Whether you’ve been grilling for years or are new to grilling, you’ll 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 you’ll ever need!
The ingredients? You probably already have them. The prep time? Minimal. The difficulty? Not!
Let’s dive right into this incredible situation, as we have a lot of grilling to do!
Ingredients for The Best Grilled Chicken Marinade:
Here are the ingredients for my favorite grilled chicken thigh marinade: avocado oil, lemon juice, liquid aminos, garlic, pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper.
This combination of flavors yields an all-the-flavors marinade. Tangy, slightly sweet, rich, well-seasoned…it’s all there!
Feel free to use creative license here, incorporating your own favorite flavors. My Best Steak Marinade recipe works marvelously on chicken too!
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.
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 (about 450 degrees F).
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 (below the grill grate of course), so that there is a “cool” part of the grill where you can cook on indirect heat. If you don’t 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 (the hottest part of the grill) 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 (indirect heat) 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 my Mayo-Free Pea Salad, here are some of my favorite summer sides for serving with grilled meat.
Summer Side Dishes:
- Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Pesto and Feta
- Grilled Zucchini, Corn, and Beet Quinoa Salad with Lime Dressing
- Balsamic Ginger Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Stuffed Grilled Avocados with Shrimp and Mango Salsa
- Greek Potato Salad
Also check out my Grilled Chicken Kabobs and my Orange Ginger Grilled Chicken for some more grilling inspiration!
Grill it up!
The BEST Grilled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4 lbs bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or brown sugar optional
- 1 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce optional
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard optional
- 2 cloves garlic minced, or 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 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 (about 450 degrees F).
- 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 (below the grill grate of course), so that there is a “cool” part of the grill where you can cook on indirect heat. If you don’t have a charcoal chimney, arrange the coals in a pile on one side of the grill.
- Place the chicken thighs on the grill grate skin-side down over direct heat (the hottest part of the grill) 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 (indirect heat) 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!
Video
Nutrition
I made these tonight and you did not mis-represent. These are absolutely the best grilled chicken thighs that I have ever had. A definite recipe keeper!
JIM! I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for the sweet note! xoxoxo
These did not cook. Perhaps the grill lid needed to be closed for the first direct part?
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for reporting back. There are many factors that go into the exact cook time, including the temperature of the grill and the temperature and the size of the thighs before they hit the grill. In addition, whether the thighs are boneless or bone-in play a role as well. The best way of ensuring the thighs are fully cooked it spot checking the internal temperature using a meat thermometer periodically. Chicken is considered fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I hope this helps! xoxo
I have skinless boneless thighs. Will that work also?
Hi Renee! It sure will! Hope you enjoy! xoxo
Great recipe, family liked it. Let overs did not make it through the night.
Aww I love hearing that! Thanks so much for letting me know, Joel!
Delicious recipe with well balanced flavours. Cooked in my Ninja Foodi Grill in AF mode for 25 mins. Will be making this often. Thank you, Julia, for so generously sharing your mouth watering recipes with the rest of us!Love your website and your helpful notes.
I’m so thrilled you enjoy the recipe, Audrey! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xo
Thank you so much!! Very happy to find this recipe. I may have put too much salt this time, but otherwise- this will be on rotation.
I love hearing that, Tal (minus the salt part)!! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo