Perfect Grilled Chicken Thighs are so juicy, moist, and tender! These flavor packed chicken thighs are so easy to grill and have the best simple marinade!
Grilled Chicken Thighs:
We are dead in the heat of summer, and we’ve been firing up the grill every single night! I don’t mind things like burgers and hot dogs, but nothing beats a piece of fall off the bone chicken! We do chicken quite a bit around here and I know most of you have already tried and love my Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs and my Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs too! When it came to the perfect grilled chicken thigh recipe, I knew I wanted to keep it simple just like those. I want a nice crispy grilled skin, and very tender and flavorful chicken with the easiest marinade. For this simple recipe, we will be giving you directions on how to grill chicken thighs on a gas, or charcoal grill!
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
Perfect Grilled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 2 Pounds Bone in Skin on Chicken Thighs about 8 total
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, mustard, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
- Trim fat from the chicken as necessary. Add the chicken thighs to a large zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat for a few seconds to make sure the meat is coated.
- Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 30 min. For best flavor, allow the meat to marinate for 2-12 hours before grilling. After marinating, allow the chicken to sit, covered in the bag of marinade for 15-20 minutes while the grill preheats.
- Preheat the grill to settings for medium-high heat on one side, or if using charcoal, arrange pieces into a two-zone fire with briquettes underneath half of the grill grate.
- Sear chicken thighs over lit side of grill 2-3 minutes per side until skin turns golden brown, taking care not to char.
- Move chicken pieces to unlit side of grill and cook, covered, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let chicken rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
I have been making this recipe for the past four years. It is my favorite thing to grill and a crowd favorite at home. I’ve made this when visiting friends and family and they all love it. It freezes well too, if you want to plan ahead. I sometimes add a tsp -tbsp of hot sauce (Tobasco) if I’m feeling like a kit. 1000/10 absolutely love this recipe.
This recipe is easy and off the charts delicious. My husband doesn’t care for thighs or drumsticks, but this recipe changed his mind. I’m making chicken breast’s tonight, planning to shred any leftovers. What versatility in the recipe!!!
I thought these were good but a little sweet for my taste. I will probably make again and cut back on the brown sugar.
Limiting sugar intake for the family, I used 1 to 2 Tbls of brown sugar which was perfect.
I make this as directed over charcoal. It has been delicious every single time. Thank you for sharing! Indirect time is about 20 to 25 minutes. We have a small grill and it’s perfect.
Easy and delicious — just perfect!
Perfect marinade! I loved the flavor so much and the chicken turned out perfect!!! I’m saving this recipe in my favorites. The whole family loved it. I just need to double up the recipe next time so I get some leftovers for lunch. Thank you!
Moist and juicy.
I ended up marinated for 24+ hrs.
Grilled exactly as described.
Excellent.
Thank you!
Love this recipe! Make it all the time and always comes out perfectly! YUM!
These are so good! My family loved them so much we are making it for a second time this week. I marinated the chicken for about 5 hours and the flavor was perfect, thank you!