Bold, juicy, and full of smoky heat—these Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs are everything you love about BBQ with a fiery twist.
They're perfect for backyard cookouts, meal prep, or weeknight dinners that pack a punch. With crispy skin and tender meat, this recipe delivers big flavor with minimal effort.
The end result is a dish that is both spicy and savory, with a depth of flavor that is sure to impress. Spicy smoked chicken thighs can be served on their own as a main dish, or paired with sides such as roasted vegetables or a fresh salad. This dish is a must-try for anyone who loves bold and flavorful food.
Do you like smoker recipes? Try out Smoked Chicken Tenders, Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork, Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos, Smoked Whole Chicken, or Smoked Almonds.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Spicy and smoky with perfectly crisp skin
⏱️ Low-effort—the smoker does most of the work
🍗 Dark meat = extra juicy and full of flavor
🌿 Naturally low carb & WW-friendly with smart swaps
🧑🍳 Customizable spice level to suit your heat tolerance
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Thighs - With The Skin On
- Olive Oil - Use a good organic olive oil blend. I really like The Simply Nature brand from Aldi. It's cheap and easily affordable.
- Cayenne Pepper - This seasoning is added for some spice and heat. Use less cayenne if you don't like it super spicy.
- Paprika - Paprika is known for adding a mild and fruity flavor. Can sub smoked paprika for an extra smoked layer.
- Chili Powder - Is a blend of mixed red chilis that have been dried up and pulverized until it resembles powder. Sometimes other spices like cumin and paprika.
- Garlic Powder is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and like the chili powder above it gets pulverized into a powder or flour consistency.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitution Tips
- Use boneless skinless thighs for faster cooking and fewer WW points.
- Want less fat? Go with chicken breasts and adjust time accordingly.
- Swap with spray oil to reduce points or calories.
- Lower heat by cutting cayenne in half or skipping the hot sauce.
- Try Cajun seasoning, jerk spice, or a sugar-free BBQ rub.
- Boost flavor with a sprinkle of brown sugar or a squeeze of lime.
- Try these Smoked Chicken Tenders if you want something quicker than thighs!
Note: To help balance the spiciness out add some brown sugar to the seasoning mix.
How to Make Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs
Set your smoker to 225 degrees.
Step 1: Mix all dry rub seasoning ingredients thoroughly.
Step 2: Sprinkle the mixed seasonings all over the chicken thighs to ensure they are fully coated with rub. Rub olive oil to fully coat the chicken thighs.
Step 3: Lay your chicken thighs on the smoker rack and add smoker wood chips at the same time you add the meat. Apple, pecan, or cherry wood is ideal for this recipe. Smoke the chicken thighs for 2 hrs at 225 degrees.
Note: Total cooking time for chicken thighs is 1 to 2 hours total at 225 degrees. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Pro Tips
If you think 2 tablespoons of cayenne is a lot reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons. I have made this recipe or spice rub plenty of times and it is not super spicy.
Feel free to glaze the chicken thighs with your favorite BBQ sauce recipe!
Season your chicken with how much salt and pepper you like. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt for 6 chicken thighs.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with Traeger Smoked Asparagus, Easy Traeger Smoked Corn on the Cob, or coleslaw
- Chop and stuff into tacos, wraps, or grain bowls
- Pair with some microwave cauliflower rice, Air Fryer Potato Wedges (Super Crispy!, sweet potato wedges, or grilled veggies
Recipe FAQs
Chicken thighs smoked at a temperature of 225 degrees can take anywhere from an 1 hr to an hour and 30 minutes long.
The best temperature to smoke chicken thighs at is 225 degrees.
My favorite chips to smoke with are applewood. That might have something to do with applewood smoked bacon. I've tried other wood chips and applewood is always what I end up going back to.
Smoker Recipes To Try:
If you tried this Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs - Ninja Foodi Grill
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 3 to 4 hrs
- Total Time: 3 to 4 hrs
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a basic rub recipe for chicken. If you wish to add BBQ sauce on top of the thighs feel free to do that. I have made this spice rub mixture quite a few times and the amount of cayenne pepper does not make it spicy at all.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs with the skin on
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons cayenne (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon of Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Light your smoker and allow it to come up to a temperature of 225 degrees.
- Mix all dry rub seasoning ingredients thoroughly.
- Rub olive oil to fully coat the chicken thighs.
- Sprinkle the mixed seasonings all over the chicken thighs to ensure they are fully coated with rub.
- Lay your chicken thighs on the smoker rack and add smoker wood chips at the same time you add the meat. Apple, pecan, or cherry wood is ideal for this recipe.
- It is recommended to ensure there is enough wood every hour. Smoke your chicken thighs for 1 - 2 hours and rotate them to ensure they cook evenly.
- Total cooking time is 3 to 4 hours total depending on a variety of factors such as size of the thighs, temperature of the grill and outside, how windy it is, and how often you open the smoker lid which will let the heat out. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 127
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 554mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 14g
Jenna says
If you don't like it that spicy then use less cayenne. 🙂
J sidlinger says
I agree with Jim D that two Tablespoons of Cayenne is an awful lot. Even two teaspoons is more than I would use in a full pot of chili or cajun goodstuff. I would just use a half teaspoon if the diners include any women or children (just a euphenism, I have nothing against women and children). Two teaspoons for a tailgate at Soldier Field in December.
Kayla says
Just tried this! Veryyy good! I didn’t put as much cayenne pepper in it as it called for and it still came out perfect!
Courtneu says
Got mine on the big green egg right is! Thanks!!
Jim Deller says
2 Tbsp of Cayenne seems like a lot for 6 thighs - love spicy but thinking 2 Tsp might be sufficient.
Mike says
It seems like most comments here are about the "looks". I MADE this. It was fantastic. I used cherry wood and cooked for a little longer than 4 hours, maybe due to having more chicken or a different smoker. The chicken was spicy, the smoke was good. The skin was a little rubbery, but on the other hand when I grill these it's hard to control the fat dripping from causing huge flare-ups. I will be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Jenna says
I have a Traeger smoker. Love it!
Heather Sullivan says
I have a Traeger grill and smoker. Usually I marinate thighs overnight, but time constraints didn't allow this time. Will try this recipe, with a liberal amount of olive oil, let them rest in a covered marinade container for at least an hour, then smoke for two and one quarter hours ("smoke" setting, skin-up), directly on rack (no turning or peeking). I'll be using hickory pellets. Should turn out juicy, delicious, and cooked to perfection, same as they used to come out of my electric wood chip smoker. If I don't send out a follow-up comment, you'll know that the thighs that we'll be having for dinner tonight were amazing.
gennaro says
Doesn't the skin get like rubber when you smoke the chicken thighs? In edible?
Brian says
This looks great. I don't have a smoker word this work on a grill