These Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs are tender, juicy and delicious. This easy chicken recipe is equally perfect for entertaining or busy weeknights!
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We like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for grilling rather than boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are a little bit fattier so they don't tend to dry out. They are also versatile. Try these boneless chicken thigh recipes too. Buffalo Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken, or Air Fryer Orange Chicken.
What's Great About This Recipe
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are lean, but the dark meat is still tender and juicy.
- Boneless skinless thighs cook up quickly on the grill. They take just 10 minutes vs 20 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs.
- The simple lemon herb marinade is easy to make but imparts a ton of flavor.
- Grilling the chicken thighs gives them a delicious smoky flavor and beautifully browned exterior.
- These are so versatile! You can serve these BBQ chicken thighs as appetizers for your summer barbecues, or grill some veggies alongside the chicken for a delicious family dinner. (Try this Cajun corn on the cob).
- This chicken thigh recipe is also perfect for meal prep. Cook extra chicken thighs for tacos, sandwiches and salads.
- Chicken thighs are an economical cut of chicken, making this BBQ chicken recipe a budget friendly choice.
Here's What You Need
Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs Two pounds is around 8 pieces. (Looks like we got a bonus one!) You can use bone-in thighs with this recipe but it will increase the cook time.
This easy marinade has just a few simple ingredients but packs a flavor punch!
- Rosemary & Thyme
- Onion and Garlic Powders: You can use fresh garlic. Mince it very finely or use a garlic press. Use 2-3 garlic cloves in place of the garlic powder.
- Lemon: Use both the juice and zest for this simple marinade.
- Olive Oil: I like extra virgin olive oil for this marinade.
How To Make It
Full instructions and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Put the chicken thighs in a ziplock bag or non reactive bowl and pour the marinade over, coating all the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Grill chicken thighs for 10 minutes, turning once, or until the internal temperature reads 165° when taken with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
Top Tips
- Trim any excess fat from the boneless thighs before marinating. You can use a sharp knife, but an easier way to do it is with kitchen scissors.
- Don't marinate overnight, or any longer than 2 hours. If they marinate too long, the acid in the lemon juice will turn the meat mushy. I only marinate this recipe for ½ hour, and the chicken is super flavorful.
- Use a barbecue brush to clean the grill grates and spray them lightly with cooking spray.
- While the grill is heating, bring the chicken out of the fridge and using tongs, transfer them to a plate, allowing any excess marinade to drip off.
- After removing the chicken, discard the chicken thigh marinade. It is not safe to use.
- Place the boneless thighs on the hot grill, leaving space between them. Close the lid on the grill to maintain the heat.
- Don't flip until half the cooking time is finished. (Flip only once to avoid sticking, and to achieve those lovely grill marks).
- The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. The internal temperature of the chicken should be be 165 degrees f.
- Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes after removing from the grill. Resting allows the juices to redistribute, so you'll have tender, juicy chicken thighs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze cooked and cooled chicken in a ziplock freezer bag for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Serving Suggestions
Boneless skinless thighs can be treaded onto skewers and served as an appetizer for your next summer BBQ. Try them with a dipping sauce like tzatziki or honey teriyaki sauce. Or brush them with store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Or make this boneless chicken thighs recipe into a quick weeknight dinner alongside some of your favorite side dishes. Some great options are potato salad, Caesar salad, fiesta salad, or Greek Salad.
I love mushroom risotto as a delicious side for grilled chicken. Vegetable side dishes like tahini roasted cauliflower, green beans, corn on the cob, or roasted carrots are also perfect.
These easy grilled chicken thighs are also delicious as a salad ingredient, (like this spring chicken salad), or on tacos, or lettuce wraps.
Common Questions
If you don't have an outdoor grill (or can't grill because of weather) you can use an indoor grill pan to cook the chicken thighs. You can also cook them in the oven or try air fryer chicken thighs. (20 minutes in the oven on a baking sheet at 400°, or 10 minutes in the air fryer at 400°). The chicken pieces should be in a single layer. You can also grill them over medium-high heat (400°) on a charcoal grill for 5-6 minutes per side.
When grilling chicken thighs, especially skinless chicken thighs, It's important not to overcook them. They won't dry out if they are grilled quickly on high heat.
For this recipe, the grill should be 400°.
Want to Keep Grilling?
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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless (2 pounds)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and onion powders, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken thighs dry, then put them in a ziplock bag or a non reactive bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken, coating each piece. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Lightly oil the grill grates, using a high smoke point oil, like avocado oil. Pre heat the gas grill to medium high, or 400°
- Place the chicken pieces on the pre-heated grill, leaving space between them.
- Grill over direct heat, 5 minutes each side, (flipping only once), or until a meat thermometer reads 165° when inserted in the thickest part.
- Serve hot
Kayla DiMaggio
Loving these chicken thighs! The lemon herb seasoning was fantastic!
nancy
SO juicy! I love how easy this was to make for a busy weeknight
Asha
I was impressed by how tender and flavourful these chicken thighs turned out. I served them sliced on top of a salad. Will keep this recipe on hand.
Colleen
Hi Asha! I so glad the grilled chicken turned out tender and flavorful for you! Thanks for your feedback!
Devan
I normally leave the skin on when I grill chicken thighs but fiancé, who cant doesn't like fat, loved these! We both really enjoyed the rub too. Thanks for sharing this and for the great inspiration.
Colleen
Hi Devan! I'm so happy that you and your fiancé loved this grilled chicken, Devan!
Amy Liu Dong
Awesome grill recipe and it looks so delicious. The herb and spices are perfectly blended with the chicken making it so tasty. The texture looks so enticing!
Colleen
I hope you give this grilled chicken a try Amy!
nancy
SO juicy and really easy to make
Colleen
Hi Nancy, I'm so happy that you loved the chicken thighs. They really are easy to do!
Elaine
Grilled thighs are the best and this marinade has all those summertime grilling flavours we love!
Colleen
Hi Elaine, It's so simple but so tasty!
Bernice
YUM! I love this recipe especially since it has a very short marinating time. The chicken still gets a good flavour injection and I don't have to start it the day before.
Colleen
Hi Bernice, the short marinating time is one of my favorite things about this chicken thigh recipe. I'm so happy that you love it!
Nancy
I made the chicken thighs for my boyfriend but then used your spice mix to use on tofu for me and the results were delicious.
Colleen
Hi Nancy, grilled tofu would be amazing, too. I'm so happy to hear that it was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Mariana
Thank you for this easy recipe for those busy days and tired nights when I don't feel like cooking.
Colleen
You're very welcome, Mariana! We all have those days and nights!
Andrea
Yum! I'm so glad it's grilling season. This looks delicious. We're making it tonight.
Colleen
Hi Andrea, I would love to hear back how the chicken turned out for you. Enjoy!
Mirlene
The lemony herb on the chickens are so delicious. So moist and juicy and great over rice and a side of veggies for dinner! Its one of our favorites!
Colleen
I so happy these grilled chicken thighs are a favorite, Mirlene. Thanks for commenting!
Kris
I made this for family and it couldn't have been easier or tastier! Thank you!
Colleen
It's wonderful to hear that you and your family found these grilled boneless thighs easy and tasty. Thanks for your feedback!
Dana
Colleen! These are incredible and I love how simple they are. No fuss, yet so much flavor. And so brightly flavored! Gonna love making these this summer.
Colleen
Hi Dana! Summer should always be about less fuss, right? I know you'll love these grilled chicken thighs!
Susan
I am going to try this with chicken breasts!
Colleen
Hi Susan, This recipe works for any cut of chicken. Enjoy!