Pellet-Grilled Chicken Thighs

   

We bought a pellet grill about a year ago and I believe it was the third smoker I've experimented with. The first one I bought about 20 years ago and it was an electric smoker that used seasoned wood chips in the bottom of it. I liked it a lot because I could load it up with pork, beef and chicken for the entire week at once and dinnertime became so much easier! But it involved some babysitting to keep the wood chips and chunks refilled and over time, I found myself wishing for a set-it-and-forget-it type, long before there was such a thing. 

   The next smoker was an offset-box attached to a couple of large grills, one propane, one charcoal. This was more of a true "smoker", but again, it still needed attention while cooking that I didn't have time to give it. So, we brought the latest version home and I fiddled around with it a bit, smoking a brisket here and there, and I could set it up and leave it alone, for the most part. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! 🎉 The meat is delicious, tender and juicy, butttttt.... that intense "smokey" flavor is definitely dialed down in a pellet grill. 

   So, what to do with this smoker? I decided to learn how to grill with it. Our smoker has louvered grates that I can open for searing meat. But I realized that if I keep them closed the entire cooking time, there are ZERO flare ups! Grilling chicken and burgers at our house instantly became revolutionized!! For the past few months, I've been trying out different recipe creations, and using my pellet grill as an oven (because it's just too hot where we live in California too even think about turn on the oven for at least 3 months every year). I've even baked bread and shortbread crust on it! I'm over-the-moon about this purchase, so expect more grill recipes to come. But of course, any of these recipes can also be cooked in the oven, so there are very versatile. I'll always include both cooking processes in pellet grill recipes for you. ❤️

Happy tummies always,

Cyndy

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