How Long Should You Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs On A Gas Grill
This depends on the temperature of the grill and the thickness of your chicken thighs! If youre cooking it between 325°F and 350°F, youll want to cook them for about 5-6 minutes on both sides.
Youll want to be sure to use a digital thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of your chicken thighs has reached 165°F at the thickest part.
Be sure to account for some time to let your grilled boneless chicken thighs rest after cooking and before cutting, too! It helps redistribute the juices in the chicken so that its nice and moist. Around 3-4 minutes is all youll need here!
What If I Dont Have A Meat Thermometer
I would highly, HIGHLY recommend a meat thermometer if you are doing any sort of grilling with bone-in chicken thighs are chicken breasts. If you dont have a meat thermometer, you will know that the chicken is cooked all the way through if its juices run clear once you remove it from the grill and let it rest for a minute. If you find that you havent cooked your chicken all the way back through, return it to the grill quickly and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes at the same temp.
How To Avoid Grill Flare
Cooking over indirect heat will minimize flare-ups, but your grilled chicken thighs will drip fat as they cook and will build up on the bottom of of the cool side of your barbecue and in your drip pan each time you cook.
Always check your BBQs grease pan and anywhere in your BBQ that grease builds up between grilling and empty out any accumulated fat. Then after grilling, once youve transferred your cooked chicken to a platter, crank up the heat for a few minutes to burn off excess fat to avoid a potential grease fire later on.
Don’t Miss: Kfc Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
What Marinade Should I Use For Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
The marinade ingredients are super versatile and can be used to pair with tons of flavors. Its made up of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
To make the marinade, youll want to add everything to a sealable gallon bag or marinade Tupperware that has a lid, then mix together until its combined.
Once thats combined, add in the chicken thighs and seal then put in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours. Leaving it overnight can work as well, but the lemon juice may start to break down the chicken.
Be sure to flip the bag or Tupperware at least once to make sure both sides get a chance to be covered in the marinade.
Recommended Reading: How To Grill Lamb Chops
A Word About Grilling Chicken
Some outdoor chefsparticularly beginnersare nervous about the idea of using the grill to prepare chicken at all. This is especially true when it comes to bone-in thighs, which we would recommend over the boneless variety.
Its easy to overcook chicken breasts or tenderloins that have been pounded flat, and just as easy to undercook larger pieces without realizing it. Consuming undercooked chicken isnt just unappetizingit can be downright dangerous, since the raw meat may contain salmonella or other food-borne bacteria. Given these risks, its not surprising that people would be apprehensive about firing up the grill.
However, while grilling chicken does require a degree of finesse, its possible to achieve delectable results even if you havent had much practice. Most of the points well outline below should come in handy when preparing thawed chicken as well.
Also Check: The Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Patting The Chicken Dry
The first step is to wash the chicken. Place the thigh pieces under running water until you are sure that the chicken is clean and fit for consumption. Once you are done with cleaning, pat the thighs dry using paper towels. Keep the skin side up when placing the thighs on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and let it sit until the skin completely dries out. This may take longer than usual 8 to 12 hours on average.
Pellet Grill Chicken Thighs
Delicious chicken thighs smoked low and slow on your Traeger or favorite pellet grill. This barbecue smoked chicken classic is tender, juicy, and packed full of flavor.
Pellet grill chicken thighs are the perfect fuss-free quick barbecue meat for smoke pros and newcomers alike. Their rich dark meat provides all the flavor, while their fat content helps ensure they dont dry out. No brines and no marinades. Just a simple dry rub before throwing them on your pellet grills grates, and theyre done in an hour. Easy.
From meat preparation to the best wood pellets, discover how to smoke chicken thighs on your pellet grill today.
Don’t Miss: Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
How Long To Grill Chicken Whole
Perhaps the most obvious case for indirect grilling is a whole chicken. Place on the grill breast-side up and follow these timing directions.
- Parts and Pieces: Chicken, whole
- Weight: 2½ to 3 pounds total
- Grilling Type: Indirect
- Grilling Time: 60 to 75 minutes
- Doneness: 170°F
Now that you’re well-versed in how long to grill chicken, all that’s left to do is stock up on these essential grilling tools, select your next crowd-pleasing chicken recipe, and fire up the grill. Oh yes, and then enjoy the juicy barbecue fare that will rival anything you’d order at a restaurant.
What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Salad. Swap the chicken in this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad for diced grilled chicken thighs. For a delicious grilled combo, pair these thighs with Grilled Corn Salad.
- Potatoes. Keep it classic cookout with Potato Salad or use the grill to make Grilled Potatoes.
