juice and other ingredients, adds a sweet and spicy kick to the chicken thighs.
– Dark meat such as chicken thighs can be cooked to an internal temperature of 185-190 degrees F for fall-off-the-bone tenderness and juiciness.
– Chicken breasts should be cooked only until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F to prevent drying out.
– Using an instant-read thermometer is recommended for checking tenderness and ensuring proper cooking temperatures.
Nutrition
These smoked chicken thighs are packed with flavor and offer a juicy and tender texture. The blood orange glaze adds a sweet and spicy kick to the dish.
When it comes to preparation, the chicken thighs are trimmed of any excess fat or bone fragments. They are then seasoned generously with a BBQ dry rub and left uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to allow the skin to dry out. This results in crispy skin when cooked.
The chicken thighs are smoked on a pellet grill at a high temperature, which helps achieve that desired crispy skin. To enhance the crispiness, the thighs are sprayed with avocado oil pan spray every 30 minutes during the cooking process.
The blood orange glaze is made by whisking together the juice of blood oranges with other ingredients. The glaze does not need to be cooked but should be kept at room temperature until ready for use.
Chicken thighs should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F to ensure food safety. However, for dark meat like chicken thighs, cooking them longer to around 185-190 degrees F can result in fall-off-the-bone tenderness and juiciness.
This recipe is perfect for backyard cookouts or tailgating events, and can be paired with various BBQ sides and sauces for a complete meal.
In conclusion, pellet grill chicken thighs offer a delicious and flavorful option for cooking chicken. The pellet grill’s ability to infuse smoky flavors into the meat creates a unique and enjoyable dining experience. With proper seasoning and cooking techniques, pellet grill chicken thighs can be moist, tender, and packed with savory goodness. So, whether you’re grilling for a family gathering or simply enjoying a tasty meal at home, consider trying out pellet-grilled chicken thighs for an unforgettable culinary experience.
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