Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

To Season Or To Season Very Little

How To Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

This post is less a recipe on how to season boneless skinless chicken thighs as it is guidelines for achieving the perfect cook on the grill – we’re talking moist, juicy, smoky chicken thighs!

When cooking chicken thighs on the grill you DON’T need to marinate first! Kudos to you if you have time/prefer to marinate your chicken thighs before cooking, but ya don’t have to if you don’t wanna. And it’s all thanks to that magically delicious dark meat.

Season your chicken however you like, with everything from an elaborate marinade or spice rub to plain old salt and pepper. Either way, your grilled chicken thighs will be Delicious with a capital D.

But I won’t leave you hanging in the seasoning department. I opted for a homemade Adobo Seasoning for the pictured chicken. Click the link to get the recipe, or check it out below :). I drizzled canola oil over 8 chicken thighs, then showered them with Spicy Adobo Seasoning. I put them in a Ziploc gallon bag for 20-30 minutes before grilling.

You might also consider this easy Grilled Ranch Chicken.

Or if you prefer it sauce-y, try this super easy and bold Honey Chipotle Sauce.

How To Make Perfectly Grilled Chicken Thighs

Boneless chicken thighs go through a quick marinade and then get placed on the grill over low heat. It might be low in effort, but we can attest its high in flavor!

Here’s how to make our Grilled Chicken Thighs:

  • Make the Marinade! Add your spices and olive oil to a bowl and mix generously – this will help hydrate and distribute the spices. Coat each thigh evenly with the marinade.

  • Wait! If you havent already, preheat the grill while you allow the chicken thighs to marry with the flavors of the marinade. Pro tip: marinate your chicken thighs overnight for even more flavor!

  • Grill em up! Cook them over low heat without disturbing them to achieve those perfect grill marks we all envy!

  • How Long Does It Take To Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs At 350 F

    It takes slightly longer to grill boneless chicken thighs at 350 F because youre grilling over medium heat. Boneless chicken thighs should take around 25 minutes to grill over 350 F. However, its always advised to check the internal temperature of the meat before taking it out from the grates.

    If the internal temperature taken from the innermost part of the boneless chicken thighs doesnt register 17165 F, allow the thighs some more time to cook until they reach their safe minimum internal temperature.

    Put your boneless chicken thighs skin-side down and cook them for at least 10 minutes. Now flip over the sides and grill them for an additional 15 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the boneless chicken thighs, take them out of the grill, and allow them a rest time of around 10 minutes.

    The grilling time of boneless chicken thighs at 350 F may vary based on your recipe and the thickness of the chicken thighs. You can cook boneless chicken thighs for some more time to achieve your desired level of doneness.

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    Grilled Greek Boneless Chicken Thighs

    These juicy Grilled Greek Chicken Thighs are summertime grilling perfection! The boneless thighs are marinated in easy garlic, lemon and herb marinade which gives them an utterly irresistible Mediterranean flavor. Then all thats left to do is fire up the grill for a simple summertime dinner recipe.

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    Grilled Chicken Thighs Marinade

    Grab some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, marinate them in this ...

    If you prefer to use a marinade instead of a spice rub, you can use my Chicken Marinade recipe to marinate the chicken thighs before grilling or try my marinated Cilantro Lime Chicken. Youll combine the marinade ingredients and chicken thighs in a bowl or zip-top plastic bag and then let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours before grilling.

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    Spice Rub For Chicken Thighs

    While the barbecue is getting ready, it is time to season the chicken thighs. You can do this for up to an hour before you put them on the grill. First, mix the brown sugar and the spices in a small bowl. Once combined, sprinkle it on both sides of the chicken. Using your hands, pat the seasoning blend so it sticks to the chicken.

    Add brown sugar to the 4 spices. Stir to combine into a sweet & spicy dry rub.

    Press the sprinkled-on seasoning blend so it coats and sticks to both sides of the chicken thighs.

    What Temperature Should Chicken Thighs Be Cooked To

    Chicken thighs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This can be easily tested with a meat thermometer, so make sure that you do check your chicken before serving.

    The meat should be white, without any pink color to it but still juicy, not dried out. Using a meat thermometer will help get the chicken thighs to the right temperature without over cooking them.

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    How Long Does It Take To Make Chicken Thighs On The Grill

    Due to their ease of prep and cooking time, chicken thighs on the grill are perfect for when you have less than an hour to prepare dinner! Marinated chicken gets placed over low heat undisturbed for about five minutes to slow roast and create those beautiful grill marks. This process gets repeated a few times, flipping once or twice. In about 20 minutes, from grill to plate, these chicken thighs will be ready to go! The results? Tender, juicy thighs with a crispy, lightly charred exterior. The total cooking time will depend on the size of your thighs, so, if possible, when choosing which to buy, look for those uniform in shape. When in doubt, ask your local butcher! In this recipe, we use boneless chicken thighs for quicker cooking time but feel free to make it with bone-in chicken thighs, they will just take a bit more time.