- Rice. Serve your chicken with a side of Lemon Rice for a tasty meal.
Grilled chicken thighs have the power to make any night more special and scrumptious.
I know youre going to love them, and I hope they are a steadfast answer to your own Whats for dinner???? question too.
You May Like: Beer Can Chicken Pellet Grill
Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
This Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs recipe is a new family favorite. The marinade is full of flavor and the whole dish comes together quickly.
We love making it for weeknight dinners and either pairing it with some veggies or to throw on a salad!
The Culinary Compass participates in several different affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Are You A Foodie Too
Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about making chicken thighs on grills. Also try my baked chicken breast thats seared with a ton of flavor.
If you dont follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.
You May Like: Top Chews Chicken And Apple Recall
Desired Chicken Thigh Color
Next, lets dive more deeply into chicken thigh-specific tips. Now that you know you should cook chicken thighs slowly, you may be wondering about what it should look like when done.
Many chefs and cooks of all ages assume that pinkness is the ultimate sign of a chickens doneness.
However, we recommend relying more on the chicken thigh internal temp and less on the appearance of the chicken. No matter how trained your chefs eye is, the best way to guarantee your chicken is completely cooked and at the right doneness is by using a meat thermometer.
A meat thermometer wont lie, and you can rely on it when cooking all kinds of chicken. For example, this is especially important when smoking meat. Smoked meat will always have a pinkish-red coloreven when donewhich can be tricky to judge without a thermometer.
Thus, relying on the actual chicken thigh internal temp is crucial to making sure your food is safe to eat.
Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs
Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs juicy marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs, grilled to perfection and served with a salad, slaw or vegetables. Perfect to add to grain or grain-free bowls and salads.
Grilling chicken thighs is one of my favorite ways to cook them. Unlike grilled chicken breast, these Grilled Chicken Thighs are less likely to end up dry and overcooked on the grill, even if you cook them slightly longer.
Chicken thighs, also known as dark chicken meat are perfect for grilling, they take on marinade well, have a rich flavor and are a lot more juicier, but also more though than chicken breast.
Higher on fat, chicken thigh meat is perfect for low-carb diets like Keto. They do require longer cooking time, no matter what cooking method you choose.
This Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe includes a simple acidic marinade, made with pantry staples. Slightly sweet and flavorful, this marinade is just what you need for your chicken thighs.
It uses brown sugar, but low-carb brown sugar sweetener could be substitutes.
Serve these grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs as a part of a party platter, on their own with a side dish or a salad, or chop leftovers up and serve over a salad or grain bowl.
Also Check: Safe Cooked Temperature For Chicken
Cooking Temperatures Thermometers And Food Safety
When it comes to checking the temperature of cooked chicken nothing can replace a quality digital, instant-read thermometer. They are highly accurate, fast and reliable.
I will touch on other methods to check for doneness if you dont have one, but nothing is better or safer. I STRONGLY recommend you have an instant-read digital thermometer before you cook your first piece of chicken! If you dont have one, check out our guide to the best instant-read thermometers.
Now that you have a thermometer in hand, you need to know the temperature of a properly cooked piece of chicken.
Serve With Lemon And Parsley
Let the chicken rest, loosely covered with foil for about 5 minutes. Serve the grilled chicken sprinkled with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges on the side. You can also drizzle on a little bit of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for a burst of fresh olive oil flavor.
Serve the chicken with sides, or slice and make into Greek Gyros with our Tzatziki dip, cucumbers, red onions and warm pita bread.
Recommended Reading: Best Chicken Seasoning For Grilling
Faqs And Tips For Making The Best Grilled Chicken Thighs
How long can I marinate chicken?
The ideal time for marinating chicken is anywhere from 12 24 hours. The longer you marinate the more flavor you will add to your chicken, but even 1 hour of marinating will make a huge difference in the flavor of the chicken.
What happens if you marinate chicken too long?
If you marinate chicken for more than 24 hours, it will eventually become tough and rubbery. For optimal texture, you want to marinate your chicken between 12-24 hours.
Do you rinse marinade off chicken before cooking?
You should discard marinade before cooking chicken, but you dont need to rinse it. Simply remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.
How long should I grill boneless chicken thighs?
Boneless skinless chicken thighs generally take about 12 15 minutes to grill over medium-high heat, but that time can vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
What temperature should my grill be to cook chicken?
To prevent food borne illness always cook your chicken to an internal temperature of 165F.
How can you tell if chicken thighs are cooked?
I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of chicken thighs, but the chicken will no longer be pink in the center and juices should run clear.
