11 Recipes For Grilled Chicken Thighs (And Tips)
I am 100% confident you will find a gem among these delicious and versatile recipes for grilled chicken thighs. We’re showcasing a variety of methods for both bone-in and boneless chicken along with great tips for grilling, brining, using leftovers, and pairing sides.
I love chicken thighs and I love grilling. So this post is a no-brainer for me. We have great ideas for chicken thigh recipes including spicy, Vietnamese, wood-planked, Korean, Mediterranean, all-American (with peanut butter!), BBQ, an Italian salad (Panzanella) and sous vide (cooked under water before grilling).
Why chicken thighs are a great choice
Anyone familiar with Two Kooks chicken recipes knows that I am a huge fan of chicken thighs (dark meat).
Thighs are juicier, more flavorful and more forgiving than chicken breasts (they don’t dry out quickly). And they are usually more cost-effective.
For me, these benefits outweigh the benefits of boneless chicken breasts (white meat) which admittedly have several positives such as lower calorie and fat content, less trimming needed for preparation and slightly less cooking time than boneless or skin-on chicken thighs.
Recipes with boneless chicken thighs
The recipes in this section are for boneless skinless chicken thighs. The best way to keep them juicy is not to overcook them. Marinating or brining will add a lot of flavor if you have time. The advantage over bone-in thighs is that boneless chicken cooks much more quickly – just a few minutes on each side.
Grilled Vietnamese Chicken
Spicy Honey Lime Chicken
Panzanella Toscana with Grilled Chicken (35 Minutes)
Grilled Mediterranean Chicken
BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs On The Grill
Chicken Bulgogi Recipe
Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe
Recipes with bone-in chicken thighs
The recipes below are for bone-in chicken thighs or other bone-in chicken pieces. Choose your favorite – thighs and drumsticks tend to be juicier and more flavorful, but breasts are fine too, especially with marinating or a sauce or glaze.
Homemade Peri Peri Chicken (Grilled or Baked)
Smoked Chicken Thighs (without a smoker)
Lemon Herb Chicken (with an easy cool technique)
Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
GRILLING TIPS
General rules of thumb
These tips work for a gas grill or charcoal grill.
- Preparing the grill: Spray the grill grates with oil (or dip a paper towel in oil) and brush the grates well to prevent sticking. Heat the grill to your target temperature, then scrape off the previous meal’s bits.
- Bring food to room temperature before grilling to ensure more even cooking. About 30 minutes on the counter is good.
- Temperature of grill: Bone-in chicken should generally cook at a temperature of 350°F to 375°F (175°C to 190°C). Boneless thighs should cook at medium-high heat at a temperature of about 400°F (200°C).
- Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken thighs – thicker thighs will take longer. Bone-in will take about 30-40 minutes, boneless about 3-7 minutes per side.
- Use an instant meat thermometer to check for doneness. I can’t live without my Thermapen One (I bring it on vacation!). Here’s a video on using the touch test if you don’t have a thermometer. The internal temperature will read 160F/71C when done. The temp will rise when resting to 165F/74C.
- Do not poke the chicken with a fork or knife. You don’t want to lose the juices and dry it out. Use tongs to turn the chicken.
- Keep the lid closed as much as possible to avoid lowering the temperature of your BBQ.
- Resting time: Let the chicken rest before serving for best results – about 5-10 minutes for bone-in thighs, and 5 minutes for boneless. Do not skip this step if you want juicy chicken thighs. Resting helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Other tips
- Direct vs indirect heat: Use direct heat for boneless chicken thighs. For bone-in, if chicken pieces are larger, I use indirect heat (the unlit part of the bbq) for most of the cooking, then direct heat for the last 5-10 minutes. This prevents flare-up and maintains juicy chicken.
- Grill marks: To achieve nice charred grill marks, scrape and oil the grills (I also spray the chicken with oil). Place the chicken on a 45 degree angle, cook them for several minutes then turn the chicken 90 degrees for cross-hatch marks if you like.
- Using marinades and glazes – If there is a high sugar content in the marinade or glaze, pat the chicken with paper towels a little after marinating and before grilling. Apply the glaze or boiled leftover marinade toward the end of grilling (last 5 minutes) to prevent burning. Do not reuse the marinade that has come into contact with raw chicken unless it’s boiled. You can set some of the marinade aside for basting instead of boiling it after marinating.
- Flare-ups. Prevent flare-ups by trimming fat from chicken and cleaning the grill. If you do get a flare-up, douse it with a bit of water (a spray bottle is great, or just use a cup of water) or move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill.
What to serve with grilled chicken thighs
Check out these side dishes for grilled chicken. We have delicious:
- grilled side dishes
- salad and fruit sides
- 5-ingredient sides
- sauces
- classic sides (with a twist)
What to do with leftover chicken
Here are a few quick and easy recipes with leftover chicken thighs.
FAQs
Brining can make a BIG difference to chicken thighs by enhancing the moisture and flavor, making them juicier and more tender. So if you have time, I highly recommend it. Here is an article by Livestrong on how to brine chicken thighs.
Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for several months. Reheat thawed chicken in the microwave, covered, on medium-low heat for a few minutes
