Learn how to grill perfect chicken thighs that are juicy, moist, and tender with a little crispy char. Using bone-in, boneless, or even skinless thighs, they make the perfect weeknight dinner. Fire up your grill for some incredibly easy thighs.
Introduction
So what is the problem with grilling chicken thighs? Fat and flames... flames and fat. Chicken thighs are just loaded with fat. So here is how to solve the problem.
The Method
Trim off any trimmable fat and extra skin. There is generally a lot on most thighs. The competition grillers will remove the skin and trim all the fat under the skin but not really needed for great thighs at home.
If you are grilling thighs with skin, then do uneven grilling. This means less time with the skin facing the flame. If you are cooking skinless thighs, this is not needed.
Spice as you want. I often add the Cayenne, but if you have little ones, skip it.
Skip the seasoning and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce the last 5 minutes to make great BBQ thighs.
Resting the meat at room temperature, while the grill is preheating, will help get to the right internal temperature before the outside overcooks.
COOK TO THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE, not by time along. The correct internal temperature for thigh meat is 180°-185°.
My Rating
This is a 4 to 5 rating. If you're a real thigh person, then a five would be in order.
🐓Chicken Thighs
There are lots of things to love about chicken thighs, that is why so many people love them. The meat is delicious, moist, and flavorful because the fat keeps it that way.
Plus, you can have them your way, bone-in, boneless or skinless/boneless are all easily available and economical.
But it is the fat that will have many people picking chicken breasts instead.
How much fat is there?
Since we are dealing with a natural product, there is some variability but think of a thigh having about two to three times the fat of chicken breasts.
Here are the numbers from the National Chicken Council. Cooked skin-on thigh has 15.5 grams of fat while a skin-on split chicken breast is 7.8 grams.
🐓Boneless or Skinless Thighs
While the discussion is mainly for bone-in skin-on thighs, the meat is all the same and will cook the same with a few minor adjustments.
The bone will absorb some of the heat, so boneless thighs will cook a few minutes faster due to that, and they always seem thinner to me. Thickness is a big variable it cooking time, so pay attention to the internal temperature.
For skinless thighs, you can skip the uneven grilling times I discuss. You have no chicken skin you are trying to protect. But you will still need the large surface area to move around and avoid flare-ups from the fat drainage. Plus, give them a nice brush of vegetable oil before grilling.
♨️The Grill
The grill should be 450°-500° surface temperature. That is usually a bit above medium on most gas grills.
You want a grill with a large surface area. To do this right, you need to be able to move your chicken away from any flame-ups from fat drainage. I like to use the full grill surface and just divide it in half to avoid confusion.
If you have questions about grill set up, see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
Charcoal can be used, but you will need to keep about half the grill to move away from the heat during flair-ups.
⏰Cooking Time
A good estimate for cooking time is 25 minutes, but the exact grill temperature, the thickness of the thighs and their temperature at the start of grilling will make the exact time variable.
Boneless thighs will be about 5 minutes less but also tend to be thinner, so watch your internal temperature starting at 15 minutes.
Always cook to a final internal temperature. Please, never by time alone.
🌡️Internal Temperature
I suggest 180°-185° as the final internal temperature. This is where thighs are moist and tender. They are safe at 165° but are still tough and stringy. Please use an instant-read thermometer to get the right internal temperature.
Many recipes suggest cooking all chicken to 165°F, which is the minimum safe internal temperature by the FDA. But there is a difference between safe and done. Pork is safe at 145, but you sure won’t want your pulled pork to be cooked to 145°F. It would be terrible.
Also, some recipes call for cooking “until fluids run clear” or "no pink at the bone." How are you supposed to do that? Also, I suspect that it may even be below the safe minimum temperature since the pinkness disappears at about 155°F.
While I cook my chicken breast to 165°F, there is way too much fibrous tissue in thighs. They will be tough and stringy. Just plan not done. Again, please use 180°-185°F as you finish temperature. Check the comments if you need confirmation.
✔️Tips
Seasoning
I used my All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2. But always season to your taste. Just some Kosher salt and pepper would do.
Many times I add a pinch of cayenne pepper. But use the seasoning you love.
Storage
Good just refrigerated for 3-4 days. They will freeze if sealed well; they should be fine for 3-4 months. Reheat by thawing first then reheat in an oven.
📖Related Recipes
Oven Baked Chicken Legs – The Art of Drummies
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks – The Art of Drummies
Chicken for a Hundred -The father of all of them.
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat grill to 450° surface temperature. That is medium to medium-high on most grills. Use the entire grill surface. Clean and oil well.
While the grill is preheating, trim the thighs of any trim-able fat and extra skin and allow to rest at room temperature until the grill is ready. No longer than 30 minutes, but this will help get to the correct internal temperature later.
Just before placing on the grill, give all sides a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste. I use my Homemade Seasoning, which is salt, pepper, and garlic powder. But season to your taste. If using skinless thighs, give them a light brushing of vegetable oil, also.
Using only half the grill surface, place on the grill with skin side UP. Grill for 5-6 minutes, then flip onto the other side of the grill and skin down. Grill for about 4 minutes with the skin down and then flip and back to the first side of the grill.
Continue to alternate sides of the grill to help keep the flair up down and continue the "uneven" grilling. If you are doing skinless thighs, you don't need to do the uneven part but still alternate sides of the grill.
Grill to 180°-185° internal temperature. Right at 25 minutes for me, but this will vary some with your exact grill surface temperature, the temperature of the thighs, and thickness.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. They are too hot to eat.
📖 Recipe
Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 450° surface temperature. That is medium to medium-high on most grills. Use the entire grill surface. Clean and oil well.
- While the grill is preheating, trim the thighs of any trim-able fat and extra skin and allow to rest at room temperature until the grill is ready. No longer than 30 minutes, but this will help get to the correct internal temperature later.
- Just before placing on the grill, give all sides a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste. I use my Homemade Seasoning, which is salt, pepper, and garlic powder. But season to your taste. If using skinless thighs, give them a light brushing of vegetable oil, also.
- Using only half the grill surface, place on the grill with skin side UP. Grill for 5-6 minutes, then flip onto the other side of the grill and skin down. Grill for about 4 minutes with the skin down and then flip and back to the first side of the grill.
- Continue to alternate sides of the grill to help keep the flair up down and continue the "uneven" grilling. If you are doing skinless thighs, you don't need to do the uneven part but still alternate sides of the grill.
- Grill to 180°-185° internal temperature. Right at 25 minutes for me, but this will vary some with your exact grill surface temperature, the temperature of the thighs, and thickness. Remember that boneless and thinner thighs will both cook faster.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. They are too hot to eat.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Grill on a medium grill not super hot. About 450° surface temperature. Never believe the thermometer in the hood of the grill
- You can cook this will the hood open but better closed.
- Trim any extra skin and any visible fat to prevent flair-ups.
- Use the uneven grilling technique discussed and use the whole grill surface and alternate sides with your flips to prevent flare-ups.
- I used my homemade seasoning. Just some Kosher salt and pepper would do or season to your taste.
- If using skinless thighs, give them a light brush of vegetable oil before going on the grill.
- Do not try this with partly frozen chicken; you will never get to the correct internal temperature.
- A little rest at room temp before cooking helps (30 minutes max).
- Use 180°-185° as my final internal temperature. This is where thighs are done. They are safe at 165° but are still tough.
- As always, cook to the final internal temperature. Do not cook by time alone.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and good frozen for 3-4 weeks.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
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Editor's Note: Originally Published August 1, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Anthon
I’m going to try your style of grilling but I have one question that I hope you can answer. Why do most people recommend placing chicken in a grill skin side down first but you recommend skin side up first? Does it make a difference which side you place first?
DrDan
Hi Anthon,
Welcome to the blog.
About skin up vs skin down to start. One of the main issues with cooking thighs is to get the meat to the correct internal temperature for juicy tender meat, that is 185, not 165 or the ambiguous "juices run clear". So to do that you need to cook/grill longer. The skin tends to burn anyway so to avoid that I start skin side up and suggest "uneven" grilling more direct exposure of the meat to the flames than the skin.
Hope that is clear.
Dan
Lyle
Pretty cool, drinking my Bud, following your grilling recommendations, and enjoying the chicken. Thumbs up!!!
DrDan
Hi Lyle,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the late reply.
I do love these results. I still remember the flare-ups from the fat the first time I just tossed them on a grill. A few modifications and I was good. Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Cheryl
Followed the directions and it came out perfectly!!! Very juicy inside and wonderfully crispy skin!
First time grilling chicken thighs too!!
Thank you so much!!
DrDan
Hi Cheryl,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you.
Dan
Val
Excellent! Followed your instructions to a "T" and they were great. My husband,who isn't even s big fan of chicken, said they were delicious!
DrDan
Hi Val,
Welcome to the blog. Glad it worked so well for you.
Dan
Jeff
What about boneless skinless thighs?
DrDan
Hi Jeff,
Skin-on boneless thighs should cook about the same but maybe be a bit faster so as always cook to a final internal temperature and not by time alone.
Skinless??? not convinced it would be good. Probably would dry out too much.
Dan
Kay and Chris
I did the prepping and my hubby did the grilling. PERFECTION!
