These easy-to-make Grilled Chicken Thighs are marinated in ingredients like soy sauce, garlic powder, and herbs before being cooked to perfection! The skin on the outside is crispy and flavorful while the thigh meat is tender and mouthwatering.
What’s in this Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe?
This marinade combines sweet ingredients like brown sugar and savory ingredients like herbs and soy sauce to create a seriously flavorful grilled chicken thigh recipe.
- Chicken Thighs: I prefer to use bone-in, skin-on thighs for grilling, as they stay the juiciest. You can use boneless, but they will take less time to cook.
- Olive Oil: Suspends the spices and helps the chicken grill without burning and sticking to the grill.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of acidity.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness.
- Soy Sauce: Adds salty, savory, umami flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Also adds salty, savory, umami flavor with a touch of sweetness.
- Spices: Garlic powder, dried basil, ground cumin, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and ground black pepper enhance the natural flavor of the chicken.
Pro Tip: You can use any kind of oil in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, and avocado all work well!
Variations on Chicken Thighs on the Grill
The easiest way to change up the flavor of these thighs is to change up the spices. Onion powder, dried parsley, ground sage, coriander, smoked paprika, and dried oregano are all great choices.
You can also change up the marinade entirely. Tandoori, teriyaki, lemon pepper balsamic, jerk, yogurt, or chipotle lime are all great choices.
This largely depends on the size of the thighs. They will need about 6-10 minutes per side, but I always recommend checking with a meat thermometer to be sure they are fully cooked.
Always use a meat thermometer when grilling chicken! It’s the most certain way to ensure that the meat is fully cooked.
Once the meat thermometer reads 165°F, the chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.
They are going to be hot when coming right from the grill! If you don’t allow the thighs to rest for a little bit, you’re going to possibly burn your mouth. Also, you’re going to want the chicken to rest for a few minutes after grilling so it’s perfectly juicy. When you allow the meat to rest, the juices have time to redistribute themselves throughout the meat.
Any leftovers you have will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat your leftover chicken thighs, you can pan-sear them for a few minutes on each side over medium heat until they’re warmed all the way through.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover grilled chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet set over medium-low heat until warmed through. Avoid microwaving, as it ruins the texture.
How to Freeze
Freeze these chicken thighs in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
These grilled chicken thighs pair so well with veggies and rice or potatoes. They’re also delicious with classic BBQ sides, like potato salad, chicken bacon ranch pasta salad, or egg salad.
Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Minced parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Put the four chicken thighs into a large gallon-sized Ziplock bag.4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- Place the olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, cumin, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and pepper into the bag with the chicken thighs.3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoons dried thyme, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Slosh the chicken around in the bag to thoroughly coat all sides of the chicken thighs and to make sure all the ingredients are combined.
- Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat the grill up to medium-high heat (350-400°F) and then place the chicken thighs skin side down on a greased grill.
- The chicken thighs will need to cook on each side for about 6-10 minutes depending on their size. Be sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F before removing it from the grill.
- Let the thighs rest for 5- 10 minutes before serving. Top with minced parsley (optional), plate and serve.Minced parsley
Notes
- Make sure your grill is between 350-400°F. Too cold, and you chicken won’t cook through, if at all. Too hot, and the outside will burn while the inside remains raw.
- Marinate the chicken for 30-60 minutes. It doesn’t need to marinate any longer than an hour.
- This recipe will work for both boneless and bone-in chicken thighs. However, boneless thighs will likely cook a lot fast than bone-in thighs, so be cautious of that.
- If you don’t have a grill or would rather bake your chicken thighs instead, bake the chicken at 425°F for 35 minutes, or until your skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Beth Nuccio says
Refreshing taste and perfect for chicken. Also easy to put together
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Beth!