Chicken On The Traeger: Always A Hit
Second only to a great steak, I love cooking up chicken on our Traeger grills. Its the perfect thing to make for an easy weeknight meal, and if you make just enough to have extra, youll be set with leftovers for lunches and different variations of dinner later in the week.
For this recipe, I was originally going to use chicken quarters . But given the wild world of supply chains these days, all three stores we checked didnt have any in stock.
So the next best option was bone-in, skin-on legs and thighs. Cooking those pieces alongside each other allowed for the meat to be cooked perfectly, without being dried out. We dont often have that problem with quarters, but having the thighs and legs separate makes serving a breeze and those aforementioned leftovers really easy.
There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, and you may just have them all on-hand. We whipped together the chicken marinade and let the chicken soak for about 3 hours before cooking. Id recommend, though, that you instead make the marinade either the night before or the morning before serving, so that the chicken has lots of time to soak up the flavors of the sauce.
On the Traeger, it took about 45 minutes of cooking to get perfectly-cooked chicken thighs and legs. The extra marinade from this Traeger Grilled Lemonade Chicken recipe is cooked down into a sauce that is tangy and flavorful and the perfect accompaniment to this dish.
Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
- Chicken: This recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs with skin. If you substitute boneless chicken thighs, you will need to decrease the cooking time.
- Oil:Olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil are all acceptable to use in the marinade.
- Lemon Juice:If you don’t have fresh lemons, you may substitute bottled lemon juice instead.
- Garlic:I prefer adding freshly crushed garlic. If you need to, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Spices: I thought about using my dry rub recipebecauseit makes everything taste amazing. I also considered using a store-bought spice rub but I decided to keep it simple with some of my go-to spices like chipotle pepper and cayenne. I also added dried rosemary , sea salt, and black pepper.
- Orange Juice: You’ll notice that I don’t have orange juice represented in the picture. That’s because it was a last-minute decision. I wanted to increase the volume of the marinade and give it a touch of sweetness without adding brown sugar. I considered making it an optional ingredient, but no, it contributed to the smoked chicken’s amazing flavor, so be sure to add it!
How Does A Traeger Pellet Grill Work
Traeger Grills run on wood pellets and plug into an electrical outlet. There is a hopper that stores the pellets, and an auger under the grill that moves them slowly over to the fire pot, thats in the middle of the grill underneath a heat shield. You can set the temp and grill to your hearts content over consistent temperatures without hot spots, and you get that awesome wood-smoked flavor that you just cant get on a gas grill.
There are quite a few different brands if you are in the market for a pellet smoker, and weve tried a lot of them. Camp Chef, Louisiana, Rec Tec, and ZGrills have all been on my deck. No matter what brand you end up with, youre going to love the pellet grill life!
Try our Traeger Spatchcock Chicken too!
Benefits of a Traeger Wood Smoker
- No hot spots or flare-ups
- Great smoke flavor
- Runs on electric + wood pellets
- Easier to cook things at lower temperatures
This chicken was SO moist and juicy. I would take these a million times over the grocery store rotisserie chicken. Like, alll day every day.
Rotisserie chicken has its place, especially when you need to throw together a quick meal, but if you want an experience and not just something to fill a belly this is definitely the way to go.
Speaking of the way to go youll want to make this loaded baked potato salad, coleslaw, and our Smoked Chicken and Gorgonzola Pasta Salad to go along with this!
By the way like my Instant Pot posts , Traeger isnt sponsoring these ones either.
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What About Other Temperatures
You wont pick up much smoke flavor when grilling at high temperatures on the Traeger, even with a 25-30 minute cook time. If you want to pick up more smoke, go with a lower temperature and longer cook time. My Smoked Chicken Breast and the chicken from my Smoked Chicken Salad recipes, for example, cook for about 90-120 minutes at 225ºF to 250ºF.
And if youd like to use thinner boneless skinless chicken thighs, check out my BBQ Smoked Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Sauce.
Im a fan of both high temperature grilling and the longer smokes at a lower temperature. With chicken breast, you can achieve tender and juicy chicken either way. So I would encourage you to play around with both.
Season The Chicken With Traegers Citrus Black Pepper Chicken Rub
Rub both sides of the chicken with olive oil and then liberally coat with Traegers Citrus Black Pepper Chicken Rub. If you dont have this rub on hand then here is the ingredient list so you can whip up a batch of something similar:
Traeger Chicken Rub Ingredients
This rub has a strong orange flavor followed by a twang of citric acid. After the citrus plays out you get a little salty sweet and a spicy heat note that lingers for a while.
After the chicken has been seasoned let it rest for 15-20 minutes so the rub can start working its way into the meat.
