Grilled Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs with BBQ Sauce

Grilled Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs finished with our Red Wine BBQ Sauce is an easy weeknight meal that is full of flavor. Not only is it easy, it’s super quick and can be used on its own or as an ingredient in salad, pizza, or anything else you can think of.

If you’re looking for a stress-free, simple, weeknight chicken dinner, this is it!

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Jump to:

• Ingredients for Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Tools
• Preparation
• Grilling Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• When Are Chicken Thighs Done?
• Variations
• Other Chicken Recipe Ideas
• Perfect Side Dishes for Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• About Vindulge
• Grilled Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs Recipe with BBQ Sauce
• Community Feedback

Ingredients for Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

• Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs – See notes below if all you can find is bone-in thighs.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This allows the seasoning to adhere to the meat.
• Seasoning – We use our chicken seasoning, which does not have any sugar in it and is both savory and herbal. This is something you can make in advance on the weekend and use it for poultry recipes for months to come for quick meals.
• BBQ Sauce – You can use any sauce you like, for this grilled chicken thigh recipe we use our own Red Wine BBQ Sauce, which you can have shipped directly to you. (US only). Alternatively you can make our Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce from scratch in advance.

Tools

See a full list of the best grilling tools to have in your collection. For this recipe we are simply using:

• Long Tongs – These are a must because it makes it easy to flip the chicken and not burn your arms.
• Silicone Brush – Ideally one with a long handle to apply BBQ sauce to the chicken thighs.
• Instant Read Thermometer – We use the Thermapen One as our go-to digital thermometer which measures the internal temperature of the chicken in less than one second.

Preparation

For grilled boneless and skinless chicken thighs, the meat is typically ready to grill as soon as you buy them. If you see any loose or excess fat around the edges, use a good boning knife and remove it prior to seasoning.

Grilling Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

1. Preparation: Prepare grill for direct grilling using lump charcoal. Target the internal temperature at 450 – 500 degrees Fahrenheit. While grill is coming to temperature coat the chicken thighs with olive oil and chicken seasoning.
2. Grill: Place the seasoned chicken thighs over direct heat on the grill grates. Close the lid and grill for 6 – 8 minutes or until you see the color start to brown. Flip the chicken thighs and then apply the sauce (to the grilled side). Continue to grill over direct heat an additional 4 minutes and then flip again. Sauce the other side and grill for remaining 4 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest section reads 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Rest: Remove and let rest for up to 10 minutes, then serve with a side of more sauce.

When Are Chicken Thighs Done?

According to the USDA, chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. However, when it comes to thighs, we prefer grilled chicken thighs cooked until 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The darker meat of chicken thighs has more moisture and cooking the meat to a higher temperature prevents the texture from being too chewy.

You can read more in our article about the proper chicken temperature and carry-over cooking.

Variations

If all you can find is a skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs, then follow our recipe for bone-in grilled chicken thighs.

Other Chicken Recipe Ideas

Check out our entire category for chicken and other poultry recipes. Or check out some of our favorites.

• Pellet Grilled Chicken Thighs (Bone-In) – If you want to cook some amazing chicken thighs on a pellet grill, this is the recipe.
• Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken – Apricot jam glazed overly perfectly cooked chicken is sweet and delicious.
• Grilled Jerk Chicken – The bright and savory flavors of Caribbean influenced jerk chicken is amazing and so simple.

Perfect Side Dishes for Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

If you are looking for some fun ideas to pair with this grilled chicken thigh recipe here are a few. You can also review all of our side dish recipes.

• Grilled Smash Potatoes – Add a rich and creamy tarragon cream sauce and you have a fresh and savory potato dish.
• Grilled Cauliflower Florets – Once you grill cauliflower it changes everything you know about the flavors. Add a bright and flavorful Pistou (or French Pesto) for the ultimate flavor.
• Smoked Baked Potatoes – If you have a spare smoker sitting around this smoked russet potato recipe adds some rich seasoning and bacon for one amazing side dish.
• Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad – While the chicken is resting quickly grill up some romaine lettuce for a light and healthy side dish that is perfect for chicken.

About Vindulge

Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

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