Pit Log Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Sweet, savoury, smoky. Chicken thighs, honey, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and paprika. Glaze goes on in the last 15 to 30 minutes (FSIS).
Test kitchen, draft 1. Not yet cooked and logged.
- Yield
- Serves 4 (8 thighs)
- Prep
- 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes in the fridge with the rub if you have it
- Cook
- 1.5 to 2 hours at 275 F, then a short hot finish. Estimate.
- Wood
- Cherry, Pecan
Safe first. Then done.
165 F (73.9 C)
Breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing. For a whole bird, check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
Safe minimum (all chicken): 165 F. Dark meat, rendered and tender: 175 to 185 F. Pulled or shredded: 190 to 205 F.
Pit temperature: Low and slow for collagen cuts (brisket, pork butt) means 200 to 250 F pit air so the outside does not overcook while the centre catches up (Texas A&M). FSIS's food-safety band for a smoker is 225 to 300 F. Poultry skin crisps better at the top of the band or above it.
Chicken
- 8bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 3 lb
- 1 tbspkosher salt
- 2 tsppaprika
- 1 tspcoarse black pepper
- 1 tspgarlic powder
Honey garlic glaze
- 1/3 cuphoney
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 3garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tbsppacked brown sugar
- 2 tbspapple cider vinegar
- 1 tsppaprika
Pantry items to check before you start. Print the page and tick them off.
- Honey Nate's 100% Pure, 32oz
- Soy Sauce Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce (16.9 oz
- Brown Sugar Amazon Grocery, 2lb
- Apple Cider Vinegar Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- Paprika Spice Classics Paprika, 16 oz
- Garlic Powder McCormick Garlic Powder, 8.75 oz
As an Amazon Associate, Pit Log earns from qualifying purchases. We pick these by name and type, checked against Amazon’s own records. Not by what pays best. We show no prices. A price on a page goes stale fast. Checked 2026-09-03.
- 01
Pat the thighs dry. Mix the salt, paprika, pepper and garlic powder. Rub it on every side and under the skin where you can. Fridge, uncovered, 30 minutes if you have the time.
- 02
Whisk the glaze in a small pan. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until it thickens a little. Set half aside for the table.
- 03
Run the pit at 275 F with cherry or pecan. Skin side up. Leave the lid shut for an hour.
- 04
Brush on the glaze in the last 15 to 30 minutes. That is the USDA FSIS timing for sauce on smoked meat, and it keeps the honey from burning.
- 05
Check the innermost part of each thigh, not touching bone. USDA FSIS says all chicken is safe at 165 F. Thighs eat better at 175 to 185 F, when the connective tissue has rendered. That extra is texture, not safety.
- 06
For crisp skin, move the thighs over direct heat or into a 400 F oven for 3 to 5 minutes at the end.
- 07
Rest 5 minutes. USDA requires no rest for poultry; this one is for juice. Serve with the reserved glaze.
- Untested draft. Concept from the approved Pit Log chicken graphic. Amounts are a first pass.
- Boneless thighs work too. They finish sooner, so start checking at the one-hour mark.
- Sauce in the last 15 to 30 minutes. If using a sauce, apply it during the last 15 to 30 minutes of smoking to prevent excess browning or burning.
- Instant-read thermometerThe single tool FSIS says is the only reliable way to know food is safe. Appears on every cut page.
As an Amazon Associate, Pit Log earns from qualifying purchases. We pick these by name and type, checked against Amazon’s own records. Not by what pays best. We show no prices. A price on a page goes stale fast. Checked 2026-09-03.
- Chicken thigh guide, in the works
- Cherry smoke
- Pecan smoke
- The full temperature chart
Open it in Pit Master Log
The log opens with chicken, cherry, 275 F and none already filled in. Change anything. Then cook.