Grilled Chicken Thighs (Plus Variations!)

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Flavorful, juicy, and cooked with the perfect amount of browning and char, grilled chicken thighs are a fan favorite. We’re giving you 5 flavoring options to choose from for the best grilled chicken thighs ever!

Grilled chicken thighs.

We love chicken thighs here at The Stay at Home Chef. It’s so easy to prepare, and there are so many different directions you can take it in. It’s also extremely budget-friendly! Whether you’re working with bone-in and skin-on or boneless and skinless, chicken thighs feature a lot more dark meat than other parts of a chicken. They tend to be more flavorful and juicy because of the higher fat content. That said, it’s also more nutrient-rich. There are several different cooking methods that you can use on chicken, and grilling just happens to be our preference, especially in those warmer months. Simply season, marinate or glaze it, throw it on the grill, and you’ll be munching on the final results in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect recipe for hectic weeknights as well as more relaxed weekend lunches or dinners. These are the best grilled chicken thighs ever!

Chicken Options:

This recipe will work with bone in chicken thighs with the skin on or boneless, skinless thighs. Use whatever you can find, or your personal preference! If you do use skin-on varieties, make sure to trim off any excess skin for the best results. 

How Long Does It Take To Grill Chicken Thighs?

Every grill is different so you may need to play around with the cooking times. The best grilled chicken thighs will typically take about 7-10 minutes per side. What’s important here is that they have an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. Although, we like our dark meat cooked to a temp of 175 degrees F! You can determine whether or not they are fully cooked by using a food-safe thermometer. 

How Do You Make Chicken Crispy On The Grill?

We love to use our grill to make this recipe specifically because it gives us the crispiest and crunchiest results. One way to make your grilled bone in chicken thighs (or boneless) as crispy as possible is to make sure to preheat the grill before placing them on top. The high temperature will sear the skin if you let it sit for about 5 minutes on both sides. Lower the temp a bit and continue to cook until they reach that safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F. 

Troubleshooting: Why Is My Chicken Rubbery?

You need to be really careful about keeping an eye on your grilled boneless or grilled bone in chicken thighs as they cook. If you end up with rubbery chicken, it means that you cooked it for too long and all of the juicy goodness has dried up! Follow the cooking time instructions on the recipe card and don’t forget to use your trusty thermometer to measure the internal temp.

Serving Suggestions:

This dish goes well with so many different sides. The meat has a fairly neutral taste, and you can use various sauces or seasonings to give them the particular flavor you’re after. Here are some suggestions for sides to serve for the best grilled chicken thighs, based on some of the variations we share on the recipe card below:

Overhead view of grilled chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

You can store your leftover grilled bone in chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can do the same for boneless varieties. Leftovers will keep for up to 3-4 days. You can enjoy them cold, or if you’d like, you can reheat them in the microwave. Heat at 30-second increments until they are completely warmed through. You could also reheat them in the oven at 325 degrees F for 5-10 minutes or until warm.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious chicken recipes:

Watch the video below where Caytlin will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.

Grilled chicken thighs.

Flavorful, juicy, and cooked with the perfect amount of browning and char, grilled chicken thighs are a fan favorite. We’re giving you 5 flavoring options to choose from for the best grilled chicken thighs ever!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

  • Trim chicken thighs of any excess fat or skin. Place into a large dish, skin side up.

  • Drizzle chicken skin with olive oil and rub to coat.

  • In a small bowl stir together paprika, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly on top of chicken thighs and work some of the seasoning underneath the skin.

  • Grill chicken for about 8-10 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Thighs are even better with an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Remove from grill and let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Notes

Sauce and Seasoning Variations:

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove minced garlic
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger.
Stir in water, soy sauce, honey, and garlic.  Marinate the chicken thighs in the mixture for 2-3 hours and grill! 

Simple BBQ Sauce:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cajun seasoning, and paprika.
  2. Whisk in tomato sauce, molasses, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and garlic.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Let simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs and baste with barbecue sauce. Grill and baste a few times as they grill. 

Salt and Vinegar:

2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a large mixing bowl, stir together vinegar, water, salt, and pepper until dissolved. Add in raw chicken thighs and make sure they are completely submerged.
Let soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Pat dry and sprinkle lightly with salt and grill.

Lemon Pepper:

Lightly season the chicken thighs with lemon pepper seasoning. Grill until crispy and then coat with a mixture of:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper

Serving: 1chicken thigh | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Grilled Chicken Thighs (Plus Variations!)



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