My grilled chicken thighs recipe is your simple summer dinner solution! With an easy marinade that's made with just 3 ingredients, this dish has loads of flavor and goes with all your favorite sides.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Thighs Marinade
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Grilled Bone In Chicken Thighs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Grilled Chicken Thighs With Bone
- What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Other Delicious Grilled Chicken Recipes To Try
- Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Why You'll Love This Chicken Thighs Marinade
I'm personally a dark meat gal. Don't get me wrong, I would also happily go to town on chicken breasts and light meat in general. But the dark meat always has the best flavor and rarely dries out. I also love that my favorite grocery store (hi, Wegmans!) has crazy-low pricing on their club packs of chicken thighs.
So, I decided to share this insanely easy marinade for chicken thighs with you. It uses a grand total of three ingredients (well, four if you count the cooking spray that you'll want to use on your grill). The lemon juice brings a nice, fresh zing, seasoned salt makes it nice and savory, and the olive oil brings it all together. There are so many reasons to love this simple recipe:
- Quick to prep
- Easy to double or triple
- Add extra seasonings if you'd like
- Great freezer meal
- Pairs well with any side dish
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Chicken thighs- Bone-in, skin-on thighs are best for this (I love that crispy layer!), but boneless, skinless thighs will work too. Those cook faster, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Olive oil- Helps all those yummy flavors stick to the meat! Avocado oil is another good option when making a marinade for chicken thighs.
- Lemon juice- Adds bright flavor and really penetrates the meat, thanks to the acidity.
- Seasoned salt- For smoky, savory flavor. Feel free to swap this with another seasoning or some dried herbs.
- Cooking spray- This goes on the grill to keep the chicken from sticking.
How To Make Grilled Bone In Chicken Thighs
Step 1- Marinate the meat.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoned salt in a large (non-metal) bowl. Add the skin-on thighs, submerging them in the liquid and mixing so all the pieces are evenly coated. Refrigerate until you're ready to grill.
Step 2- Grill the chicken.
Remove the bowl from the fridge and let it sit on the counter. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium. Clean the grates really well, then spray them with cooking spray.
Place each thigh on the grill, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then transfer them to the top rack of the grill. Close the lid and grill for 20-25 minutes, until they are cooked through.
Step 4- Rest and serve.
Transfer grilled thighs to a plate and let them rest for a few minutes, then serve with your favorite sides!
Frequently Asked Questions
Anywhere from 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs and your grill.
They are safe to eat when the thickest part registers at 165 degrees. Be careful you don't hit a bone, or you'll get a false reading.
The optimal amount of time is anywhere from 1-6 hours, but technically, you can go for up to 3 days safely. Just know that after 24 hours, you may not have a good texture.
This totally comes down to personal preference, but I say skin on. I also like to start it skin side down first. It gets perfectly crispy, leaving the meat inside nice and tender.
Tips For Making Grilled Chicken Thighs With Bone
- Don't marinate the meat in a metal bowl. The acid from the lemon juice and the metal don't play well together.
- Swap the seasoned salt with garlic salt, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, or any of your favorites!
- Remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator before you heat the grill. This lets them come a little bit closer to room temperature, keeping them juicy and tender.
- Before heating the grill, spray it down with cooking spray. And make sure the grates are well-cleaned.
- My secret for perfect chicken thighs on the grill- Sear them for a few minutes per side, then move them to the top rack and close the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat.
- Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes to help the juices redistribute and allow for crossover cooking.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Marinate the thighs. For an easy freezer meal, add everything to a large Ziploc and toss it in the freezer for up to 3 months!
- Leftovers and storage- Keep grilled chicken in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
There are so many yummy options to choose from, whether it's a simple salad or grilled veggies with dinner or a full spread for a backyard cookout! The flavors in the marinade are simple and classic, so they go well with just about anything. Here are a few ideas to round out your meal:
Other Delicious Grilled Chicken Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 6 chicken thighs
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and seasoned salt until well combined.
- Submerge chicken, mixing so the marinade is evenly distributed on the chicken pieces and refrigerate until you're ready to grill (or freeze).
- When you're ready to grill, remove chicken from the refrigerator.
- Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium heat.
- Place chicken thighs onto the grill skin-side down. Dispose of marinade.
- Sear each piece for 3-4 minutes per side until the skin is nice and crispy.
- Transfer chicken thighs to top rack of the grill and cover.
- Cook for 20-25 more minutes or until the thickest part of the thighs reach an internal temperature of just below 165 degrees.
- Remove chicken thighs from heat and rest for a couple minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
-
- Don't marinate the meat in a metal bowl. The acid from the lemon juice and the metal don't play well together.
-
- Swap the seasoned salt with garlic salt, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, or any of your favorites!
-
- Remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator before you heat the grill. This lets them come a little bit closer to room temperature, keeping them juicy and tender.
-
- Before heating the grill, spray it down with cooking spray. And make sure the grates are well-cleaned.
-
- My secret for perfect chicken thighs on the grill: Sear them for a few minutes per side, then move them to the top rack and close the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat.
-
- Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes to help the juices redistribute and allow for crossover cooking.
-
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Marinate the thighs. For an easy freezer meal, add everything to a large Ziploc and toss it in the freezer for up to 3 months!
-
- Leftovers and storage- Keep grilled chicken in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
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