Pellet Smoker Smoked Chicken Thighs (Cupcake Chicken Thighs)

1. Stage

Using your hands, carefully peel away skin from chicken thighs. Lay skins flat on a cutting board, and use the back of a knife to gently scrape away excess fat from skins. Discard fat, and set scraped skins aside. Carefully remove and discard bones from thighs.

2. Stage

Whisk together smoked paprika, 3 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until combined.

3. Stage

Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly and liberally over chicken thighs. Fold each chicken thigh in half crosswise and wrap chicken thigh with one skin. Smooth the skin with your hands to remove any wrinkles or folds.

4. Stage

Fill a pellet container with hardwood pellets according to manufacturer's instructions. Set temperature to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C), close lid, and let preheat for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Stage

Use a wooden dowel or thick skewer to poke 1/4-inch holes in the center of each cup of the disposable muffin pan. Spray each muffin cup lightly with cooking spray. Place one thigh, skin-side down, into each muffin cup.

6. Stage

Pour chicken broth into the disposable aluminum baking pan, then place the muffin tin with the chicken into the baking pan.

7. Stage

Place the baking pan in the preheated smoker. Smoke, maintaining temperature inside smoker at 300 degrees F (149 degrees C), for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove pan from smoker, pour off chicken broth, and sprinkle chicken thighs with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

8. Stage

Flip chicken thighs in each muffin cup so they are skin-side up and return pan to smoker. Continue smoking chicken thighs until skins start to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes. Brush chicken thighs with barbeque sauce and continue smoking until sauce starts to caramelize and a thermometer inserted into each thigh registers 175 degrees F (80 degrees C), 30 to 45 minutes.

9. Stage

Remove baking pan from smoker. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing thighs from muffin cups and serving.