These grilled chicken thighs are perfect for busy weeknights and weekend barbecues. I start the thighs in a delicious, umami-packed marinade before grilling them using a two-zone heat system. The result? Incredibly juicy, flavorful meat with gorgeous grill marks.
I’ve always loved cooking chicken thighs over an open flame, but the crazy-good marinade I used in this grilled chicken thigh recipe completely changed the game. It also works wonders on grilled T bone steaks, these juicy grilled pork chops, fresh fish, and your favorite vegetables.
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Chicken breasts might get all the hype, but as a chef, I’m telling you that chicken thighs are the absolute best for grilling. Thanks to their naturally higher fat content, they stay tender and juicy, with a rich, deep flavor you just can’t get from lean white meat. Toss them in a killer marinade, and those already mouthwatering thighs only get better.
The marinade I used for these grilled chicken thighs is everything. Between the acids, aromatics, umami hits, and honey, you get a beautiful balance of bright, salty, savory, and sweet flavors infused into insanely succulent thighs, decorated with grill marks and lightly charred edges. In other words, it’s everything you could ever want in a top-notch piece of grilled chicken.
Thanks to that marinade, even my usually strict chicken-breast-only wife gave these grilled chicken thighs two thumbs up. The best part? It’s practically an all-purpose marinade. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to use it on any meat or vegetable I want to throw on the grill. Yup, it’s really that good.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s everything I used to make the grilled chicken marinade and grilled chicken:
For the Marinade:
- Aromatics – I used whole garlic cloves and half of a minced shallot.
- Lemon juice and zest – Squeezed and zested from fresh lemons, of course.
- Soy sauce is the main source of umami.
- Champagne vinegar adds a crisp tang without being too overpowering. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will also work, but standard white vinegar may be too harsh.
- Honey brings the sweetness needed to balance the acidity, and the sugars for caramelized char marks along the grill lines. Pure maple syrup or even brown sugar will also work.
- Dijon mustard – Beyond adding a little tang, it also acts as a natural emulsifier between the oil and the acids.
- Herbs and spices – I finished the marinade with sweet paprika, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work, such as avocado, canola, or grapeseed oil.
For the Chicken:
- I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but bone-in thighs work just as well (and have a little more flavor). They’ll just need more time to cook through.
- Grilled lemon halves are one of my favorite garnishes. I just press them cut-side down on the hot grill for a couple of minutes.
- Fresh thyme – For garnish.
How to Grill Chicken Thighs
Whisk marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
Set up two-zone heat: When I’m ready to cook, I’ll pull the chicken from the fridge and start preheating my grill. I set half of the burners to high heat and the other half to low heat. This sets up a perfect two-zone system: I’m able to easily get those beautiful grill marks and a caramelized Maillard crust on the hot side before moving the chicken to the low side to finish cooking through without burning.
Sear the chicken on the hot zone of the grill for 2 minutes. Rotate thighs 90 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes with the lid closed.
Flip and repeat with the other side.
Transfer the chicken to the low-heat side of the grill until the meat is between 168ºF and 170°F internally.
Rest the grilled thighs for 5 minutes.
Drizzle the reserved marinade on top. Serve hot with grilled lemon halves and fresh thyme.
Chef Tip + Notes
The biggest mistake I see people make is grilling chicken thighs over high heat the whole time. That’s why I’m all about the two-zone heat system: starting with a quick sear over direct, high heat for grill marks before moving the chicken to the low heat to finish cooking. A four-burner grill makes this easy, but if you’re using a two-burner or your grill doesn’t have multiple heat settings, simply light up one side of the grill and leave the other side completely turned off.
- Flare-ups are really common with chicken thighs. Just move the chicken over to the cool, indirect heat zone if this happens. Tossing a couple of ice cubes directly onto the grates is a trick I like to use to smother the flames without blowing ash all over the place.
- Cook the chicken between 168ºF and 170ºF internally. These high temps break down the tough connective tissue and collagen, giving you tender and juicy meat. I use my meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature, making sure the probe is not touching the bone itself to avoid a false, artificially high reading.
- Cooking boneless vs. bone-in chicken thighs: Sear boneless, skinless thighs for 2 minutes per side and cook for roughly 15 minutes on the indirect side. Give bone-in thighs the same 4-minute sear, but expect them to take 20 to 25 minutes to cook through.
- Never reuse the chicken marinade: To use the marinade as a glaze or sauce, you must set some aside before adding the raw chicken. If you want to use the marinade on another meat later, double the batch and portion the extra half into a container right from the start.
Serving Suggestions
Pairing these BBQ chicken thighs with something as simple as rice pilaf and an easy veggie side like roasted asparagus is a combo I could eat every single day. Alternatively, I’ll do a side of crispy roasted potatoes along with a veggie that keeps everyone happy. Butter-glazed green beans are usually a safe bet in our house.
If I’m throwing these thighs on the grill for a big weekend BBQ, naturally, I’ll whip up a big bowl of creamy potato salad and toss some corn on the cob onto the hot grates right next to the chicken.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: The chicken is best when it’s served hot off the grill. To keep it warm a little longer, place the chicken in a covered baking dish and leave it in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes. The raw thighs can also be left in the marinade in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before grilling.
How to Store: Any leftover chicken can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the thighs on a parchment-lined sheet tray, cover with foil, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until heated through.
More Grilled Meat Recipes
- Grilled BBQ Chicken
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Lamb Lollipops
- Grilled Bone-In Pork Chops
- Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 finely grated garlic cloves
- ½ peeled, finely minced or finely grated shallot
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 10 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup neutral flavored oil
- 4 pounds skinless chicken thighs, about 10 pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, mustard, paprika, thyme, oil, and salt and pepper until combined and emulsified. Taste it. It should be overly flavorful and delicious.
- Reserve about 4 to 5 tablespoons of the marinade and set it aside.
- Add the chicken to the large marinade bowl and thoroughly mix to massage the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to grill, remove the chicken from the fridge and also turn the grill on. On a 4-burner grill, I keep 2 burners on high heat and the other two on low heat. If you have a two-burner grill, set 1 burner to high and the other to low.
- Start by placing the chicken down on the hot side of the grill and cook with the grill door closed for 2 minutes. Turn the chicken 90 degrees and cook for a further 2 minutes with the grill door closed. The goal is to get grill marks on the chicken, and if you have to do this in batches, no problem. Also, be sure to control the heat; the goal is to get a little char, not to scorch them.
- Flip the chicken over and cook for 1 minute. The top side should have nice 90-degree grill marks.
- Then transfer the chicken from the same side to the lower heat on the grill. Turn the hot side down to medium.
- Close the grill door and cook for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 168 °- 170 °.
- Remove the chicken and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. While resting, drizzle on the 4 to 5 tablespoons of the marinade that was set aside.
- Garnish with optional grilled lemon halves and more fresh thyme leaves.
Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe