Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
These Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs are seasoned and grilled to perfection! Using an affordable cut of chicken, this is a quick and easy recipe that will have everyone begging for more!
AN AFFORDABLE GRILLED CHICKEN RECIPE
I absolutely love grilling season! These Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs are one of my family’s favorite recipes. I like them because chicken thighs are extremely flavorful but also very affordable so it’s a great option when you need to feed a lot of people. This recipe is super simple and with just a few spices and a couple grilling techniques, you will be a BBQ Chicken Thigh grilling master!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You will want your grill set to medium heat (about 350F degrees) and make sure that the chicken thighs are cooked until an internal temperature reaches 165F degrees.
I highly recommend using one. They are very affordable and you can find them in nearly any grocery store these days. It’s the best way to keep from undercooking or overcooking meat. Always insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, making sure not to touch the bone and without going all the way through the meat.
It is highly recommended for maximum flavor. You really do not want to skip this step if you can help it. They need to be refrigerated with the spices for at least 2 hours before grilling.
You can use your favorite BBQ Sauce for this recipe, there is no right or wrong. I used my Homemade BBQ Sauce for this particular recipe. For store-bought, I usually purchase Sweet Baby Rays or Kraft Original BBQ Sauce.
You can easily swap out the smoked paprika with regular paprika. Doing so will minimize the smoked flavor but will work as a substitution. However, if you enjoy grilling or smoking meats, it might be a great idea to invest in a bottle of smoked paprika. It’s good for so many things!
You can store any leftovers of this recipe in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Personally I love to serve it with potato salad and cole slaw.
NGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chicken thighs – you can use chicken breasts for this but keep an eye on the internal temperature as they may not take as long to cook as thighs (depending on how thick they are).
- garlic powder and onion powder – these are my go-to seasoning choices but it’s up to you what you love. A cajun or creole seasoning would work well here.
- smoked paprika – you can use regular paprika if that is al you have but the smoked paprika really adds a nice smoky flavor that we love.
- bbq sauce – use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or make it homemade. We usually just pick up a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays.
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS:
Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper over the thighs. Toss to coat the chicken in the spices. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or use immediately.
Clean the grill grates and lightly oil them. Preheat the grill to medium heat (about 350F degrees.) Once the grill is hot, place the chicken thighs, skin side down. Do not touch it for 7 minutes, or you can move them at a 45-degree angle to form diamond grill marks halfway through.
Flip the thighs over and let cook for 3 minutes. Brush the chicken on the side facing up lightly with bbq sauce, cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Flip the chicken again, and brush lightly with more bbq sauce on this side. Cook for 2 minutes. Flip one last time, and brush again with bbq sauce, the skin side should be up at this point. Continue to cook until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. About 20 total minutes on the grill.
Serve immediately.
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Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- Place the 6 bone-in chicken thighs into a large bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over the thighs. Toss to coat the chicken in the spices.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours. (If you're short on time, you can grill right away but marinating is recommended.)
- Clean then carefully oil the grill grates then preheat the grill to medium heat (about 350F degrees). Once the grill is hot, place the chicken thighs, skin side down.
- Do not touch the thighs for 7 minutes. You can move them at a 45-degree angle to form diamond grill marks halfway through if you like that look.
- Monitor grill temperature so that it doesn't get too hot.
- Flip the thighs over and let cook for 3 minutes. Then, brush the chicken on the side facing up lightly with some of the 1/2 cup bbq sauce. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Flip the chicken again, and brush lightly with more bbq sauce on this side. Cook for 2 more minutes. Flip one last time, and brush again with bbq sauce, the skin side should be up at this point.
- Continue to cook until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. About 20 total minutes on the grill. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook times may vary based on the size of the thighs.
- Marinating the chicken in the spices makes them more flavorful but it is not absolutely necessary.
- I like to use a meat/carving fork when grilling chicken, I find using a regular tong will sometimes tear the skin or scrape off some of the bbq sauce.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Cooked chicken can last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- These chicken thighs come out extremely flavorful, smokey, and caramelized from the bbq sauce. I love to serve it with my favorite picnic sides such as grilled corn and cole slaw!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Do you close the grill cover when you cook?
I usually don’t unless the weather is drizzly or rainy.
Great question and thanks for the answer! I would have closed the lid and the chicken burns faster than it cooks but I thought we needed to close the lid!