    Ingredients For The Best Grilled Chicken Marinade:

    Power Smokeless Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs!

    Here are the ingredients for my favorite grilled chicken thigh marinade: avocado oil, lemon juice, liquid aminos, garlic, pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper.

    This combination of flavors yields an all-the-flavors marinade. Tangy, slightly sweet, rich, well-seasonedits all there!

    Feel free to use creative license here, incorporating your own favorite flavors. MyBest Steak Marinade recipe works marvelously on chicken too!

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    Juicy Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

    Juicy grilled boneless chicken thighs begin with a marinade and end with charring them over direct heat on the grill.

    You are going to love these grilled honey mustard chicken thighs. We served ours with a simple Spring salad, but serving them next to grilled potatoes or grilled carrots would also be delicious.

    In this post, well give you a recipe for an epic honey mustard chicken marinade + share tips and tricks for perfect grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs!

    Is It Hard To Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

    It’s really not hard at all, but you do want to pay attention so that you don’t overcook them. I always have a grill pan ready so that I can remove the chicken the instant that it’s done cooking.

    Cooking chicken is so easy to do and is a great way to eat fewer carbohydrates and fewer calories as well.

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    What Temperature Should My Gas Grill Be For Chicken Thighs

    If you are grilling boneless chicken thighs then your gas grill needs to be set to medium high heat, which is about 400 degrees. Place chicken thighs skin side down on oiled grates over lit side of the grill.

    Close grill lid and grill until skin is crispy and chicken internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

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    How Long To Air Fry Boneless Chicken Thighs In Ninja Foodi

    Season the chicken skin with salt and grill the skin over medium heat until the fat has melted and the skin is nice and crispy. Keep the heat low if it gets too high, the fat will burn instead of cooking and melting slowly. Turn the chicken over and grill, skin side up, for a few minutes until cooked through.

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    More Recipes Youll Like

    Have you tried this recipe? Id really appreciate you giving it a star rating in the recipe card or in the comments section. AND REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR MY FACEBOOK GROUP.If youd like to hang out with me and lots of other online Southern Comfort Food lovers, make sure to join my FREEPRIVATE.

    Quick & Easy Bbq Chicken

    Grilled chicken is one of our favourite go-to easy dinners, so thats why weve been loving these grilled BBQ chicken thighs!

    The sweet and smoky BBQ marinade is a cinch to prepare, and results in the most flavourful and juicy chicken with a lightly charred and crispy exterior.

    Additionally, because skinless boneless chicken thighs are used, the cooking time is super quick. You can whip up the simple marinade in the morning and let the chicken infuse in all of those delicious flavours throughout the day.

    When meal time rolls around, simply heat the grill and barbecue the chicken in less than 15 minutes. It pairs well with so many different sides and the leftovers are always tasty too !

    Next time youre looking for a mouthwatering way to prep your chicken, add this easy BBQ chicken to your list!

    For more delicious ways to flavour up grilled chicken, be sure to check out these Healthy Chicken Marinades and this Curry Chicken Marinade!

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    How To Grill Chicken Thighs

    Grilling boneless, skinless chicken thighs couldnt be easier. Since theyre dark meat, they dont dry out as easily, making them almost impossible to mess up.

    Combine the marinade ingredients is a large bowl and add the chicken. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until youre ready to grill.

    Grill the chicken. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from it marinade at pat dry. Grill your chicken thighs for 6 7 minutes per side, or until their internal temperature reaches 165F.

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    How Long To Grill Chicken Thighs

    How To Grill Boneless Chicken Thigh Recipe

    Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook quickly on the grill. If the grill holds a steady 350°, the chicken should be done in 10-12 minutes total. Here is the best way to barbecue these quick and with the lid opened for searing and closed for the final minutes. To make grilling uncomplicated no matter what you are cooking, check out, Grilling with the Lid on or Off – all you need to know.

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    How To Make Honey Grilled Chicken:

    Lets divide the whole process into 4 simple steps:

    Step 1 Make homemade grill seasoning

    Like Ive said it is pretty simple and only takes a few minutes to make. You will need 4 spices + salt: Combine these in a small bowl and you are done. You can move onto the next step.

    Step 2 Prepare honey lemon marinade

    Now this grilled chicken also needs a good marinade like this one! In a bowl/zip-lock bag or a casserole dish mix together honey, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Thats it.

    Step 3 Season + Marinate

    Season each chicken thigh well and place them in the bag or bowl/casserole dish where you have the marinade. Close or cover with cling film and refrigerate for 3+ hours, for best results overnight.

    Step 4 Grill

    The grilling will take about 12-15 minutes per side when using bone-in chicken thighs. Check with thermometer or cut one thigh in half to see if it is cooked well .

