Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
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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 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 chicken thighs ahead of time and marinate the meat overnight, if you like.
How long to grill boneless chicken thighs?
It takes about 10-12 minutes for these 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 pounds (800 grams) of thighs. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled, if needed!
Make sure to use all the ingredients for the marinade – there are only a few of them so it’s important to follow the recipe for the 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
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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 the 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.
This recipe was magical! I am not a great cook but my family went wild over this, even my toddler who rarely eats chicken, and my kindergartner who called it “moms best homemade chicken in the world” I rarely leave comments but felt the need to say thank you for the tasty recipe and for making me look so good!
Thanks so much for your feedback and rating, Michelle! Hope you’ll find some more recipes to try on our blog!
Love this recipe and my guests fo too!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Liz Anne!
Really, really good. Simple, too. I think I would add heat next time. Thank you!
Loved this recipe. I followed exactly. Easy, tender and so flavorful. Have you ever tried baking it?
Fantastic, everyone loves it.
Thanks for your feedback, Brian! Happy Grilling!
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!
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!
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!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Gloria!
Hi! Will this marinade work for chicken breast?
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.
Made this recipe for my family BBQ, it was a hit! Great, easy recipe! Thank you!
This recipe was delicious and the chicken was very moist. I didn’t have any fresh flat-leafed parsley (Italian parsley?), so I substituted finely chopped fresh oregano. I really like the flavor it added.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Bob! Happy Grilling! :)
Made these last night. So easy and incredibly delicious! Family loved them – will make them again!
That’s so good to hear, Sharon. Thanks for your feedback!
My family, including 3 kids, ask for this regularly. I have cooked this for other people and every time, they ask me for the recipe. A great addition to my repertoire, and I love how easy it is!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Jennifer. Happy Grilling! :)
Made this recipe tonight & it was amazing!’marinated in a ziplock bag from 6am until dinner 6pm..followed exact. Highly recommend! Thank you.
That’s great to hear, Lisa! Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback! Happy Grilling! :)
These are fantastic! I will definitely make them again. They got rave reviews from my family too. The ingredients are so simple, but the end result is outstanding. I may try chicken breasts too and suspect they’ll also be yummy. Thanks for this!
You are welcome, Michele! Thanks so much for your feedback!
I love this recipe! It’s one of my go to chicken marinades! I only add 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of cayenne because I love a little heat. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for your feedback, Angela!
I made this tonight! It was delicious! Didn’t get to marinate it as long as I would have liked, but the flavor was wonderful. Used smoked paprika and added a little red pepper flakes. Will definitely do again!!
Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback, Debbie!
This recipe rocks. Doubled everything except for 1.5x paprika and 1.5x salt. And let it marinate for three hours. Grilled the chicken on the Traeger at 350 until the temp read 155. Took out the chicken and bumped up the grill to 500. Seared the chicken for about six minutes per side until the temp reads between 165-170. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
Thank you so much for finding time to leave the feedback, Harold! Happy Grilling! :)
I would suggest 1/3-1/2 ( depending on you’re tastes) teaspoon instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I’ve made this a few times following this recipe exactly (forgetting) and end up having to throw away the chicken because it’s too salty. Adjusted however, this is the best chicken I’ve had anywhere. Girlfriend also loves it. Highly recommend!
Literally THEE BEST chicken thighs I’ve ever had. Just learning how to use the grill, and I LIVE for my chicken night. So juicy and flavorful AND SO EASY!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE!!
Thank you so much for finding time to write your comment. I hope you find on our blog some more recipes that you enjoy as much as these grilled thighs. Happy Grilling! :)
Hi, I thought I had fresh parsley but it’s cilantro. Do you have any suggestions? I have fresh chives, fresh basil, dried parsley….I’ve made this before. It’s a great recipe!
Hi Mary. If you like cilantro, then go ahead and use it. Perhaps use a bit less as it is more fragrant. You can also throw in fresh chives. I would not use basil though. Haven’t tried making these with dried parsley as I feel the fresh one is the best option. Hope this helps!