Grilling chicken thighs is an easy dinner using the grill. See how to make BBQ grilled chicken thighs, bone-in and make it confidently with these tips! Let’s grill…
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Why this grilling chicken thighs recipe is so good…
- Ready in about 30 minutes.
- Super easy recipe for beginners to grilling.
- Learn when to use direct heat or indirect heat for grilled chicken thighs.
- Classic BBQ chicken taste!
- Simple prep.
- New to using a gas grill to cook? See my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this BBQ chicken thighs dish.
For grilling chicken thighs
- Chicken thighs, bone-in (about 8, skinless or skin on chicken thighs)
- Olive oil
- BBQ rub, or poultry seasoning (check if it includes salt and pepper or if you need to add some)
- BBQ sauce
For serving grilled chicken thighs
- Cilantro
- BBQ sauce
Try making your own honey cranberry BBQ sauce…
How to make chicken thighs on the grill
Now I’ll walk you through it..
Quick look at this grilled chicken thigh recipe
- Preheat the grill to medium high and season chicken thighs with bbq rub.
- Grill thighs directly over grill flames, skin side down on high.
- Move grilling chicken thighs to indirect heat on the grill.
- Add BBQ sauce to grilled chicken thighs, finish grilling to 165 degrees F.
- Rest and enjoy.
Step-by-step recipe details
- Prep chicken thighs for grilling. Lay out a large surface with a paper towel. Lay chicken thighs on top. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
- Season chicken thighs. It’s better to transfer chicken thighs to a large baking dish or platter for this step, because if the chicken thighs are left on a paper towel, the paper towel will absorb the olive oil. Coat chicken thighs all over with olive oil. Then season chicken thighs all over with bbq rub or poultry seasoning. Massage in the chicken bbq rub with your hands for extra good BBQ grilling luck. Let the chicken rub set in and season the chicken for a half hour, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator if you have time.
- Preheat Gas Grill to high, about 500 degrees F. (Note: In the video, you’ll see that on our large Weber gas grill, we light up 2 out of 3 burners, leaving one burner off so we can place chicken thighs there, over indirect heat – aka not directly over the flame – later to control the cooking process so the chicken thighs don’t burn… more on that in the next step!)
- Grill chicken thighs directly over grill flames, skin side down (which means they have the bone side up), for 5 minutes with the grill lid closed. Flip chicken thighs and grill for 5 more minutes, directly over flame, with the grill lid closed.
- Transfer chicken thighs to indirect heat (an area of the grill without flames directly beneath it – like on a top rack if you have one, or to a side of the grill without burners lit). Keep them skin side up for this step. Grill for about 10 more minutes, with the lid closed, with indirect heat, until chicken thighs reach about 150 degrees F, measured with an internal read thermometer. Exactly how long to grill chicken thighs (and exact minutes per side) to that point will depend on how high your grill is. Guesstimate within 20 minute, but check with a thermometer.
- Brush bbq sauce on chicken thighs once they reach 150 degrees F. Then close the lid and continue grilling chicken thighs with indirect heat.
- Finish grilling chicken thighs. Until they reach the “remove chicken thighs from grill temperature” of 165 degrees F. Measure this with an internal read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, not touching the bone. It’s important to measure the temperature for each one, as some may finish faster than others based on their size and placement on the grill.
- Rest 5-10 minutes and enjoy. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and add a drizzle of BBQ sauce for serving if desired.
See how to make pellet grill smoked chicken thighs and sous vide chicken thighs.
FAQs
It’s very important – and depending on the grill model you have, you might not be able to get your grill as high as 500 degrees F. So you might need longer for your chicken thighs to cook if your gill is lower like 300 degrees F to 450 degrees F (medium high heat).
Your boneless chicken thighs will probably cook faster since they are thinner. For these boneless chicken pieces, just monitor the temp of the thighs often.
Try one of my favorite easy pasta sides or a potato salad or kale apple slaw.
See my recipe for oven baked chicken thighs for inspiration. I love all types of flavors in marinades and as rubs. Try things like brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, lemon juice
Get inspired with easy recipes for a tasty backyard bbq menu – starting with this lineup of the best burger recipes ever.
Try an easy steak recipe from Sip Bite Go…
Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
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 that’s seared with a ton of flavor.
If you don’t 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.
BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Video
Ingredients
For grilling chicken thighs
- 3 LBs chicken thighs bone-in (about 8, skinless or with skin on)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp bbq rub or poultry seasoning
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
For serving grilled chicken thighs
- 1 tsp cilantro fresh chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- Prep chicken thighs for grilling. Lay out a large surface with a paper towel. Lay chicken thighs on top. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
- Season chicken thighs. It’s better to transfer chicken thighs to a large baking dish or platter for this step, because if the chicken thighs are left on a paper towel, the paper towel will absorb the olive oil. Coat chicken thighs all over with olive oil. Then season chicken thighs all over with bbq rub or poultry seasoning. Massage in the chicken bbq rub with your hands for extra good BBQ grilling luck. Let the chicken rub set in and season the chicken for a half hour, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator if you have time.
- Preheat gas grill to high, about 500 degrees F. (Note: In the video, you’ll see that on our large Weber gas grill, we light up 2 out of 3 burners, leaving one burner off so we can place chicken thighs there, over indirect heat – aka not directly over the flame – later to control the cooking process so the chicken thighs don’t burn… more on that in the next step!)
- Grill chicken thighs directly over grill flames, skin side down (which means they have the bone side up), for 5 minutes with the grill lid closed. Flip chicken thighs and grill for 5 more minutes, directly over flame, with the grill lid closed.
- Transfer chicken thighs to indirect heat (an area of the grill without flames directly beneath it – like on a top rack if you have one, or to a side of the grill without burners lit). Keep them skin side up for this step. Grill for about 10 more minutes, with the lid closed, with indirect heat, until chicken thighs reach about 150 degrees F, measured with an internal read thermometer.
- Brush bbq sauce on chicken thighs once they reach 150 degrees F. Then close the lid and continue grilling chicken thighs with indirect heat.
- Finish grilling chicken thighs. Until they reach the “remove chicken thighs from grill temperature” of 165 degrees F. Measure this with an internal read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, not touching the bone. It’s important to measure the temperature for each one, as some may finish faster than others based on their size and placement on the grill.
- Rest 5-10 minutes and enjoy. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and add a drizzle of BBQ sauce for serving if desired.
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