Tired of dried out chicken? Grilled boneless chicken thighs are the solution! They are easy to make, don't dry out easy and we just put a simple dry rub on them before grilling.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love to grill? Yeah I am sure I probably have already a couple times. It is something I do enjoy all summer long - along with some of fall and spring. One of our newer additions is making boneless skinless chicken thighs on the grill.
These will go well with the bacon ranch pasta salad or our potato salad recipe.
Why boneless chicken thighs?
They are an amazing part of the chicken! Yes they are a little bit fattier but without the skin, they are not as fatty. The little bit of extra fat in them (and something about thighs) keeps them from drying out like a chicken breast will. We have all had that piece of chicken breast that was well overcooked and you struggled to eat it, right? Thighs don't do that as easily 😉
We also love to eat chicken breast here too. We make them here a lot too, so I am not saying they are bad. But the thighs are more forgiving for some recipes and often more flavorful.
Now why the boneless on our grill? I almost never make bone in thighs here. The reason being they just flare up on our older grill. We will be getting a new grill soon, but this one still works. Grilled boneless chicken thighs take a lot less time to cook and they do not flare up as much.
Making the grilled boneless chicken thighs
They are very simple to make. First I like them to sit out for about 15-20 minutes before going on the grill. But they need to be seasoned with the dry rub before doing so.
The dry rub consists of garlic, salt, paprika, pepper, dried minced onion and parmesan cheese. Mix it all in a small bowl and sprinkle it onto the chicken thighs. I like to pat it onto them after sprinkling.
Now let them sit out for the 15-20 minutes. I use a gas grill and mine might get a little hotter then yours. Medium low should be a good setting for your burners.
Once your grill is hot and your thighs have been out for around 20 minutes, place them on the grill and put the lid down. Cook for about 7 minutes before flipping. One thing I look for is a slight white forming on the edges of the thighs before you flip them. Another way to judge is that they are no longer cold on top. This ensures that they are cooking nicely. Now flip them and cook another 7 minutes.
The grilled boneless chicken breasts are done when the internal temperature reaches 165.
Other great grilled dishes
Parmesan Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Gas Grill
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs
Dry Rub
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper ground
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Mix together the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the thighs. Pat the thighs to help the rub stick better.Allow thighs to sit out for about 15-20 minutes
- Warm up the grill and set it to low to medium low for cooking. See notesPlace the chicken thighs onto the grill and close the lid.
- After 7 minutes check the thighs to see if there is a white ring forming on the edges of them. You can also check by carefully touching the top - if they are no longer cold on top. Flip themCook for another 7 minutes with the lid closed.
- Check on them again after the 7 minutes and the juices should be clear or the color of the spices on top of the thighs. If the juices are still pink, continue to cook for a couple minutes.The internal temp of the thickest part of the thigh should be 165°.Enjoy!
Michele Bee
All your recipes look so appetizing. I can't wait to try this one. Our family is always looking for new ideas when it comes to cooking.
Dawn
Thank you 🙂 I love using the thighs because they still are tender even if you accidentally over cook them. Hope you enjoy!