Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs.
There is just something special about Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs when you combine low temperature smoke, crispy chicken skin, sticky glaze, and juicy dark meat. These thighs hit every note. Sweet, savory, smoky, sticky, and just enough heat if you want to go the spicy route. Better yet, this recipe shows off exactly why chicken thighs are one of the best things you can cook on the Ninja Woodfire.
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Ninja Woodfire Chicken Thighs Korean Style
Equipment
- Ninja Woodfire
- Elevated Rack
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Grill Sheet Optional
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 Bone In Skin on Chicken Thighs
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 3 tablespoon Dad Dust See Note for Recipe
Soy Honey Garlic KBBQ Sauce
- 4 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Water
Gochujang BBQ Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Gochujang
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
Instructions
Season the Chicken:
- Lightly season the thighs with Salt & Dad Dust.
- Do not over salt because the marinades already contain soy sauce.
Make the Marinades:
- Combine the ingredients for each marinade in a separate bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Marinate The Chicken
- Split the chicken thighs between the two sauces.
- Let the chicken sit in the marinade while the Woodfire preheats.
If possible:
- * Cover and refrigerate overnight for the best marinade flavor.
Prepare The Woodfire
- Fill the pellet hopper with your favorite pellets. Smokin’ Pecan pellets were used in the recipe.
- Set the woodfire to Smoker, 200°f/93°C and 1 hour.
Smoke The Chicken:
- When the Woodfire says "Add Food" Place the chicken thighs on the elevated rack and if you have the pro connect model insert the probe into one thigh.
- Smoke at 200°f/93°C until the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C internally. This took about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Boil The Marinades:
- While the chicken cooks Pour both marinades into separate saucepans. Boil them for 1 to 5 minutes to make them safe since they touched raw chicken.
Crisp The Skin:
- Once the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C Remove the thighs from the smoker and switch the Ninja Woodfire to Air Crisp, 400°F/204°C.
- Spray the chicken lightly with avocado oil to help crisp the skin.
- Once preheated, return the chicken to the woodfire. Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes.
Glaze The Chicken
- Flip the thighs again so they are skin side up and brush on the glaze. Cook another 1- 2 minutes.
- This lets the glaze tighten up and caramelize onto the chicken.
Finish And Serve
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Rest:
- Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Serve the mild and spicy thighs separately.
Video
Notes
- 120G Granulated Garlic
- 120G Granulated Onion
- 1 tablespoon MSG
- Place all the items in a shaker and mix well.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!This cook was all about doing Korean inspired chicken thighs two ways. One batch stayed mild with a soy honey garlic sauce. The second batch got kicked up with gochujang for a sweeter spicy flavor. Both versions started with the same basic idea. Bone in skin on chicken thighs cooked low and slow with smoke first, then finished hot and fast to crisp the skin and glaze everything up.
Chicken thighs really are one of the most forgiving proteins you can throw on the grill. As mentioned in the video, they stay juicy, they cook evenly, and they are really hard to mess up. That makes them perfect for longer cooks on the Woodfire because they can handle the extra time while the fat renders and the collagen breaks down. Instead of drying out, they get more tender and flavorful.
Why These Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs Work So Well
The biggest thing that makes these Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs stand out is the cooking process. Starting low at 200 degrees Fahrenheit gives the smoke time to work while slowly cooking the chicken. Then later, cranking the heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit gives the skin a chance to crisp before the glaze goes on.
That combination is what makes these different from basic grilled chicken thighs. You get smoke flavor from the pellets, crispy skin from the air fry finish, and sticky caramelized glaze layered on top.
The mild soy honey garlic sauce brings a sweet and savory flavor with soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, garlic, and water. Meanwhile, the spicy version takes a similar base and adds gochujang. That gives the chicken a deeper flavor with a mild spicy kick and a little sweeter tang.
The great thing is that neither version overpowers the chicken itself. Instead, the sauces work with the smoke and crispy skin to build layers of flavor.
Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs Have The Perfect Texture
Texture is where these Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs really shine. The chicken stays juicy all the way through while the outside develops crispy skin with sticky glaze.
The video specifically talks about taking the thighs past 165 degrees Fahrenheit because it helps break down collagen and render the fat better. That extra time is what transforms chicken thighs from simply cooked to perfectly tender.
Then comes the high heat finish.
Instead of glazing right away, the thighs get time at 400 degrees Fahrenheit first so the skin can crisp up. That is an important part of this cook because sugary sauces can burn fast. Letting the skin crisp before glazing helps build better texture while still getting that shiny sticky finish at the end.
A quick spray of avocado oil also helps with the crisping process before the glaze goes on.
Once glazed, the thighs only need another minute or two to let the sauce tighten up and caramelize. The final result is exactly what was described during the taste test. Crispy skin, sticky sweet sauce, juicy chicken, and perfectly cooked meat that is not rubbery and not soft.
Two Sauces, Two Completely Different Experiences
One of the coolest parts of this cook is how two sauces with very similar foundations create completely different flavors.
The soy honey garlic version leans sweeter and more savory. Honey and soy sauce work together to create that sticky glaze while the garlic and sesame oil bring extra depth.
The gochujang version keeps a similar base but changes the personality completely. Gochujang adds sweetness, tanginess, and a mild spicy flavor that builds without overwhelming the chicken.
As mentioned in the video, the spicy version was still considered mild. Instead of being aggressively hot, it had more of a sweeter tang to it with the honey still coming through.
That makes this recipe great for families because you can easily split the batch and make both versions at the same time. Mild for everyone else and spicy for dad.
Smoke, Pellets, And The Ninja Woodfire
This recipe also highlights why the Ninja Woodfire works so well for chicken thighs.
Running the smoker setting at 200 degrees Fahrenheit gives plenty of time for smoke flavor to build while the thighs slowly cook. Smokin Pecan pellets were used for this cook, helping layer extra flavor into the chicken.
The cook also used the elevated rack along with the Ninja Woodfire thermometer app. The app was set for a target temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before changing temperatures later for the crisping stage.
One thing specifically mentioned was double checking the Woodfire settings because the grill sometimes defaults to cold mode. That quick check helps make sure the grill is actually running at 200 degrees Fahrenheit before starting the cook.
The result after about an hour and twenty minutes was chicken ready for the final crisping and glazing phase.
The Glaze Makes These Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs Special
The glaze stage is where everything comes together.
The marinades get boiled down for safety after touching raw chicken, creating thick glossy sauces perfect for brushing onto the thighs. That thicker texture helps the sauce cling to the chicken while caramelizing beautifully during the final cook.
The video also points out a smart idea for next time. Make a double batch of marinade and keep some separate before it touches the raw chicken. That way you can boil it down into a dipping sauce too.
Once the sesame seeds go on and the thighs rest for five minutes, the final result looks exactly like what you want from smoked chicken thighs. Sticky glaze, crispy edges, juicy meat, and deep smoky color.
And honestly, this cook shows exactly why chicken thighs deserve more attention on the Woodfire.
They are forgiving, flavorful, and almost foolproof. Plus, they give you plenty of room to experiment with sauces and flavors while still turning out juicy and tender.
If you want sweet and savory, go soy honey garlic. If you want a sweeter spicy kick, go gochujang. Either way, these Woodfire Korean Chicken Thighs prove that the Ninja Woodfire can absolutely deliver restaurant style chicken right in your backyard.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Use Dad's Affiliate Link & get your own Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Outdoor Grill:
https://ninjakitchen.pxf.io/k0JNLN
Ninja Woodfire Grill Griddle:
https://amzn.to/3S2Dpnd
Smokin Pecans Pellets:
https://amzn.to/3LiZx9i
Raised Grates for Ninja Woodfire:
https://amzn.to/3LjweU2
Squeal Team 6 Rub:
https://grillsergeant.org/products/squeal-team-six-pork-rub
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