Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

You won’t believe how flavor packed this recipe for Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs is!

The chicken is cooked on your smoker or Traeger pellet grill for a bonus side of wood fired goodness.

The extra step of brining is simple, but does take some time.

Trust me, though… well worth it for the end result.

Extra juicy and moist chicken with a unique flavor that is sure to be a hit 🙂

ingredients for the beer brine

How to make Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

First pour three 12 ounce cans or bottles of your favorite beer in a large pot along with a cup of water.

pouring beer into a pot

Then add 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

adding salt to the brine

Next add 2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning.

And bring this to a boil just for a minute, watching carefully as it may bubble up.

If that does happen just remove it from the heat for a minute and stir.

adding BBQ seasoning to the brine

Let the brine cool, very important so the chicken doesn’t begin to cook.

Gently place 10 to 12 chicken thighs into the pot with the cooled brine.

Then refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to allow time for the chicken to brine.

putting chicken thighs into the cooled brine

Then remove the thighs and pat them dry.

And season all sides with more of the BBQ seasoning blend.

seasoned chicken thighs before cooking

Next stop is the smoker or pellet grill set to 250 degrees.

chicken thighs on the smoker before cooking

They will do their thing on the smoker for 2 1/2 to 3 hours total, flipping halfway through.

flipping the Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs halfway through cooking

Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs sure are a beautiful sight 🙂

Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

These gorgeous thighs do not need any sauce or anything else, they are absolute perfection on their own!

Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

YUM!

If you like Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs, you might also like these recipes…

Smoked Lemonade Chicken Thighs

Smoked Lemonade Chicken Thighs

Smoked Poblano Chicken Casserole

Smoked Poblano Chicken Casserole

Traeger Maple Brined Turkey Recipe

Traeger Maple Brined Turkey Recipe

Traeger Cheesesteak Scalloped Potatoes

Traeger Cheesesteak Scalloped Potatoes
Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

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Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs

Cheri Renee
Smoked Beer Brined Chicken Thighs recipe can be made in the smoker or Traeger pellet grill, super easy and very flavorful!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 10 thighs
Calories 355 kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • Traeger/Pellet Grill

Ingredients
  

  • 3 12 ounce cans or bottles beer of choice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons BBQ seasoning blend
  • 10 to 12 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)

Instructions
 

  • Put the beer, water, kosher salt, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the BBQ seasoning in a large pot. Bring to a boil for a minute and stir until everything is dissolved.
    Note: Watch carefully as it may bubble up, if it does just remove from heat for a minute and stir.
  • Let the brine cool (very important) and then add the chicken thighs. Cover and refrigerate overnight (ideally 12 to 24 hours).
    Note: If the pot isn't big enough for the chicken you can put the chicken in gallon size plastic bags and add the brine.
  • Remove the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and season the chicken on all sides with the remaining BBQ seasoning.
  • Set your smoker or pellet grill to 250 degrees. Place the chicken on the grill grate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, flipping halfway through. Internal temperature should be above 165 degrees.
Keyword BBQ, Beer Brined, best, brined, Chicken Thighs, Easy, Recipe, Smoked, Smoker Recipes, TikTok, Traeger

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