Are They White Or Dark Meat
Although chicken is generally white meat, chicken leg is referred to as dark meat. This is because of its slightly darker tinge, which turns even darker when cooked.
The thighs and drumsticks are juicier compared to chicken breast. They contain more fat and as a result more flavor.
This gives thighs a bad rep, so lets see how they can affect your diet.
Traeger Grilled Chicken Thighs
This easy recipe for Traeger grilled chicken thighs is the best for bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Use it for any wood pellet grill.
- Prep Time:5 minutes + 1 hour marinade
- Cook Time:30 minutes
- Total Time:35 minutes + 1 hour marinade
- Yield:46 servings 1x
- 2.5 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
Should Chicken Be At Room Temperature Before Grilling
You dont want the raw meat to sit at room temperature for an extended time. Bacteria multiply rapidly, especially in the temperature danger zone between 40 to 140°F . They can double in as little as 20 minutes, be careful on those hot summer days! Never leave food out of refrigeration for over 2 hours, or it could cause food spoilage or illness. However, its okay to let it sit at room temperature for no more than 15 minutes while preheating the grill to take the chill out of the chicken for even more cooking.
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How To Make The Best Grilled Chicken:
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.
Favorite Grilled Chicken Thigh Marinade
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There is nothing easier in the summertime than grilling! Marinate some meat and veggies, light up the grill, and in 20 minutes or so, you have dinner! Today Im sharing this super easy grilled chicken thigh marinade.
Since summer is busy for us all and we dont want to be wasting time inside in the kitchen, this recipe is short and sweet. Minimal ingredients and prep. You can either use your grill or a grill pan. If you dont have either, you can pan fry or bake in the oven.
It is so good and makes a great protein for BBQs, picnics, or get-togethers. Serve it with some veggies and carbs for a nice balanced meal, top it on a salad, use it in a power bowl, or just eat it plain if you like. It works great for meal prep too!
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How To Grill Marinated Chicken Thighs
Let’s grill the chicken thighs now! Preheat the grill to 350 F .
Next, place the chicken thighs onto the grill grates. Maintain the temperature on the grill between 320 F 350 F. Grill the chicken for 15 minutes.
Flip the chicken thighs over to the other side and grill them for an additional 10 15 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
You can check to make sure the chicken is done if the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit when using a meat thermometer.
Remove from the grill. Your Grilled Chicken Thighs are ready to be served!
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.
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Tips For Grilling These Chicken Thighs
- Don’t marinate the meat in a metal bowl, the acid and the metal don’t play well together.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator before you heat the grill. This lets them come a little bit closer to room temperature.
- Before heating the grill, spray it down with cooking spray.
- For this, I like to sear the chicken thighs for a few minutes per side and then move them to the top rack and close the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat.
- Be sure to rest the chicken thighs for a few minutes to help the juices redistribute and allow for crossover cooking.
The Best Grilled Chicken Thighs
Whether youve been grilling for years or are new to grilling, youll love this super simple and goof-proof approach to grilled chicken! Few ingredients, very little prep time, and an absolute succulent, tender, perfectly crispy charred result, these are truly the best grilled chicken thighs!
Seasoned grillers, grilling newbies, all skill levels in between, chicken lovers, everyone who loves a char grilled crispy bit, let us unite in our mutual love for grill marks and delight in this insanely simple yet incredible approach to finger lickin GREAT grilled chicken!
This may just be the only grilled chicken thigh recipe youll ever need!
The ingredients? You probably already have them. The prep time? Minimal. The difficulty? Not!
Lets dive right into this incredible situation, as we have a lot of grilling to do!
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How To Make Juicy Grilled Chicken Thighs With Easy Marinade
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
How Long To Boil Chicken Thighs
Boiling chicken thighs is a simple way to extract beautiful flavors. This method comes in handy when looking for effortless ways to cook chicken.
First, wait for the water to boil before adding the thighs, a technique similar to poaching.
After that, lower the temperature to a simmer and leave it to cook. A 6 oz chicken thigh takes about 12 minutes to cook, while an 8 oz piece takes 25 minutes.
You can tell its ready when the internal temperature reaches 165-170°F or when the flesh is no longer pink.
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Cooking Chicken Thighs On The Grill
Dont we all just love the tender juiciness of chicken thighs? I know I do. And while I do love Baked Chicken Thighs, theres something so good about cooking chicken thighs on the grill.
These Grilled Chicken Thighs are the best! Theyre seasoned with a simple yet insanely flavorful spice blend and take on that perfect grilled smoky flavor. This simple entree is delicious, so versatile, and perfect for summer. Grilling chicken thighs will be an every day occurrence!
How To Grill Chicken Thighs
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How To Grill Chicken Thighs:
To start, grab a medium sized bowl and whisk together your marinade. This consists of olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, mustard, soy sauce, dijon mustard, and brown sugar. Pantry staples! Trim any fat from your chicken thighs if necessary, and place in a large bowl or a large zip-top plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken.
