Smoked Maple Chicken Thighs

Name: Smoked Maple Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp butter (melted); 1 tsp hot sauce

135 min 6 servings easy

All Recipes

Smoked Maple Chicken Thighs

Crispy-skinned chicken thighs smoked to perfection and lacquered with a sticky maple glaze — juicy, sweet, and smoky.

Prep

10 min

Cook

120 min

Total

135 min

Servings

Difficulty

easy

Chicken thighs are the most forgiving cut for smoking — the extra fat keeps them juicy even if you go a bit over time. Add a maple glaze and you get a sweet, smoky, crispy-skinned result that rivals any BBQ joint.

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken

Rub

Maple Glaze

Instructions

Season the thighs

Pat chicken dry. Rub with olive oil, then coat with the spice rub mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Smoke low

Smoke at 250°F skin-side up with maple or cherry wood for 1.5 hours until internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Make the glaze

Whisk together maple syrup, soy sauce, melted butter, and hot sauce.

Glaze and crisp

Brush thighs with maple glaze. Increase heat to 375°F (or move to direct heat) for 15-20 minutes until skin is crispy and internal temp hits 175°F. Glaze twice more during this step.

Serve

Rest 5 minutes, then serve with a final brush of glaze.

Serving Suggestions

The skin should be deeply caramelized and sticky. Serve with coleslaw and cornbread for the full sugar shack experience.