Recipe

BBQ Chicken Thighs

Simple grilled chicken thighs with a sear-and-smoke technique. Direct heat for crispy skin, then indirect heat with smoke to finish. Brush with BBQ sauce in the final minutes for a sticky glaze.

By Luis Ramirez

Prep

10 min

Cook

1 hr

Total

1 hr 10 min

Difficulty

beginner

Yield

Method

indirect-grilling

Internal Temp

180°F

Fuel

charcoal

Jump to IngredientsJump to Instructions

What You Need

Ingredients

Main

  • 1 family-sized package of chicken thighs (about 12 pieces)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • BBQ sauce

Step by Step

Instructions

  1. 1

    Set Up the Grill

    Set up your grill for indirect heat with a hot zone and a cool zone.

  2. 2

    Season

    Salt and pepper the chicken thighs generously on all sides.

  3. 3

    Sear

    Sear the skin of each chicken thigh over the direct heat until you get some nice grill marks.

  4. 4

    Smoke and Cook

    Move the thighs to the cooler side of the grill, skin side up. Add smoke chips to the direct heat and close the lid. Cook until the internal temperature of your largest piece reaches 180°F — about an hour.

  5. 5

    Glaze and Serve

    Five minutes before removing, brush on BBQ sauce. Remove chicken thighs and serve.

Pro Tips

  • Searing first gives you crispy skin and grill marks
  • Skin side up on the indirect side prevents burning
  • 180°F for thighs ensures tender, juicy dark meat
chickenthighsgrilledindirect heatbeginner-friendlyquick