Ingredients

2.5 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
Dry Rub
2 Tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt*
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons gochugaru
1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
Kimchi Barbecue Sauce**
2 cups kimchi***
1 3/4 cups rice vinegar
1 Asian pear or firm green pear, cored and diced
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon kimchi brine
1/2 Tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 teaspoon gochugaru
Garnishes
sesame seeds
2 green stems of green onion, thinly sliced on a diagonal

Instructions

Preheat the smoker to 250°F. Using paper towels, pat the chicken thighs very dry, repeating as needed to get each thigh as dry as possible. Prepare the dry rub by combining the salt, brown sugar, gochugaro, and minced or grated garlic in a small bowl and mix until combined.
Pat the dry rub all over the chicken thighs, ensuring every piece is coated entirely with the mixture, including under the skin if possible. Scoop up any of the rub that has fallen off and firmly pat it back onto the chicken.
Once the smoker is fully preheated, place each chicken thigh onto the grate skin side up. Allow to smoke, undisturbed, for 45 minutes. While the chicken is smoking, make the barbecue sauce.
To a blender, add all the barbecue sauce ingredients: kimchi, vinegar, pear, brown sugar, tomato paste, kimchi brine, salt, and gochugaru. Blend until the sauce is smooth and there are no discernible pieces of pear or kimchi.**** Add the barbecue sauce to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, uncovered, stirring every so often to prevent splattering. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
After the chicken has smoked for the first 45 minutes, flip each chicken thigh so it is now skin side down. Allow to smoke undisturbed for another 30 minutes. At this point, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. If the temperature reaches 160°F, move to the next step. If not, allow the chicken to continue cooking for another 15 minutes..
Using a basting brush, brush the kimchi barbecue sauce all over the chicken, turning it to ensure the top, bottom, and sides have all been brushed. The goal is for the chicken to look glossy, but not drenched.
Continue to smoke the chicken for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165° F. Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow to rest for 10 minutes before digging in. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, and serve with copious amounts of extra barbecue sauce!
Notes
*While this may seem like a lot of salt, this amount is essential to properly season the chicken, so don’t skimp! That being said, if you are using Morton kosher salt, adjust your measurement by half and use 1 Tablespoon salt instead.
**The barbecue sauce can easily be made ahead for this recipe and keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks.
***The most flavorful kimchi can be found at your local Asian market. However, Mother-in-Law’s kimchi is a common grocery store brand that will work wonderfully.
****If you are using an immersion blender or your sauce feels grainy after blending it, take a fine mesh sieve and place it over a medium-sized bowl. Pour the kimchi barbecue sauce through the strainer. As it strains, use a spatula or large spoon to repeatedly mash the pulp from the sauce against the sieve. Be thorough in extracting all the liquid possible. This can take up to five minutes. Discard the pulp (or save for a marinade later). The remaining liquid is the barbecue sauce.