Smoked chicken thighs and drumsticksthe easiest first cook (UK)

Every smoker owner has a story about their first cook, and the bad ones usually involve something big and expensive. A brisket that took fourteen hours and came out dry. A pork shoulder that was still tough at ten at night. The fix is simple: don't start there. Start with a value pack of chicken thighs and drumsticks.

Thighs and drumsticks are dark meat, which has more fat and connective tissue than breast. That makes them hard to overcook. A chicken breast goes from juicy to dry in a few minutes past done; a thigh is still juicy, arguably better, well beyond the safe point. They're also cheap, quick, and every supermarket sells them. If something goes wrong, you've lost a few pounds and an afternoon, and you've learned how your smoker behaves.

Why this is the right first cook

You'll practise all the basics: lighting the fire, settling the smoker, adding wood, reading a probe and finishing with crisp skin. Our how to use a smoker guide covers those steps in more detail.

What to buy

Bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks. The bone helps them cook evenly and the skin protects the meat and crisps up at the end. Boneless, skinless thighs smoke well too, but they cook much faster and won't give you crisp skin. Allow roughly two thighs or three drumsticks per adult as a main.

Dry brine the night before

Salt is what turns smoked chicken from good to very good. A dry brine seasons the meat and dries the skin so it crisps later.

Pat the pieces dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle salt evenly over every piece, roughly 1% of the total weight, and add pepper, garlic powder or a little smoked paprika if you like. Lay them skin side up on a rack over a tray and leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight. If you only have an hour, it still helps.

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How much salt for your chicken pieces?

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Brine typeWet brine (percentage of the water)Equilibrium brine (percentage of meat + water)Dry brine (percentage of the meat)Meat weight (kg)Salt (%)From your recipe; prefilled with a common starting pointSugar (%)Optional. 0 for none

Weigh salt in grams. Spoon measures vary hugely between table salt and flaky sea salt.

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Smoke hotter than you'd think

This is the one thing that catches people out. Low and slow at 110°C is great for pork shoulder but bad for chicken skin, which turns rubbery and chewy. Run the smoker at around 150–165°C. That's hot enough to render the fat under the skin while the smoke goes to work.

Use one or two chunks of mild wood. Apple and cherry give lovely colour; a little oak is fine. Chicken takes on smoke quickly, so there's no need for more.

Lay the pieces skin side up, not touching, with the thickest pieces nearest the heat. Put a leave-in probe into the thickest thigh, close to but not touching the bone. Then leave the lid shut.

As a rough guide, bone-in thighs and drumsticks take around 1–1.5 hours at that temperature. Size and the weather make a big difference, so go by the probe.

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When should the chicken go on?

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Eat atRest (minutes)

Cook time: 1–1.5 hours at around 150–165°C, then crisp hotter (change)

This guide's rule of thumb, which our researcher is still checking. Use your own recipe's figure if you have one.

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Crisp the skin

When they're nearly done, crisp the skin with a short burst of high heat. On a kettle or kamado, move them over the coals with the lid open for a few minutes, turning once and watching closely for flare-ups. On a pellet grill, turn it right up. Or simply finish them on a tray in a hot oven at around 200–230°C for a few minutes. If you're using a sticky glaze or sauce, brush it on now, right at the end, so the sugar doesn't burn.

When are they done?

Chicken must be cooked all the way through. Check the thickest piece near the bone with a probe and follow the FSA guidance in the safety box at the top of this page. Juices should run clear and there should be no pink meat at the bone.

Thighs and drumsticks are at their best cooked a little further than that: the connective tissue softens and the meat comes away from the bone more easily. That's the forgiving bit. Rest them for five minutes, then eat.

Make it a meal

Serve them with slaw, potato salad and a pile of napkins, or pull the thigh meat off the bone for tacos and wraps. Leftover smoked thigh meat is excellent in a chicken pie or a quick fried rice. When you're ready for the next step up, try a whole smoked chicken, which uses exactly the same skills, or chicken wings for a party.

Your first step is to pick up a pack of thighs and drumsticks on your next shop and salt them the night before you cook.

FAQs

Why is my smoked chicken skin rubbery?

Almost always because the smoker was too cool. Chicken skin needs heat to render its fat and crisp. Run the smoker at around 150–165°C, dry brine the pieces uncovered and finish them with a short burst of high heat.

Can I smoke boneless, skinless thighs?

Yes. They cook much faster, often in under an hour, and take smoke beautifully. You won't get crisp skin, so they suit pulling, slicing into wraps or a sticky glaze.

Should I wrap chicken thighs in foil?

There's no need. They cook quickly and don't stall the way big joints do. Wrapping would steam the skin and make it soft.

Can I do this on a gas barbecue?

Yes. Set it up for indirect heat with burners on one side only, and use a smoker box or foil pouch of wood chips over the lit burner. Our guide to smoking on a gas BBQ has the details.