Thanks for the recipe and the tips!
Don't know if I'll ever go back to white meat/breasts after this! :)
DrDan
Hi Kay and Chris,
Glad it worked well for you. I suspect that with the trimming of the fat, the use of the grill where fat will drain and not coating it with oil, it is probably lower in fat than we think. In grill competitions, they will remove the skin and scrap underneath then pin it back on. But they are using smokers and not flipping things like we do.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Elisabeth
This is probably a silly question but is the grill lid open or closed when grilling the thighs?
DrDan
Closed. General rule: Less than 1/2 inch (fish) is open. 1/2-1 inch can be open but it is much harder control and over 1 inch is always closed.
Dan
Nigel Prance
Used this receipt tonight to wonderful results. Such a brilliant idea to shift sides of the grill! I am a huge fan of chicken thighs but it's always hit or miss (mostly miss, sorry to report). However, armed with this new approach, I shall prevail.....THANKS!
Holly Kooienga
Trying this tonight. Thanks for the detailed instructions....
Holly K
Hudsonville, MI 😋
DrDan
I live 20 miles away... when is dinner? :)
Nancy
Dr. Dan,
My husband and I made your grilled chicken thighs for dinner tonight. Excellent! I am a novice on the grill so your photos of the process were very helpful. Your instructions were spot on, too. We marinated the chicken thighs for a couple hours in the frig in a mixture of lemon juice and several cloves of crushed garlic, then salted and peppered as you suggest. We will be making this recipe again soon.
Coincidentally, we also live in West Michigan. And if those are your dogs, they are beautiful.
DrDan
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for the note. I'm more of a visual learner and I try to do enough photos so people can visualize doing the process themselves.
We are in Spring Lake and Molly and Lilly say thanks for the compliment, they are blog mascots. All blogs should have dogs.
Dan
John Lansdown
Doc
My "go to mustard slaw"
One head red or green cabbage or 1/2 of each cut
root to tip. Slice in 1/8 to 3/16 slices. They say one
head of shredded cabbage. This would take so long
most people wouldn't do it. Just thin slices, turn 90
degrees and cut in half, or not.
Dressing
1/2 cup mayo. I use Dukes
1/4 cup standard yellow mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp course ground pepper
1 tsp celery seed. I use Penzey's.
Again a "base mustard slaw", good on its own.
Add ins are golden raisins, nuts, chopped apple,
etc. Best add in is prepared horseradish.
Enjoy.
John
DrDan
Thanks again John. In line for a test.
Dan
John Lansdown
Doc
My go to coleslaw (and I cheat on one is)
Bag of mix. Add 1/2 cup shredded carrot plus 1/2
cup shredded onion (pressed through a strainer
with cold water) to tame it down a little.
Dressing
3/4 cup mayo ( I use Duke's).
or 1/2 cup mayo and 1/4 cup sour cream (lighter)
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS table sugar
2 Tsp celery seeds. I use Penzey's. The best.
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
A good go to fast coleslaw that everyone likes
and what I put on your pulled pork for sandwiches
along with your Memphis Sauce. Don't get much
better than this. Except toasted buns. A must have.
John
PS I'll send my Tennessee mustard coleslaw next.
These two are the best I've found "standards". You
can add nuts, golden raisins, or anything you want
John
DrDan
Hi John thanks for the recipe. At first look, it is what I was looking for. I will give it a trial soon. I'm good with the bag mix since I don't need a ton.
Thanks again
Dan
Stephanie Patterson
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was plying the Internet looking for a recipe for grilled chicken thighs, and all of them called for long marinating...and I wanted to cook right NOW...then I found this. It was GREAT! I used kosher salt in the 7:2:2 mix; I got a little carried away with it and the chicken turned out a little bit salty - but on the plus side, the kosher salt made the skin crisp up really nicely.
So I did the prep work, and my husband did the actual grilling. He reported that the techniques of alternating sides of the grill and the slightly different cooking times for the skin and bone sides worked beautifully - no flare ups at all. In short, we LOVED this recipe and intend to try it out next on a bunch of chicken leg quarters that we have in the freezer. Thanks again!
DrDan
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the note. It took a number of test runs to come up with this but it seems to be just right to me. Also, I like logical things and this seems to fit.
It should work fine with your chicken quarters but be sure they are well thawed before starting.