This recipe calls for 2-2.5 pounds of chicken thighs, or about 8 total. As you can see from the photos, you will want to use bone-in and skin on chicken thighs for best results with this recipe. After you have poured your marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, getting out as much air as you can. Now, massage the meat inside the bag to make sure all of the chicken is well coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 12 hours. For best flavor, I prefer marinating for at least 2 hours, but a shorter time will work in a pinch. Once the chicken has marinated, allow it to sit, covered in the bag at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while your grill heats up. Grill the chicken as directed in the recipe card below for charcoal or gas!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
How To Make Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken Thighs
In a small mixing bowl or large measuring cup, stir together brown sugar with a variety of spices that includes chili powder, garlic, cumin, paprika, and onion.
Pat the rub onto the chicken thighs.
Next, preheat your grill to 350-400 degrees and set it up for in-direct cooking.
On a gas grill, this would include only having one station/side lit and the chicken will cook on the other side of the grill. For kettle and charcoal cooking, the lit coals will be on one side of the kettle and the chicken will rest over the side with-out coals.
I prefer the flavor that charcoal imparts and so the majority of my grilling is on a Weber Kettle. Different types of grills and fuel can produce a wide range of cooking temperatures. One of the benefits of using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs is that they consistently perform well, staying juicy and tender, when grilled.
On a Weber Kettle with a full chimney of prepared coals resting on one side of the bottom of the kettle, place the brown sugar rubbed thighs, skin side up, on the side of the grill that is not directly over the coals. With the vents fully opened, close the lid and leave them undisturbed for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the Sticky Asian Glaze. In a small sauce pan sauce pan bring soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to thicken and reduce.
Serve with rice if desired.
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Garlic Chicken Thighs Marinade
I love marinades, and I believe they really help to add flavor to your meat. When you combine just the right ingredients in your marinade, they work together perfectly to create a balanced flavor profile and tenderize the meat before you get it on the grill.
All my marinades have the following 5 elements to create a perfectly balanced flavor: acid, fat, salt, sugar, and herbs and spices. Heres what youll need to make this grilled chicken thigh marinade
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh minced rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
How To Store Leftover Grilled Chicken Thighs
If you have some leftover Grilled Chicken Thighs, you can easily store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat it, just rewarm it in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or alternatively in a microwave.
You can also freeze the leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge before reheating it.
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What If I Dont Have A Meat Thermometer
I would highly, HIGHLY recommend a meat thermometer if you are doing any sort of grilling with bone-in chicken thighs are chicken breasts. If you dont have a meat thermometer, you will know that the chicken is cooked all the way through if its juices run clear once you remove it from the grill and let it rest for a minute. If you find that you havent cooked your chicken all the way back through, return it to the grill quickly and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes at the same temp.
Why We Love This Recipe For Grilled Greek Boneless Chicken Thighs
When the weather is too hot to be indoors in a steamy kitchen, the place to be is on the patio, a cool drink in hand, tending the grill. Thats where youll find me this summer, and in all likelihood, Ill be making another batch of this Grilled Greek Chicken.
I have tons of grilled chicken recipes here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes, from Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken, the Best Grilled Island Marinated Chicken, Garlic Herb Marinated Chicken to my Chipotle Maple Barbecued Chicken Thighs, you know I love a good grilled chicken recipe! And my guess is thats why youre here today too! Chicken is almost everyones favorite protein!
And, friends, this one is a new favorite! I love how simple the ingredient list is And it takes only a few minutes to whisk the garlic, lemon and oregano-based marinade together.
The chicken can marinate for just a couple of hours, or you can leave it in the marinade longer for even more juicy flavor! The results are tender succulent chicken thighs, perfect for a simple dinner with friends and family, or just an easy weeknight dinner idea. Serve them with our easy Orzo Greek Pasta Salad for a complete healthy seasonal meal. Or you could also, slice the grilled chicken and make Greek Gyros with yogurt sauce in pita pockets.
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What Type Of Chicken To Use:
I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which always yield a crazy flavorful result. The chicken is tender, the skin is crispy, and the whole experience just makes your mouth happy. You can swap for drumsticks or wings as well!
Want to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs? No problem! They take less grill time than bone-in thighs, and a lower temperature. Sear the thighs for 2 to 3 minutes per side before moving them to indirect heat and covering the grill.
Can you use boneless chicken breasts? Absolutely. If you use chicken breasts, add an additional 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the marinade and grill at 400 degrees instead of 450.
Should You Marinate Chicken Thighs For Grilling
Now, should you marinate chicken thighs before cooking on the grill. Yes! Although it’s not a requirement, marinating the chicken for 2 to 4 hours or so will give you delicious, boldly flavored grilled chicken. But if you don’t have the time, even 30 minutes or so will make a difference. You can also marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight, just don’t add citrus until the last couple hours of marinating time.
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