Cherry-Smoked Chicken Thighs

The thing about smoker cooking, and I think I've said this before, is that it's not exactly a quick method of cookery.  So if you find yourself craving something smoked for dinner just an hour or two ahead of eating time, the smoker may not be able to deliver.

This was Sunday night's predicament.  I was craving something from the smoker, but only had about 1.5 hours - all in - to make it happen.  So I reckoned I'd give chicken thighs a try.  Why chicken thighs?  Well they are not overly large for short time cooking (short in smoker world being 1 hour) and they tend not to dry out as quickly as, say chicken breasts, which is a bonus on the smoker. 

I went for the easy option of doing a simple sweet rub and letting them stand for 15 minutes while the smoker preheated on high.  After sitting, I turned the smoker to 275F and put the thighs on.  I'd like to say that I did some wacky and tricky in-between cooking stuff here.  But I didn't.  I came back an hour later, checked the internal temperatture of the chicken and dinner was served.  Easy pleasy. 

Cherry-Smoked Chicken Thighs
2-3 chicken thighs per person, boneless and skinless
Rub of your choice

Coat the the thighs with your choice of rub.  Let stand 15 minutes while the smoker preheats on high using a mild wood such as cherry or apple.  Reduce the heat to low or 275F and let the thighs cook for 1-1.5 hours.  When the internal temperature reaches at leaszt 165F they are ready to serve. 

These taste just as good, if not better, the next day.