These grilled boneless chicken thighs are juicy, tender and full of flavor. Their easy prep makes them perfect for outdoor entertaining. Serve them with anything you like!
If you are looking for an easy marinade for grilled chicken thighs, then you are at the right place. This simple blend of every-day ingredients adds a ton of flavor to the meat and when grilled to perfection, it turns these grilled boneless chicken thighs into a finger-licking dinner.
My recommendations for side dishes would definitely be Greek Salad or Cucumber Tomato Salad, Parmesan Roasted Potatoes or Garlic Smashed Potatoes. But the best side dish is the one you like so if you have a favorite one, go ahead and make/buy it!
How to make grilled boneless chicken thighs
First get a bowl that is large enough to hold all the thighs. You can also use a Ziploc bag, if you like.
Then, add the ingredients for the marinade and mix well.
For these grilled boneless chicken thighs, I made a simple marinade with paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and finely chopped parsley.
Then, add the thighs in and coat them in the mixture. Make sure all the thighs are well coated before covering the bowl with cling film or closing the Ziploc bag.
Let the meat rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before grilling. The longer you leave it in the fridge the better.
You can also make the prep for these grilled boneless chicken thighs ahead of time and marinade the meat overnight, if you like.
How long to grill boneless chicken thighs?
It takes about 10-12 minutes for these grilled boneless chicken thighs to be ready. Now bear in mind that the time may vary slightly. This will depend on how thick the pieces are and also, on your grill.
If in doubt, please use a food thermometer to check if the thighs are ready. The internal temperature has to reach 165°F (75°C). Always make sure you check the thickest part of the meat.
Tips for making grilled boneless chicken thighs
Marinade – at first, it may seem to you that there is not enough marinade. However, this amount is plenty for 1.5 up to 1.8 pound (800 grams) of thighs. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled, if needed!
Make sure to use all the ingredients for marinade – there is only a few of them so it’s important to follow the recipe for best flavors.
Marinating – even though the prep takes literally minutes, you can still make it ahead and keep the meat in the fridge overnight. Also, the longer you marinate, the more intense the flavor.
To keep the thighs warm until ready for serving wrap them in a tin foil (aluminum foil).
If the grilling season is over but you still would like to enjoy these grilled thighs, throw them onto an electric indoor grill (also a panini press might do the trick)!
More recipes for grilling
- Grilled Turkey Kabobs
- Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken
- Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Whole Fish
- Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Recommended Products
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl (or a Ziploc bag), combine paprika, crushed garlic cloves, finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil. Give everything a good mix.
- Add the chicken thighs and coat each one of them with the mixture. Make sure they are all well coated before covering the bowl with cling film (or locking the Ziploc bag). Refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- Grill on both sides until they are nice brown and cooked through (see note 4).
- Best served right away!
Notes
- Paprika – either smoked or sweet can be used.
- I used 4 garlic cloves which was about 1 tablespoon of crushed/pressed garlic. It was the perfect amount but every garlic is different so you might like to adjust this the next time you make the marinade.
- Parsley – I use about 4 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, but you can use slightly less or more, if you like.
- The time does not include marinating – count with at least 30 minutes.
- Please note that the cooking time may vary depending on the size of the thighs you use and on the heat in your grill. If not sure, always check with food thermometer first. Mine were ready in about 10-12 minutes.
- I used skinless chicken thighs. You can also use thighs with skin. If you do, I recommend grilling them the skin-side down first.
Sara says
Hi! Will this marinade work for chicken breast?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Sara. Yes it will. However, they might not be as juicy as the thighs as they dry out easily. Perhaps cut them in half lengthwise so they grill evenly. Hope this helps.
Gloria says
Very easy marinade resulting in great flavour. I found the paprika very over-powering, so the next time I tried the recipe I used only 1 tsp and enjoyed it much more! Great recipe Julia!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Gloria!
Libby says
Delicious! I made these for Sunday dinner last weekend and they were devoured. Served with brown rice pilaf and bacon wrapped asparagus. I’m a huge fan of chicken thighs and this will be my go to. Thanks so much for sharing, Julia!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback, Libby. I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe! Hope you find some more recipes on our blog that you like. Happy Cooking!
Brian says
Fantastic, everyone loves it.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Brian! Happy Grilling!