Perfectly Grilled Chicken Thighs (Bone-In or Boneless!)
Make these easy grilled chicken thighs on the grill that come out so juicy and delicious! This will be your new go to grilled chicken recipe with a delicious sweet and smoky seasoning blend and a cooking method that guarantees juicy, delicious chicken thighs with a crispy skin!
Servings: 6
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone in or boneless chicken thighs see note in step 3
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder see note
- Apple, cherry, pecan or oak wood (optional)
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce try my homemade version!
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and pull back the skin without detaching it from the meat.
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar. Season the chicken on all sides with the seasoning and oil, including underneath the skin. Once the chicken is seasoned, pull the skin over the meat and sprinkle baking powder over the skin of the chicken thighs and rub it into the skin until it is no longer visible. Let the chicken sit in the seasonings for about 30 minutes.
- Add charcoal to the grill and create a direct and indirect zone. Add smoking wood if desired. Heat the grill to 400°F and add the chicken thighs to the indirect side (the side without charcoal).
- Close the grill and cook the chicken until the internal temperature reads 160F. For bone-in chicken, this should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. For boneless chicken, this should take about 25-30 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked and reads 160F internal, move the chicken over to the direct heat skin side down. Allow the direct heat to continue to cook the chicken and crisp up the skin, about 2-3 minutes. Remove once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Toss the chicken thighs in your favorite bbq sauce or hot sauce and then place on the indirect side of the grill. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken on the chicken thighs. Or simply eat without sauce!
Video
Notes
Prep the Chicken - Pull the skin off the chicken thighs to season the meat on all sides - this will give your Grilled Chicken Thighs so much flavor! This is actually a technique I learned in a grilling competition alongside other BBQ experts. Pat dry the chicken skin before sprinkling baking powder. Baking powder will adhere better to dry skin, which will result in a much crispier chicken skin.
Baking Powder - Baking powder is my secret ingredient to the crispiest chicken skin! Use aluminum free baking powder and do not substitute with baking soda - that will not work! It helps break down the proteins in the chicken skin by increasing the pH levels It draws moisture to the surface of the chicken skin, where it can evaporate.
Grilling Heat Zones 101
- Creating two zones of "direct" and "indirect" heat allows you to choose the best temperature to grill your food.
- "Direct" heat is good for food that cooks quickly (like thin patties for burgers), while "indirect" heat is better for food that take longer (such as Grilled Chicken Thighs) or could burn or dry out if cooked over "direct" heat, like vegetables.
- The "indirect" method works like a convection oven, circulating heat to cook food evenly on all sides without needing to be turned (versus over "direct" heat, where you would need to flip the food to avoid getting scorched).
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 0.4mg