    Ingredient substitutions:

    • Chicken thighs, bone in use boneless thighs. You could also use breasts or drumsticks but thighs are the best for grilling.
    • Homemade grill seasoning if you have your favorite grill seasoning on hand, then go ahead and use that.
    • Extra virgin olive oil vegetable or sunflower will work as well.

    More grilling & chicken recipes:

    Questions About Grilled Chicken Thighs

    How do you grill chicken thighs without drying them out?

    Properly marinating chicken will help tremendously in keeping it from drying out on the grill. The marinade penetrates the chicken flesh and results in a tender, flavorful finished piece of chicken.

    Do you close the grill when cooking chicken thighs?

    Yes. Keep the grill closed except for when youre checking or turning the chicken. This helps prevent fluctuations in grill temperature.

    At what temperature is chicken done?

    Chicken is done at 165 F. Check with a meat thermometer to be sure. You might consider removing the chicken from the grill when the internal temperature has reached about 160 degrees. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests.

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    Grilled Chicken Thigh Ingredients

    • Chicken Thighs: either boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs will work and we have included instructions for both!
    • Olive oil: we rub a bit of this on before seasoning.
    • Seasoning: you can either use a classic salt and pepper seasoning OR you can use a fun chicken seasoning .
    • : this Easy Chicken Marinade is a combination of soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil and worcestershire sauce.
    • Dipping Sauce : you definitely dont need a dipping sauce, but sometimes we like to use a little simple mustard mayo sauce to dip our grilled chicken thighs in!

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    How To Make The Best Grilled Chicken:

    Bbq Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

    Add all of the ingredients to a large zip lock bag.

    Seal the bag and shake it around until the chicken thighs are well-coated in oil and seasoning.

    Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 8.

    If you use a gas grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat .

    If you use a charcoal grill: Prepare your coals in a charcoal chimney to heat the coals quickly. Once the coals are hot, arrange them either in the very center of the grill or off to one side , so that there is a cool part of the grill where you can cook on indirect heat. If you dont have a charcoal chimney, arrange the coals in a pile on one side of the grill.

    Place the chicken thighs on the grill grate over direct heat and grill for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the skin turns golden brown. Flip and sear on the other side for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden-brown as well.

    Move chicken pieces to unlit side of grill and cover the grill. Cook, flipping occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

    Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cookie sheet or plate. Let chicken rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices in the chicken to distribute throughout the meat, producing an even more tender result.

    Serve with your choice of side dishes and enjoy!

    And repeat!

    Side dish suggestions? In addition to myMayo-Free Pea Salad, here are some of my favorite summer sides for serving with grilled meat.

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    The Best Bbq Sauce For Chicken Is This One You Make Yourself

    Nothing beats homemade BBQ sauce, and our recipe couldnt be easier. We built is around everyones favorite secret ingredientregular old ketchup! Ketchup is a magical pantry superpower, and if youre not in the habit of adding a little of ketchup to sauces and marinades, well, get in the habit! You see, ketchup isnt just puréed tomatoes and sugar. It is loaded with spices and cooked until the flavor is super concentrated. In other words, ketchup offers a major bang-for-buck in terms of flavor! Adding spices to it just enhances the existing deliciousness. Our BBQ sauce takes ketchup and makes is into the worlds best BBQ sauce by adding:

    • Regular sweet paprika

    Tips For The Best Bbq Chicken Thighs

    • For the best flavour, I prefer marinating the chicken thighs for at least 2 hours in the sauce, but 30 minutes will work if youre short on time.
    • Oil the grill: I like to oil the grill grates before I preheat my grill to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.
    • Adjust cooking time depending on size of thighs: If youre using smaller chicken thighs, they tend to cook up a lot faster, so start with a shorter cooking time and keep an eye on them so that they dont burn.
    • Use medium heat: Sweeter marinades like BBQ sauce have a tendency to burn quite easily on the grill due to their sugar content. The trick is grilling chicken thighs with BBQ sauce slightly longer over medium heat to prevent them from getting overly charred.
    • Dont skip the basting step: This helps add additional flavour since some of the marinade is left behind when the chicken is transferred to the grill. This helps to lock in some extra flavour and juiciness right before serving and also provides that nice sticky glaze.
    • Allow the chicken to rest on a plate tented with foil for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. This helps lock in the juices.

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    My Favorite Chicken Thigh Marinade

    I absolutely love marinating and cooking with beer. Ive made so many great recipes with it braised beef, beer chili, beer brats, beer dip, slow cooker beef tacos. Its such an easy way to add flavor to a recipe, and its naturally acidic so its perfect for tenderizing meat.

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    This marinade uses beer as its base, just like my grilled chicken drumsticks, Ive instead of lemon and rosemary, I used balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ dry rub. The flavor is intense, and so so good. I know youre going to love it.

    If you dont want to use beer in this recipe, you could substitute it with a soda. Root beer or Dr. Pepper would be great with the rest of these ingredients. I think ginger ale would work really well, too.

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