Low-Carb Hickory Smoked Thighs

Mouthwatering crispy skin chicken thighs are a perfect option for anyone following a low-card lifestyle. A Hickory smoked chicken thigh (skin eaten) has zero grams of Total Carbohydrates. Yup, Zero! So there's no reason to deprive yourself of the goodness that only a delicious piece of chicken can satisfy. Now would you really pass up a couple of these scrumptious golden brown dark meat beauties? In the past I've always selected the breast white meat but lately I'm really enjoying the full flavor of the dark meat.

It's one thing to have zero carbohydrates in the chicken but what about the sides? The sides are usually where many of us start to falter but that doesn't need to be the case. Do I miss bread, rice, potatoes, etc? Why yest I do!! But fortunately I simply love fresh steamed vegetables. So check out the photo below where I served a smoked chicken thigh with steamed broccoli, yellow Summer squash, green beans and beautifully prepare deviled eggs. Don't be afraid to supplement your steamed vegetables with a few pats of butter which also contain no carbs ... 1 cup of broccoli = 6 grams of carbs - 1 cup of yellow squash = 4 grams of carbs - 1 cup of green beans = 6 grams of carbs - 1 boiled egg = 0.6 grams of carbs (deviled egg contains mayo, pickle juice, salt & pepper).

Trim chicken thighs of fat and any excess skin before lightly rubbing roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil under and on the skin. Season under and on the skin with my Poultry Seasoning found in my Cookbook. Wrap the seasoned chicken thighs in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Configure your wood pellet smoker-grill for indirect cooking. Preheat your grill with smokinpellets.com Premium 100% Hickory pellets to 180ºF. Smoke the chicken thighs at 180ºF for an hour before bumping the pit temperature to 375ºF. Finish the cook when the chicken internal temperature reaches 180ºF. Allow the chicken thighs to rest for 10 minutes before serving. For estimating purposed only: Start to finish should take approximately 2 - 2¼ hours hours.