How should I cook chicken thighs on my Akorn?

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I have had great consistent results doing the following process.

1. Build the fire with 5-6 good chunks of hickory
2. Put your diffuser in place
3. Place a dry drip pan directly under the main cooking grate
4. Get that fire up to a dome temp of 375 but no lower than 350 and no higher than 400.

Prepare the chicken. Do no trim any of the loose skin from the thigh. Turn it bone side up and add your spice mix - suggest lime salt, black pepper, garlic powder, etc etc... Whatever you like.

Now take the thigh and turn it over and while holding it in your hand take that extra skin and wrap it tightly around and under the thigh. Pull all of the extra skin up under well and then set it bone side down.

On the top sprinkle ONLY with good dose of kosher salt, coarse black pepper and then dust with paprika powder.

Once the kamado has pre-heated well go ahead and put the thighs down on the grate "bone side down". Try and keep the skin taunt while you do it. Leave about an inch between each piece.

Cook for at least 30 min and check them. Use an instant read thermometer and check for 170-180 - don't pierce the skin but instead check by probing under the edge of the skin. Mine usually take more like 45 minutes but it all depends.

No flipping, no turning etc. The skin pulled under holds all of that goodness inside the thigh and prevents it from drying out. You should get an amazing color etc. Here are a few pictures from the past two thigh cooks I have done using this exact method.

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