Why I Love These Grilled Chicken Thighs
Weve been spending days at the pool lately, and there is nothing I like better than coming home to a dinner thats already prepared.
These chicken thighs are perfect for that because I can throw them into a quick marinade before leaving and theyre ready for the grill when we get home.
The last time we made these, I served them with grilled asparagus and we even grilled some tater tots to go with them, but they would be great with some vegetable pasta salad or this hearty wheat berry salad.
Don’t Miss: Recipes For Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Grilled Chicken Thighs Faq
How long does it take to grill chicken thighs on a gas grill?
Cook bone-in skin-on chicken thighs over indirect heat at 425F for 45 minutes. If your chicken thighs are small start checking for doneness at 35 minutes.
What is the best way to grill chicken thighs?
The best way to grill chicken thighs is over indirect heat.
How do you grill chicken without drying it out?
Grilling dark meat like chicken thighs with bones and skin intact is your best option for tender juicy chicken. Chicken breasts are much more likely to dry out on the grill.
This is one of those chicken recipes where you spend 5 minutes of hands-on time and then let your gas or charcoal grill do the work. With indirect heat, you set it and forget it. Let it cook while you relax with a cool, refreshing beverage and maybe some great conversation.
How Long Does It Take To Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs On A Gas Grill
The best way to grill boneless chicken thighs on a gas grill is over medium-high heat. Cooking boneless chicken thighs at a medium-high grill temperature takes 10 minutes for each side.
Preheat your gas grill on high and then medium-high heat. Put your boneless chicken thighs skin side down on your gas grill. Allow the skin side of the thighs to cook for around four minutes. Flip over the sides and let the thighs cook for another six minutes. Take the thighs out, allow them a rest time of approximately ten minutes, and serve them.
You need only to get the internal temperature for your chicken thighs thickest part about 160 degrees F. When attained, youre done grilling your chicken thighs. Any extra time spent will only cause dried-out meat.
Also Check: Tyson Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer
Allegro Original Marinade Chicken Thighs
CategoryChicken and TurkeyGame Day GrillingOutdoorPrep TimeCook TimeTotal TimeYields1 Serving
Directions
In a Ziplock bag, marinate the chicken thighs in Allegro Original Marinade for 2-12 hours in a refrigerator or cooler.
Remove the steaks from the marinade and season with the poultry rub 30 minutes prior to grilling.
Light your charcoal chimney with Cowboy Charcoal briquettes and prepare the grill for very hot, direct grilling. Place your GrillGrates over the center of the grill.
Once the grill is hot, place the chicken thighs on the GrillGrates. Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side turning the chicken thighs 90 degrees when you flip them.
Average Grill Temperatures And What They Mean
When a recipe says grill over medium heat, what do they mean?
If you arent familiar with the various temperature levels used in grilling, heres a handy guideline showing the average temperatures. Make sure you have a good wireless digital thermometer to check and monitor the temperature at the grill grates.
- Low heat 250 to 275 °F
- Medium low heat 300 °F
- Medium heat 350 °F
- Medium high 400 to 450 °F
- High 500 to 650 °F
- Cremation 650+ °F
Cooking chicken too fast or too hot will end up burning the skin but leaving the meat undercooked, ugh!
So, the correct chicken cooking temperature will be in medium range, to cook it long enough without burning.
Read Also: Why Is Chicken So Expensive
How To Grill Chicken Thighs And Drumsticks
The frequently used thighs and legs of a chicken result in the succulent fat-laden dark meat thighs and drumsticks. Harder to overcook and, in my opinion, more flavorful than breasts, thighs and drumsticks are among my favorite cuts to grill. Heres what to do:
How Do You Keep Chicken Moist On The Grill
It just takes 30 minutes in a basic brine solution consisting of 1/4 cup kosher salt diluted in 4 cups water to get results. These two hours are sufficient to allow the chicken breasts to absorb sufficient moisture in order to more effectively withstand the high temperatures of the grill without drying out.
Recommended Reading: New Wendy’s Chicken Sandwich
How Long To Grill Drumsticks
Grilled drumsticks typically take at least 40 minutes to properly cook. There are two suggested methods for this cut.
One technique is grilling it on direct heat at 450 °F. For this method, take note to avoid burning by turning the chicken every 5 minutes. The second method is using indirect heat for 30 minutes. Then, brown it off by grilling over direct heat for the last 10 minutes. If youre going to add sauce, it is best to do so during the last 10 minutes, so it doesnt burn.
If you want to achieve the perfect tender juicy goodness, extend the internal temperature to 180 °F or 190 °F like the leg quarters.
Dont Miss: How To Grill Salmon Burgers From Whole Foods