Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Published Jul 01, 2020
Updated Jun 14, 2024
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Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs with an incredible marinade that makes the chicken super juicy! Can be made on the stove-top or on the grill. Enjoy this grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs recipe with a salad, in a wrap, with some rice or any side you like!
If you need ideas, you can enjoy this chicken sliced in my homemade Shawarma Bread alongside Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad, and drizzled with Shawarma Sauce!
Other ideas include serving it with Greek salad, roasted sweet potatoes, potato salad, or Garlic Butter Green Beans. This chicken is versatile, so no matter what your favorite sides are, it’ll taste incredible next to them.
Why You’ll Love It!
- Easy to make and flavor-packed: You’ll love how easy this recipe is to make, the juiciness of the chicken, and how flavorful it is! And it is one of the simplest boneless chicken thigh recipes you can make. When you want to make a delicious meal that stands out for having an enticing appearance and the best flavor, this is the right choice.
- Quick cook time: You’ll also enjoy the quick cook time and how wonderfully this chicken works for meal prep. The dark meat is protein-rich and will supply your body with what it needs after a long day. The hardest part is dealing with the crowds at the grocery store when buying it! Make sure to pair this chicken with your favorite side dishes to make a stress-free weeknight dinner.
Grilled Boneless Skinless Thighs
“Make sure you save this EXACT recipe!” said my daughter as she enjoyed a meal of these juicy chicken thighs in tortilla wraps.
My kids agree that this boneless skinless chicken thighs recipe is blog-worthy! (I always ask them if a recipe is worthy to be blogged about.) The chicken is super tender, juicy and so flavorful! Even my 1 year old could nibble down pieces of this chicken with no issues!
The secret is the best chicken marinade, which I will show you! And those grill marks, aren’t they to die for?! If you try this recipe, make sure to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out for you!
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs Ingredients
1. Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are juicier and way more forgiving than chicken breasts.
2. Plain yogurt: Here is the secret ingredient for this grilled chicken thighs recipe. The yogurt makes the chicken super tender and juicy!
3. Dried spices and herbs: Garlic powder, Onion powder, Dried basil, and white pepper add tons of flavor.
4. Chicken bouillon powder: Chicken bouillon powder really amplifies the taste of meals especially chicken meals.
5. Salt: To bring out all the lovely flavors.
See the recipe card below with a detailed list of ingredients and instructions.
Recipe Variations
- Marinade: Make your own chicken thigh marinade. You don’t have to stick to the marinade ingredients I used! You can use it as a base and add other ingredients, such as lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or different seasonings.
- Dry Rub: Make a dry rub for the chicken. Make a rub with the suggested seasonings, plus some cayenne and brown sugar for a sweet and spicy twist.
- Glaze The Chicken Thighs: Brush the chicken with barbecue sauce or a soy sauce glaze just after cooking. This will allow the glaze to coat the meat and make it extra saucy. You can also toss it with homemade BBQ sauce if you want BBQ chicken thighs made entirely from scratch!
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs: If you have a large air fryer, you can opt to make air fryer chicken thighs instead of grilled. Use the same marinade to flavor the chicken. It will take longer to cook. Depending on how many thighs you cook and the thickness of the thighs, it can take 7 to 13 minutes on each side. I suggest using 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Substitutions
- Spice Blend: If you don’t have garlic or onion powder, feel free to use granulated garlic or onion instead. As far as spices go, you can replace the dried basil with another dried herb that you enjoy.
- Oil Type: Use a neutral oil that can withstand high heat, like vegetable, canola, peanut, or sunflower oil. If all you have is olive oil, it will work.
- Chicken Cut: You can use skinless chicken breasts if you prefer; just be careful not to accidentally overcook them and dry them out. You can also grill wings or drumsticks. Or, you can make bone-in chicken thighs instead. Remember that bone-in thighs will take longer to cook than boneless.
- Salt and Pepper: You can use table, sea salt, or kosher salt. Moreover, both white pepper or black pepper will work.
- Yogurt: Use regular plain yogurt or Greek yogurt for the marinade. The most important thing is to buy unflavored yogurt because the flavored kinds will give it a funky taste!
How To Make Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Grilling chicken thighs with this recipe is easy and only requires a few simple steps. Here they are:
1. Place boneless skinless chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, chicken bouillon powder, white or black pepper, salt and yogurt. Mix well to combine.
2. Cover the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the fridge.
3. Heat up an indoor grill pan on high heat and grill the chicken thighs for about four minutes per side. The direct heat makes for a quick cooking time (who knew cooking chicken thighs could be so quick?)
Instructions For Grilling on the Outside Grill
I haven’t tested this chicken recipe on a gas grill or charcoal grill, but if you choose to use an outdoor grill, here is what I suggest:
1. Heat up the grill on medium heat and brush the grill grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.
2. Place the chicken thighs on the hot grill and cook, in a single layer, covered on one side for four minutes. Flip to the other side and grill for another 4 minutes; by now, the meat will have beautiful grill marks!
After that, check the chicken for doneness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit for the chicken to be considered done. I like using a digital thermometer since it clearly displays the temperature.
If the chicken is not done, keep grilling until it is completely done – that’s until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. For best results, let chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
Important Tips
– If you have leftover chicken thighs, they are best the next day but will remain fresh for 3-4 days. The best way to store them is in a large ziplock bag or an airtight container.
– While grilling the chicken outdoors, you can also grill some veggies along side the meat, such as carrots, peppers, red onions, asparagus, or squash. You can keep chopped loose veggies in aluminum foil and cook them in the foil packet.
– When marinating the chicken overnight, you can also marinate it in ziploc bags that are gallon-sized instead of keeping it in a covered bowl. Whatever is easier for you!
– If your indoor or outdoor grill has hot spots, keep a close eye on the chicken. The meat in those areas will cook much faster than the rest and you don’t want to accidentally burn it.
– When opting for skin-on chicken thighs, I suggest using paper towels to dry the skin before you apply the marinade. Also, make sure to carefully and generously oil the grill grates. Otherwise the skin side of the chicken will stick.
What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
Important Tools for Making Grilled Chicken
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 6-7 thighs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- Oil for brushing grill pan or grill
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Place boneless chicken thighs in a mixing bowl. Add in the onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, white (or black) pepper, salt, chicken bouillon powder and yogurt.
- Mix well to ensure the seasoning gets all over the chicken.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or for a few hours or up to overnight in the fridge.
Grill the chicken
- Place a grill pan on high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and brush all around the grill pan. Let it heat up until the pan is smoking hot.
- Add the chicken thighs to the pan (my grill pan takes 3-4 chicken thighs at once). Let the thighs cook on one side for about 4 minutes then flip to the other side and let them cook for another 4 minutes.
- Check the chicken for doneness. A meat thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the chicken should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit for the chicken to be considered done.
- Remove the grilled chicken thighs and place on a plate. Repeat the process with the rest of the chicken thighs.
Serve
- Serve these grilled chicken thighs warm with any side of choice. We sliced ours and put them in tortillas with some veggies and mayo. They were so good!
So good! I made this last night. I tweaked the seasonings a bit but the yogurt was definitely what made it so great! Thanks for posting the recipe and I will make it again! I thought would make great grilled chicken nuggets too, for the kiddos 🙂
So glad you loved it, Christa! The yogurt really does make a difference. Thank you for the feedback!