Traeger Smoked Chicken Tacos
Fajita seasoned chicken thighs, peppers, and onions are smoked with the 0-400 method and served on cheesy charred tortillas.
Servings 16 Chicken Tacos
Calories 285kcal
Ingredients
- 8 Skin-On Bone-In Chicken Thighs*
- 2-3 Tablespoons Fajita Seasoning I used Meat Church, to taste
- Avocado Oil Spray or your choice of oil spray
For the Veggies
- 3 Poblano or Bell Peppers cut into strips
- 6 Jalapeño or Fresno Peppers
- 1 large White Onion cut into strips
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
For the Tacos
- 16 Tortillas
- 8 oz Shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro Cotija Cheese, and Your Choice of Salsa, for garnishing
Instructions
- Trim the excess skin and fat off the chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel before seasoning with the fajita rub on all sides. Set aside.
- Toss the onion and peppers in the olive oil and season with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Transfer to a cast iron or stainless steel grill pan.
- Place the grill pan and seasoned chicken thighs (skin side up) on the grates of a cold smoker. Spray the chicken thighs with the avocado oil and set the Traeger to 400ºF.
- Close the grill and cook for 1 hour or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175ºF to 185ºF. Check on the veggies periodically to stir as needed. Pull them off the grill early if they're ready before the chicken.
- While the chicken rests, place the tortillas on a sheet pan and top with shredded cheese. Place the sheet pan in the grill for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Optional: Use tongs to char the tortillas directly over a burner on your stovetop.
- After the chicken has rested for 10 minutes, pull the chicken off the bone and serve on the cheesy tortillas with the peppers and onions. Garnish with chopped cilantro, cotija cheese, and your choice of salsa.
Notes
*Using Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
You can season and grill hot at 400ºF for 15-20 minutes per side to take the chicken to an internal temperature of 175ºF or cook at a lower temperature (200ºF to 225ºF with Super Smoke) for longer (75-90 minutes) to pick up more smoke flavor. If you cook at a lower temperature, you may need to crank the temperature up to finish the veggies or sauté them in a pan for a few minutes to fully soften before serving.
You can also make smoked pulled chicken by starting at 225ºF for 90 minutes before adding the chicken to a sauce in a grill pan or baking dish, covering, and cooking for an additional 90 minutes until the chicken shreds easily.
On the 0-400 Method + An Alternative Cook Method
I tested five popular smoked chicken thighs recipes to find the best way to make them on a Traeger. The 0-400 method was my favorite, and I've not experienced any dirty smoke flavors cooking on an Ironwood with the Traeger Pro Blend pellets. It created super crispy skin, picks up some nice smoke flavor, and keeps the meat moist and juicy in all my tests.
If you're concerned about dirty smoke, I would cook these using my second favorite method: 200ºF with Super Smoke for 60-90 minutes until the chicken hits 150ºF before cranking the temperature to 300ºF to finish. Once the chicken hits 185ºF, you can pull or glaze with sauce (I've used Traeger Texas Spicy BBQ sauce with good results) and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Nutrition
Serving: 1chicken taco | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 560mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g