Take your BBQ smoking to the next level with this easy recipe from Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke cookbook for smoked stuffed chicken thighs filled with ham + cheese + pickles and wrapped in bacon!
Hi there, y’all! I’m back after being MIA with posting the last 2 weeks on TEA. I took a much needed break to spend a little down time with family and friends, which meant lots of grilling and chilling, like this BBQ pork belly. Truth: that BBQ pork belly was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth! I’ll be making it again very soon, so be on the lookout for it to appear on here as a summer blog post.
The last 2 weeks, I’ve been cooking a bunch of recipes out of my Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke
Smoked Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Let me tell you how much I loved making (and eating!) delicious smoked stuffed chicken thighs. When I first got my book, I thumbed through it and earmarked this recipe because it has ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard in it….all the flavors of a delicious Cuban sandwich, which happens to be one of my all-time FAVORITE sandwiches in the whole world!! Well, this chicken definitely wasn’t a let down once I made it because it tastes just like a low carb version of a Cuban! Low carb and lovin’ it 😉
Stuffing anything always seems so time consuming and difficult, but buying boneless chicken saves a ton of prep time. One extra step I like to do when smoking any kind of skin-on poultry is to remove the excess fat from the skin. Usually I take the skin off of each piece, then scrape off any fat with a knife, then I wrap the skin back over the chicken. Yes, it takes a little extra time to do this but removing the fat allows the skin to really crisp up, instead of being flabby after smoking. You can also finish the smoked chicken on a hot grill to make the skin extra crispy.
Smoked stuffed chicken thighs are wonderful to make for a party (hello there Memorial Day cookout!) because they can be made ahead of time. Store them covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook…or smoke.
No Smoker? No Problem!
For all the non-smokers out there, these smoked stuffed chicken thighs can easily be baked in a preheated 400F degree oven, for about 40-45 minutes. Make clean up super simple too by lining the baking sheet with foil. No pans to wash is always a win-win in my household!
When I made this recipe, I didn’t change much from the original. Just little things like, I left the ham slice whole instead of strips, and, I cut a whole pickle into strips instead of slices. I also changed the name of the recipe for a better blog post title (it’s called Bacon, Ham, and Cheese Chicken Thighs in the cookbook) 😃
Go ahead and get the smoker out this weekend and smoke up these Smoked Stuffed Chicken Thighs {with bacon, ham and cheese}…or just roast them in the oven. Either way you cook them, enjoy and don’t forget to check out Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke
Check out a few of most popular smoking recipes on the blog right now: Smoked Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon, Apple, and Brie, Smoked Porchetta Pork Loin, and Smoked Meatloaf
- 8 large skin-on boneless chicken thighs, about 6 ounces each
- 8 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, cut into matchstick slivers
- 8 ounces good quality sliced smoked ham
- 16 dill pickle slices
- coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 slices thin sliced artisanal bacon, about 1 pound
- butcher's twine
- apple wood chips
- Remove as much fat as possible from the chicken thighs, then place thighs skin side down on a cutting board and slightly flatten out. Spread 1 tablespoon of mustard on the meat, top with a piece of the ham, the cheese, and the pickles, then roll up the thighs tightly to encase the stuffing. Season the outside of each with salt and pepper. Wrap each thigh with a strip of bacon, then wrap another strip around the opposite side, and tie each with a piece or two of butcher's twine.
- Preheat your smoker to 300F degrees and add the wood as specified by the manufacturer.
- Place the prepared chicken thighs skin side up on the smoker rack. Smoke the chicken for about 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F degrees, and the outside is browned. Remove the twine before serving.
- To crisp the skin: Grill each thigh over medium high heat until crispy on all sides, about 3-5 minutes each side.
- Oven baked method: Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Place chicken thighs skin side up on a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 175F degrees, about 40-45 minutes. Remove twine before serving.
Hubby and I have stuffed chicken breasts all the time. I don’t think we’ve ever stuffed chicken thighs (which I’ve been enjoying so much more lately).So, confession, I don’t eat chicken skin (unless it’s on fried chicken). I usually remove it. And I don’t eat pork belly! Not saying that I wouldn’t, but it’s not something I go for. Crazy, huh? Stop screwing up your face and no judging, lol 😀 Anywho, if this stuffed chicken is like a Cuban sandwich then I know I would love it. Extra cheese in mine please 😉 Glad you had a relaxing break! XO
I love the stuffing! 😍😍😍😍 a Cuban sandiwch stuffing! what a great idea!! love it. I love even more that you used thighs and not chicken breast, because they are my favorite chicken part
I am buying this book. I love smoked chicken, smoked cheese, smoked fish… Chris got a huge charcoal – skoker last summer and we (he, I just sat there with a beer) smoked so many different meats. Even on sunny winter days:) Need a new arsenal of recipes! Thanks for the suggestion Karrie! Chicken you prepared looks amazing!
Karrie,
These look AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to make these. My husband will love these. I love the stuffing ingredients.
Okay Karrie, now your talking the love language, chicken thighs, stuffed with bacon and pickles and smoked low and slow ensuring that skin that you tenderly and lovingly released the fat from the wrapped it back on would be so crisp and tasteful. I tried a stuffed german rouladen and it had bacon and pickle inside. All I have to say is OMG it was so tender and delicious. I am craving this so bad right now, but the monsoon we are having with very brisk winds and tremendous rain will keep me on the patience train for a bit. Great job on this one Karrie.
Have a great week and again yum!
Loreto@Sugarlovespices.com
What a great recipe! I have a few of Steven Raichlen’s books and he definitely knows his stuff!
Wow! This would take my BBQ to a whole new level! These look amazing.Love the pickle….the crunch and tang would be a pleasant surprise.
Whoa, girlfriend! This smoked and stuffed chicken sounds fab! I’m totally digging the pickles in there. Who wants to be a non-smoker when you can have all this stuffed smoked cheesy chicken?!?! I’m definitely down with the no pan clean up though. Cheers!
Her Hips. Her Thighs. She’s got me hypnotized.
I will make you some green banana bread use you can to sandwich these left over thighs between if you can tell me who sings THAT song! lol!
Welcome back Karrie! I hope you’ve relaxed, and you’re ready to share with lots of fabulous ideas like this smoked stuffed chicken. This looks seriously amazing!