Delicious + Easy Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Recipe

These grilled chicken thighs are so simple, and yet the results are quite literally finger-lickin' good. This recipe combines boneless chicken thighs with your favorite BBQ sauce and the perfect balance of spices before grilling them to crispy, juicy perfection. Plus, in addition to tasting incredible, these grilled chicken thighs are super easy to make. In fact, you can have them cooked and on the table in just about 30 minutes.

The Best Grilled Chicken Thighs

You guys know by now I love a good chicken recipe, and I mean it when I say that this might just be my favorite one yet. I mean, it's so simple to make, yet the results are out-of-this-world good!

This recipe takes boneless skinless chicken thighs and coats them in the perfect balance of spices and BBQ sauce before quickly grilling them until they're nicely caramelized on the outside while still being juicy and tender on the inside.

Gah, they're just so good, and they cook up perfectly every single time.

Plus, as I mentioned, this grilled chicken thighs recipe is a breeze to put together. All you really have to do is combine the chicken thighs with the sauce and spice blend, then the fridge and grill take care of the rest.

By the way, if you're wondering what to eat with grilled chicken thighs, I have a few ideas for you. I love making these shiitake mushrooms, this sauteed eggplant, this kohlrabi, or these sauteed brussel sprouts to go with 'em.

Ingredients

Another thing I love about this recipe is that the ingredients for these grilled chicken thighs are beyond simple. Honestly, you probably have most - if not all - of them in your pantry or kitchen already!

Seriously, here's everything you'll need to make this grilled chicken thighs recipe:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup spicy BBQ sauce or plain BBQ sauce (keep things low carb and low calorie with a sugar free one)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How great is that ingredients list?

By the way, you can use a lot of the spices I used to make these grilled chicken thighs to also make these air fryer pork chops, this air fryer chicken, and also these chicken tenderloins.

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

When I make this barbecue chicken thighs recipe, I always use the ingredients listed above since I just think it tastes best that way. However, you can make some adjustments to suit your tastes/preferences and possibly even save yourself a trip to the store.

For instance, this recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, but if you're in a pinch, you can also use bone in chicken thighs or even chicken breast. Just keep in mind that cooking time will vary since chicken breast tends to dry out more quickly than boneless thighs.

As for the barbecue sauce, feel free to use any kind that you want. I usually go with a sugar free one - the No Sugar Sweet Baby Rays & the G Hughes sauces are my favorites.

How To Make Grilled Chicken Thighs

Trust me when I say making these grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs couldn't be easier.

Honestly, even if you don't grill that often, I guarantee you'll find this recipe a breeze to make. I mean, 3 simple steps are all you need to follow to make it, and most of the time it takes to put it together is just passive cooking time. There's hardly anything you have to do outside of making the marinade and giving the chicken a flip on the grill.

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get grilling!

Step 1: Marinade The Chicken

First things first, grab a bowl large enough to hold your chicken thighs and combine the garlic powder, BBQ sauce, olive oil, chili powder, smoked paprika, and a dash of salt and pepper in it. Now mix all of these ingredients well until they combine.

Next, you can add the boneless chicken thighs to the bowl and toss them to fully coat in the marinade. Then, you'll want to cover the bowl of chicken with plastic wrap or tin foil and refrigerate the chicken for at least 15 minutes. Letting it marinade in the sauce will allow the chicken thighs to soak up all of those delicious BBQ flavors.

Step 2: Grill The Chicken

When the chicken is almost done marinating, you can preheat your gas grill or charcoal grill to 350°F-400°F. Also, just so you know, you can use a grill pan and heat it over medium-high heat if you don't have a grill. 

Then, as soon as your boneless thighs are done marinating, you can place them on the grill and grill the chicken thighs for about 4 minutes a side or until the outside of them is dark and caramelized and internally they reach 165°F.

Step 3: Rest and Serve

Once the chicken has finished cooking, you can take it off the grill and let it rest on a plate for about 5 minutes. This will allow the juices to reabsorb back into the meat, and it will ensure your thighs turn out super tender as well.

Finally, you can garnish them with some fresh chopped parsley and serve 'em warm next to your favorite sides.

How To Store Leftover Grilled Chicken Thighs

This recipe for grilled boneless chicken thighs makes 2 servings, so it's perfect as a dinner for two or a big dinner for one. If you're lucky, you might even end up with some leftovers. 

Speaking of leftovers, you can store any leftover chicken thighs you end up with in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store the chicken for even longer, you can freeze it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 4 months.

How To Reheat Grilled Chicken Thighs

When you're ready to enjoy your grilled chicken thighs, you can eat them cold - they're great in a salad - or you can reheat them and eat them hot.

With that said, the best way to reheat chicken is to put it on a wire rack and heat it in the oven at 400°F for about 5-10 minutes.

FAQs About This Chicken Thighs Recipe

How long should you grill boneless skinless chicken thighs?

If your grill is set to somewhere between 350°F and 400°F then you'll need to grill your boneless chicken thighs for around 4-6 minutes a side. Of course, the exact time you'll need to cook them will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs. With that said, the best way to know the chicken thighs are done is when they reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F - which is the minimum temperature the USDA recommends cooking chicken.

How long to grill boneless, skinless chicken thighs at 400?

It's safe to say your chicken thighs will need to grill for about 8-10 minutes at 400°F. However, the exact amount of time is going to depend on the thickness of the chicken thighs.

How do you grill chicken thighs without drying them out?

The trick to not drying out your chicken thighs is to make sure the grill is hot before adding your chicken thighs to them. Also, marinating the chicken before cooking will help it stay nice and juicy without drying out.

What temperature do you grill boneless, skinless chicken thighs?

Ideally, 350°F-400°F is best for grilling chicken thighs. Anything lower isn't hot enough to cook the chicken all the way through, and anything higher will dry the chicken out. 

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make grilled chicken thighs!

I know I'm biased, but I really think this is one of the best grilled chicken recipes you'll ever make. From the balance of spices and charred BBQ sauce to the crisp, juicy chicken, it really doesn't get better than these grilled chicken thighs.

My family and I pretty much make this recipe every week during grilling season, and it's always our go-to if we're hosting a cookout. Honestly, whenever we make these BBQ chicken thighs, everyone always raves about 'em, so I've got a feeling everyone you make them for will love them too.

Anyway, I hope you love this easy chicken thigh recipe as much as I do.

As always, if you try this recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below.

More Dinner Recipes

If you liked this grilled chicken recipe, I have plenty more easy dinner recipes on the blog for you to try next!

Here are some of my most popular ones:

• Chicken sausage
• Eye of round steak
• Thin pork chops
• Sauteed pork chops
• Bottom round roast
• Healthy ground turkey
• Thick cut pork chops
• Chicken and peppers

Oh, and if you're looking for even more tasty recipes, be sure to check out my Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube channel! I post new ones on them all of the time.

Print