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Pellet Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Pellet Grill Chicken Thighs are delicious cooked on any kind of pellet grill. Learn how to cook perfect BBQ grilled chicken on your Traeger Grill or Pellet smoker on high heat in less than 30 minutes.
Pellet Grilled Chicken Thighs are tender and smoky. A perfect weeknight grilled dinner idea.
We love to grill chicken over a charcoal grill for great texture and crispy skin. But you can still achieve crispy skin even when cooking hot and fast on a pellet grill, such as a Traeger or other brand. Pellet grills are typically known for low and slow smoking. But I like to consider it more like an oven . And while most pellet grills do not have a true direct cooking option, this pellet grill chicken thigh recipe helps you achieve great flavor and texture.
What we have in this recipe is chicken thighs cooked in a pellet grill, but over a high heat . What this does is allow a hot enough temperature to get a nice char and crispy skin, while still inviting some smoke infusion to get into the meat. This method works great with any pellet grill.
If you dont have a Traeger, or Pellet Grill, dont fret, we have a great grilled chicken thighs recipe cooked over charcoal.
Serving This Grilled Chicken Breast
We like to dice the chicken for tacos, bowls, and/or salads. Or if were feeling really hungry, we make big as yo face burritos a la Chuys Tex-Mex, one of our favorite Austin restaurants. We stuff them with refried beans, diced chicken, cheese, and smother with queso. Their boom boom sauce is also a great choice.
Im betting you have the Taco Tuesday side dishes down by now. But for a side dish you can make on the Traeger, check out our Smoked Charro Beans.
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Finishing With A Glaze
Once the exterior of your smoked chicken breast has picked up some great smoky flavor and the seasoning has fully cooked into the chicken, its a good move to brush the chicken with some type of sauce or glaze. This stops the chicken from drying out and allows some extra smoke to stick to the exterior. Youll have seriously smoky smoked chicken breast using this method, and thats a good thing!
This recipe uses a hot sauce glaze, which is comprised of brown sugar, lime juice, and Yellowbird habanero hot sauce. Feel free to skip the brown sugar and use another sauce. You want the sauce to be on the thicker side so it doesnt just run off the chicken when brushing. If you wanted to make your own, check out this spicy Mexican barbecue sauce or chipotle bbq sauce.
Best Dry Rubs For Smoking Meat
| Dry Rub |
My Favorite Meat Smoking Tools
Thanks for checking out this article. I hope you learned a few things. Here are some of my favorite tools I use when smoking brisket that may be useful to you. These are affiliate links, so if you decide to purchase any of these products, Ill earn a commission. But in all honesty, these are the tools I recommend to my family and friends who are just starting out.
Meat Thermometer: There are dozens of fancy thermometers on the market, but I still use my trusty TP20. For around $50, I have a high-quality meat thermometer with two probes, and can track the temperature of my smoker with one probe, and my meat with the other probe. The ThermoPro TP20 is an Amazon Best Seller because its the easiest thermometer to operate, is durable, highly accurate, and comes with pre-programmed meat settings.
Instant Read Thermometer: Arguably, the second most important tool you need is a fast and accurate instant-read thermometer. These tools play an important role in the latter stages of the cook when the meat needs regular checking in multiple areas. I use the ThermoPro TP19 because it can do everything a ThermaPen can do, but for a fraction of the cost. You can check out the TP19 on Amazon here.
Wireless Thermometer: The latest thermometers on the market have no wires and can be controlled by wi-fi via your phone. Airprobe 3 is the best of this technology.
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What Should I Serve With Traeger Chicken Thighs
I served these chicken thighs as the main course with a delicious homemade broccoli slaw alongside some Instant Pot baked potatoes with butter. If you want to cook the whole meal in the Traeger, this smoked mac and cheese will make it pretty easy. You can serve this as a main course or even as an appetizer. I like to eat these with my hands and I am guilty of cleaning the bone pretty well. If you want to be a little more elegant at dinner, you are free to use a fork and knife. These thighs will not disappoint.
You can serve them with bbq sauce if you would like but we generally find that they don’t need anything extra after being smoked. We like the smokey flavor to shine through.
Wine Pairing For Traeger Grilled Chicken Thighs
This chicken dish comes out super juicy and tender, with a nice sweet bite from that glaze, and a mild smoke infusion. A few of my favorite wines to try for this recipe:
Côtes du Rhône Red Wines These wines come from Southern France, are generally based on Grenache or Syrah grapes, and tend to be affordable, easy drinking, and food flexible. They can be fruity but also tend to have some smoky or earthy tones, which work well with smoked or grilled meats.
Fruity Rosé If youre looking for something refreshing, try a bolder style rosé. The light gets lost in the vibrant flavors of the chicken. You can stick with the Rhône theme and go with a Rhône rosé, but the dish would work equally well with a Spanish Rosado.
