Name: Traeger Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 1440 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2-5 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; Olive Garden Italian Dressing

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Grilled chicken thighs are even better with the smoky deliciousness of the Traeger Grill! If you don’t have a Traeger – you can still enjoy these grilled thighs with a simple marinade all summer long.

What You Will ❤️ About Traeger Chicken Thighs

Easy to make – simple marinade and grill them up!
Leftovers are great – I love using them on salads or in pasta
Traeger flavor! Even though we’re not SMOKING these thighs – the heat from the pellets adds a touch of that smoky flavor and it’s delicious!

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Thighs

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- You can definitely use boneless skinless chicken thighs – but they’ll take much less time to grill – probably just 20 minutes or so! Scroll down for cook time on different cuts of chicken.
Olive Garden Italian Dressing – Italian Dressing is my favorite chicken marinade and I make my own because it’s so easy! Here are some alternate seasoning blend ideas as well:
- Traditional Dry Rub: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
- Sweet & Spicy Spice Rub: chili powder, brown sugar, sea salt
- Tangy Marinade: lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt, minced garlic cloves

How to grill Bone-in Chicken Thighs on the Traeger

I mean seriously – I’m hungry again just looking at it! These crispy chicken thighs are so easy to make and are the best chicken thighs you’ll ever eat!

Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels
Place chicken thighs in a zipper bag and pour 1-2 cups of Olive Garden Italian dressing into the bag (enough so thighs are covered)
Refrigerate & marinate for a minimum of 4 hours but up to 24 hours
Once Traeger temperature is at 400º – place chicken thighs, skin side down, on grill grate
Come back in about 35 minutes and check the temperature on your chicken with a meat thermometer.
Take thighs off when temperature is between 155-160º and let chicken rest. you can use an instant read meat thermometer to test your chicken. It will continue to come up to temp quickly.

How long do you cook Chicken Thighs on the Traeger Grill?

These bone-in chicken thighs grill in 35 minutes to grill at 400 degrees for that crispy chicken skin. I did not “smoke” them (smoking meat is usually done at a low temperature like 225 degrees) – but these grilled chicken thighs still get that smoky flavor because we’re using a pellet grill! What about different cuts of chicken?

Boneless skinless chicken thighs – 15-20 minutes
Boneless chicken breasts – 20-25 minutes
Chicken wings – 20-25 minutes
Chicken legs – 25-30 minutes
Chicken Kabobs – 15 minutes
Whole chicken – check out my recipe for Beer Can Chicken for full details on time & temp

Always temp check your meat – chicken should cook until the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees when you remove it from the grill. They’ll continue to heat up once you remove them and get to 165.

How can I add smoke flavor when grilling at a higher temperature?

If you want to smoke chicken thighs – but still grill them at a higher temperature (so they’re done more quickly) – you can do it! Here are a couple of ways to get the best smoked chicken thighs:

Wood chips – Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes before starting the grill. One cup of Traeger wood chips will last for about 20 minutes. Place the soaked chips in a disposable aluminum foil pan and place on the grill.
Pellets & Smoke Tubes – If you’re looking for a quicker smoke – especially if you’re at a grilling temp (350+) vs a slow smoke temp (225) – the easiest ways are to use smoke tubes and pellets! Fill a smoke tube with your favorite wood pellets, light the pellets on one end and then once they light, blow out the flame. Place smoke tube on the grill (behind the meat or on the top rack) and shut the lid. The pellets will smoke throughout your cook and add that smokiness into your meat!

How do you reheat leftover Chicken Thighs?

My favorite way to reheat grilled chicken is in my air fryer – it cooks and reheats more quickly so you won’t dry out the meat. I would advise cutting a bone-in chicken thigh into at least a couple of pieces and reheat at 250º for 5-7 minutes.

What flavor of Traeger smoker pellets go with chicken?

Pecan, Apple and cherry wood are the best for chicken because chicken is not a very strongly flavored meat so you can use lighter flavored pellets. I tend to use the Traeger Signature Blend of pellets which are a combination of Maple, Cherry and Hickory. It goes well with everything from pork to chicken to beef!

What to serve with Traeger Grilled Chicken Thighs?

Easy recipes for leftover chicken?

Other delicious Traeger recipes