Dan
Ron Garstka
Sure glad I found your website. The chicken thigh recipe was the first I tried. Very successful, tender and delicious. Have 2 thighs in the fridge pegged for lunch on Sat. Really like the mixture of pics with commentary. You've done an excellent job. Can't wait to move on to other recipes. What a surprise to find out you're in Grand Haven. Wife & I live in Comstock Park & Grand Haven is one of our favorite places. Didn't make it there last year as I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer last spring. However, chemo is done and my last scan showed no evidence of any cancer in my torso. We are planning our schedule for the summer and fall. I'm also an ex-programmer. Started with SPS, Autocoder,
Cobol on IBM 1460, 1410. 7740. Thanks for all the effort you put in on the website. Looking forward to
many more good meals.
DrDan
Hi Ron,
Welcome to the site. Glad your colon CA is doing better. Another old programmer but I trained on an IBM 360-65 so I was after you a few years. Lots of machine language, assembler, Fortran and some Cobol. And then I ruined it all by going to med school.
We have been in Spring Lake/Grand Haven for almost 40 years and we are staying for retirement. The blog is my retirement toy. Some computer, photography, and lots of cooking. All enjoyable for me.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. And have a great day.
Dan
Mary
Hi and thank you for the grilling tips! I have a super easy recipe for what I call a Fiesta Cole Slaw. Everyone loves it. I cheat, though. I use a bag of slaw ready to go. I add a half red pepper chopped on the small side, about 1/3 cup of finely chopped red onion, about a cup of either canned or fresh corn, about a half cup of dried cranberries, add a cup of shelled edamame if you have it (don't need it) I just mix it all with Marzettis Slaw Dressing and it really is yummy!
DrDan
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for the recipe. I will give it a try soon. "Cheating" with the bag of slaw is fine. I don't want to buy a large head. We are cooking for two.
Dan
John Lansdown
Hey Doc
Don't remember how I got to your website. Have
you and your recipes stored on my phone along
with a thousand or so other recipes I like or want to
try. I really have learned a lot from you on grilling
chicken. Dark meat like legs and thighs ARE really
better at 185 +. 7-2-2 is all you need. You want
more, add your Memphis Sauce (very good). I've
always wanted to come up with a method to get
crispy skin on chicken as a matter of pride as a
griller. I have about one of each of every Weber
gas or charcoal grill they ever made, so I have to
be good or my reputation would suffer. I prep
my dark meat chicken after trimming per your
method and sprinkle with 7-2-2. I then sprinkle
Rumford baking powder (Al free) on the chicken,
and put it in the fridge overnite. Heat the grill to
450 at the grates, oil up, then use your method of
flipping every 5-6 min to get to 180-190+. I then
don't cover with foil (to keep moisture from
forming), and serve. Your first bite thru a thigh
prepared like this is like biting through a potato
chip. No burnt chicken skin. Serious success and
a bragging point. Thanks to you for your helpful
info.
I've also made 3-4 of your pork butt on Al foil balls.
Again, really good as pulled pork is one of my
favorite sandwiches. Add your Memphis sauce,
Really good.
I am 66 yrs old, build hotels, and in Liberal KS
building a hotel and a Convention Ctr. next to it.
If I was home in OKC, I would be smoking butts at
home. Your crockpot method is pretty good and I use
it on the road. Gotta use Wright's Liquid Smoke. I'll
send you a good Bobby Flay coleslaw recipe
to go with it if you want.
As a side note, I have a pork tenderloin in your
brine right now that I'm going to grill in a couple
hrs. Not going to use the olive oil garlic, but a rub
for a tenderloin BBQ sandwich.
Again, thanks
John Lansdown
DrDan
Hi John,
First, YES I need a good coleslaw recipe (email at the bottom of the site). I have tried many and I'm very picky. You will notice that I have a hole in my site with no coleslaw. There has just been no worthy recipe. I have only had great coleslaw a few times, the last at Marlowe’s of Memphis. You must go there if you get close, it is almost worth my drive from Michigan.
It is so hard to get people out of the 165 habit for chicken. 165 for breasts and not a bit more but for thighs and drummies 185+ is it. And they will never let it rest.
Next, the baking powder. While ATK will use the overnight timing, I find that even with almost no rest, you get most of the effect. I believe that during the first 15-20 minutes of cooking, it is pulling moisture out and it evaporates rapidly in the heat of the oven. Just my feelings.
The crockpot butt is just using the pot as a miniature oven and elevating out of the drainage. Just a take off on my oven version. I like them both so much, I rarely do the grill method anymore. It is so easy to just toss them in and go do other things.
You mentioned some of my favorite recipes. I do love the Memphis BBQ sauce.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Matt
Works great thanks a lot
Penny
Making this right now! Tucked fresh basil leaves under the skin for some interest! It smells amazing!! Thank you for the uneven grilling info... I didn't know. Serving wirh fresh summer squash, zuc, and tomatoes from the garden... sauted with onion and a jalapeno pepper! I'm so hungry!!!