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How To Season Chicken
Chicken is a versatile meat that can handle almost any flavor you throw at it. Whether youre looking for spicy Nashville-style heat, classic barbecue, or curry flavors, chicken can take those flavors without having to worry too much about the natural flavor of the meat clashing with its seasonings.
How Do You Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce From Scratch
Use our homemade teriyaki sauce recipe here. You can adjust the heat level that way too. Add more Sriracha for sweet and spicy, or omit for a mild YUM.
Sometimes I will make half and half. For myself and one of my daughters we like mild. For my husband and daughter #2 they like spicy with HEAT, makes everyone happy.
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What Kind Of Drinks Would Work With Grilled Chicken
If you are serving a crowd, you may want a beverage or two to offer also.
I suggest my Strawberry White Wine Spritzer, or if you prefer to serve an after dinner drink, with my Homemade Kahlua Coffee Liqueur here are sooooo many options, such as White Russians, espresso, Kahlua on the rocks, and Irish Whiskey Frozen Cocktails.
Add a splash to my Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream for an after-dinner coffee with a kick!
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Why This Recipe Works
This Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe is my new go-to recipe for smoking chicken thighs. Following the simple recipe steps will guarantee the best Smoked chicken thighs you’ve ever had! Juicy and tender smoked chicken in under an hour, can you believe it?
If you like crispy chicken skin, I’ve got you! We will reverse sear the chicken thighs to get the skin nice and crispy during the last 5 minutes of smoking using high heat.
The simple marinade is also perfect for marinating chicken breast, chicken wings, and boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Leftover chicken thighs make a wonderful high-protein, on-the-go snack, with 19 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbs! You don’t even need to reheat them. That’s right, I said it, I eat them cold like you would leftover pizza!
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How To Make Traeger Chicken Thighs
Step One: Season the chicken thighs.
Expert Tip: Be sure to coat the chicken well and then flip them over to coat the other side.
Step Two: Place the seasoned chicken thighs skin side up on your preheated Traeger pellet grill grate at 325°F. Cook them until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. This will take approximately 40 minutes.
Step Three: Remove the grilled chicken from the Traeger grill and let rest for about five minutes. This helps the moisture stay inside the meat when it is sliced. The internal temp may rise to 165 degrees on your meat thermometer but since this is dark meat, the chicken will not dry out.
Step Four: Serve and enjoy!
Quality Matters Here At Chicken N’ Dough Richmond Hill
To make the best chicken wings and burgers Richmond Hill residents can eat, we need to use quality ingredients, which is why were dedicated to using only the absolute best in our food.
All of our ingredients are top-of-the-range and of the highest possible quality, from our cheeses to our homemade sauces.
Our wings are marinated fresh every day so you get to eat them at their absolute peak and when you order, we make your food right then and there.
There is no reheating, no leftovers, and nothing below the absolute highest standards here at Chicken N Dough.
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How To Make Homemade Chicken Rub
A perfectly balanced dry rub does wonders for the flavor, but also seals in the juices and keeps the chicken from drying out.
We use this dry spice rub on everything, because its packed with flavor and adds a perfectly balanced punch of spice to every bite. The spices that go into this rub all work together to create a great flavor profile.
What youll need :
How To Choose A Chicken
Ensuring your chicken is healthy and fresh makes all the difference in your meal. Look for a chicken whose skin appears white and milky and doesnt have many blood spots. These are the signs of healthy, well-fed chickens who didnt endure too much stress in life. Chickens that appear gray or have a lot of blood spots will likely have unpleasantly tough or spongy meat.
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Spicy Mississippi Chicken Recipe
Spicy Mississippi Chicken Recipe Chicken Leg Quarters were the first pieces of chicken that I learned to cook when I started out on my bbq journey. I could buy a bag of frozen quarters for .25 cents per pound, and that would feed a lot of people on the cheap. Somewhere along the way I started calling this particular recipe
Smoked Chicken Breasts On Traeger
After your put your seasoned chicken back in the refrigerator, fire up your Traeger or whichever pellet grill you own. Heat your grill to 350°F. Be sure to make sure your grill is filled with pellets so it doesnt stop cooking part way through.
When the pellet grill is heated to 350°F, add the chicken breasts to the grill. Close the cover and cook for 10 minutes. If your Traeger has a temperature probe, be sure to place it in the center of the thickest chicken breast before closing the grill. Some grills have a wifi app that make it easy to track the temperature of the meat.
If you dont have a wifi grill, then the next best option is a Thermapen. Sadly they dont sell on Amazon, but they really are a great investment for grilling and roasting meats.
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