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.
Excellent!
Made twice now, I’ve never grilled such tender, juicy, flavorful thighs in my life! Going to try it on pork next!
Thought I had brown sugar…. Didn’t. Used 1/3 cup honey and 2 tablespoons light molasses and it came out great.
Delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious!
Wonderful flavor and meat is oh so tender. I marinated the meat for 8 hours before I grilled. Can’t wait to share this recipe with others. Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight exactly as written. My hubby loved it as much as I did. Thank you so much for this unique recipe not overly anything just plain good.
I have been an imaginative and resource loving cook for many years… not until today have I found the best recipe and guidance for grilling chicken, bone in, skin on. AMAZING! It reminds me of the old fashioned firemen’s field days we grew up with in Northern New York. This will be a regular at family gatherings and in between. Yummly indeed!!!
THANK YOU, Nichole!
I shared your recipe on my YUMMLY account. 5 star
Fantastic and easy to make
Can you marinate overnight or would that be too long?
Great Flavor – Marinated the thighs about 7 hours – Will make again for sure!!