Master BBQ Chicken Thighs Like a Competition Pro! (Almost)
Competition-Style Thighs for the Backyard
Looking for the maximum smoke flavor from your pellet grill? Download my free “11 Secrets to Maximize Smoke on a Pellet Grill” guide.
Introduction
Backyard Competition Chicken Thighs
What's up BBQ fans! Today we're making competition-style chicken thighs for the backyard on the Yoder YS640s. I don't do competitions, and this was my first time going through this process, but these make a great presentation, and done right, they're delicious. All you need is some chicken, a couple of rubs, butter, a sharp knife and a little patience.
What You Need
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, organic and air-chilled. Check the packages and skip any with torn skin or skin that doesn't cover the thigh. Do a few extra, because not every one will be perfect.
Meat Church Blanco, an all-purpose rub with garlic and onion that's super tasty
Yoder chicken rub for the outside
Butter, because butter makes everything better
A foil pan, a rack and your favorite BBQ sauce. I used Meat Mitch WHOMP!
You can find Meat Church rubs and a lot more at All Things BBQ (use code: RUMANDCOOK11 to save 11%).
Trim Them Into Pillows
Work one thigh at a time so each skin goes back on the thigh it came from.
Peel off the skin by working your fingers underneath. Go slowly so it doesn't tear.
Trim the fat off both edges so the meat is centered. You don't want to bite through fat.
Square it up. When they're done, they should look like little pillows.
Trim the skin so there's just enough to wrap around. It shrinks as it cooks.
Feel for bone fragments. Rub your thumbs along the underside. I found a few small pieces where I'd trimmed near the bone.
In true competition, you'd trim the meat back more so the skin covers the thigh completely and tucks underneath. It's just me eating these, so I got close without wasting chicken. It took me about 20 minutes, and they go quicker once you get a feel for how far the skin stretches.
Season
Peel back the skin and give the meat a light coat of Blanco all the way around.
Wrap it back up in its skin and tuck in the sides.
Give the skin a nice even coat of Yoder chicken rub. Clumps ruin the presentation.
Set them in the pan, touch up the rub and put 3 small pats of butter on each thigh.
Wash your hands and bottles as you go, or wear a glove on the hand that holds the bottles.
The Cook
Yoder at 300°F with Bear Mountain Hickory pellets. It was about 34°F outside, so it took about 25 minutes to come up to temp. That gave the seasoning extra time to work.
Top rack, toward the stack, so it's not sitting over the firebox heat.
1 hour uncovered.
Cover with foil and cook about 45 more minutes to 200°F internal. We're going way past the usual 150°F to 155°F to get a flavorful, bite-through skin.
About 30 minutes into the foil stage, I put the sauce on the Yoder to warm up. Warm sauce is thinner, and it won't cool the chicken when you dunk it.
Sauce and Set
Thin the sauce with about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Dunk each thigh for a full coat and set it on a rack.
Back on the Yoder at 300°F for about 15 minutes to tack up.
Pro tip: wear white cotton gloves under your nitrile gloves when you handle hot food. You get insulation and still keep your hands clean.
Five of the batch came out looking right. On the rest, the skin rose up a bit. That's why you make extra.
Taste Test
Let them cool about 10 minutes. The color was popping. The first one wasn't quite bite-through, but the second one had no problem. Flavor-wise, there's a lot going on, with the Blanco, the chicken rub, the butter and the sauce all layered together. This was my first time trying the sauce, too, and it's pretty good.
What I'd change: I'd push them a little longer for bite-through skin on every piece, and use a bit more vinegar so the sauce tacks up faster.
Final Thoughts
For a first attempt, these were really good, and the flavor packs a punch. If you've never tried something like this, take your time on the trim, cook to 200°F and dunk them in warm sauce.
If you're looking to take your pellet grilling game to the next level, check out my Pellet Grill Mastery Bundle.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. You will pay the same price, but I will earn a small percentage, which will help support the channel.
