Perfectly Grilled Chicken Thighs are juicy and tender, with crispy skin and delicious char. They are fast and easy on your gas grill with only a few simple steps. Super flexible, you can use a charcoal grill, bone-in or boneless thigh, the season of your choice, or even BBQ sauce.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken thighs—skin-on bone-in but boneless skinless thighs may be used.
Seasoning—of your choice, but Kosher salt and black pepper are enough. We add garlic with our All-Purpose Seasoning (7:2:2).
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Grill Chicken Thighs—Step-by-Step
- ⏲️How Long to Grill Chicken Thighs
- Seasoning options
- 🌡️The best final internal temperature for chicken thighs is 185°
- Grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Other Great Chicken Recipes
- ♨️Grill temperature
- 🍴Serving suggestions
- Storing leftovers and reheating
- ❓FAQs
- What is uneven grilling—The secret to grilled thighs
- 📖 Recipe
Featured comment from Jen:
"I made this for my family tonight, and it was delicious. The chops were fork tender, and the breading stayed on perfectly. I appreciate the step-by-step and look forward to making this recipe often!"
We grill chicken thighs for a budget-friendly weeknight dinner. I love many things about chicken thighs—the meat is delicious, moist, and flavorful because the fat keeps it that way.
But the fat is also the problem, causing flare-ups and burning when grilling. I first trim the fat as much as possible. Second, I suggest "uneven grilling," where the skin faces up more than down during cooking to prevent burning, and I move around the grill to avoid fat flair-ups.
👨🍳How to Grill Chicken Thighs—Step-by-Step
1. Preheat the grill to 450° surface temperature.
2. Trim the thighs of any trimmable fat and extra skin.
3. Season to your taste. If using skinless boneless thighs, give them a light brushing of vegetable oil before seasoning.
4. Grill for 5-6 minutes with the skin up, then flip to skin down and grill for about 4 minutes. Flip and continue the uneven grilling times.
5. Grill to 185° internal temperature—about 25-30 minutes.
6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How Long to Grill Chicken Thighs
It takes about 25 to 30 minutes grilling time to cook bone-in chicken thighs, but the exact grill temperature, the thickness of the thighs, and their temperature at the start of grilling will make the exact time variable.
Boneless skinless thighs will be about 10 minutes less and tend to be thinner, so watch your internal temperature starting at 15 minutes.
Always cook to a final internal temperature. Please, never by time alone. Use an instant-read or meat thermometer.
Seasoning options
Kosher salt and black pepper would do, but use the seasoning of your choice. We use All Purpose Seasoning (7:2:2) with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Other herbs and spices may also be used.
To make BBQ grilled chicken thighs, use a BBQ rub and brush lightly with your favorite BBQ sauce or our Memphis Barbecue Sauce for the last 5 minutes to make great BBQ thighs. Give them a second brush of sauce when you remove the thighs from the grill.
Another good option is a marinade, like my lemon chicken marinade.
🌡️The best final internal temperature for chicken thighs is 185°
The best final internal temperature for grilled chicken thighs is 185° to 195° when the connective tissue melts, and the meat becomes moist and tender. According to the FDA recommendations, chicken's minimum safe internal temperature is 165° for chicken, but thighs will be tough and stringy from connective tissue.
At 175 °, the connective tissue will start to melt 175°. By 185°, you will get moist and tender results. America Test Kitchen takes it further for both thighs and drumsticks, suggesting 190° to 195° as the target internal temperature range.
Grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs
While this recipe assumes skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, the meat is all the same and will cook. You can also use skinless boneless chicken thighs. The bone absorbs heat, and I find boneless skinless thighs will cook about 10 minutes faster since they are usually thinner, so pay attention to the internal temperature.
I suggest brushing vegetable or olive oil before seasoning and grilling. Since you have no chicken skin to protect, you can skip the uneven timing of the flipping but still move them around the grill surface to avoid flair-ups.
Other Great Chicken Recipes
For drumsticks, see Grilled Chicken Drumsticks or Oven Baked Chicken Legs. For chicken breasts, see Grilled Chicken Breasts or Convection Baked Chicken. And if you are cooking for a large group, see Chicken for a Crowd.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs are roasted perfectly in 30 minutes and seasoned to your taste. Using a convection oven for crispy skin, these moist and tender chicken thighs will become a family favorite.
♨️Grill temperature
The grill should be 450°-500° surface temperature. That is usually about medium-high heat on most gas grills. Preheat the entire grill, not just a section, so you can move the thighs around to prevent flair-ups.
Other grills, like pellet or charcoal grills, may be used as long as you can control the grill temperature and have a larger surface area.
If you have questions about grill setup, see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
🍴Serving suggestions
Serve with a fresh green garden salad and potatoes of some type, like Grilled Red Potatoes or potato salad. Grill vegetables or Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glazed Grilled Pineapple are also great side dishes.
Storing leftovers and reheating
Store in an airtight container refrigerated for 3-4 days. They will freeze well for 4 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in an oven or air fryer. A microwave will adversely affect the texture.
❓FAQs
There is a lot of fat on chicken thighs. The competition grillers will remove the skin and trim all the fat under the skin, but that is not needed for great thighs at home.
Trim off most of the visible fat on the underside and along the edge of the skin. Trim off any excess skin, but I like to leave the skin firmly attached to the thigh.
You can not get consistently good results without knowing the grill surface temperature and the internal temperature of the thighs to reach the correct final temperature.
You can grill chicken thighs with the grill hood open or closed. But closed will give you more control over the surface temperature.
Generally, meat under ½ inch thick can be grilled with an open hood between ½ and 1 inch thick; either can be used, but closed is better. Meat over 1 inch should be grilled with the hood closed.
What is uneven grilling—The secret to grilled thighs
Uneven grilling is my method to avoid flare-ups from draining fat and burnt skin. So, it's only needed in skin-on thighs.
- The skin side of the thighs can burn quickly, so you should have less time facing the flames. Start with skin side up for the first period and grill for 5-6 minutes. Flip to skin side down for 4 minutes. Continue to go back and forth using the same timing until done.
- Alternate sides of the grill surface with each flip. You will get fat drainage flare-ups. Moving the chicken to the other side of the grill at the flips will allow hot spots from fat drainage to burn out.
You can skip the uneven grilling times for skinless thighs—you have no chicken skin you are trying to protect. But you will still need a large surface area to move around and avoid flare-ups from the fat drainage.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Thighs
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Instructions
- Start with skin-on bone-in chicken thighs and the seasoning of your choice. Boneless and skinless-boneless may be used and are discussed in the post.
- Preheat the grill to 450° surface temperature. That is medium to medium-high heat on most grills. Use the entire grill surface. Clean and oil the grill grate well.
- While the grill is preheating, trim the thighs of trimmable fat and extra skin. Allow them to rest at room temperature until the grill is ready.
- Before placing them on the grill, use the seasoning you prefer, or sprinkle all sides with Kosher salt and black pepper. I use my All-purpose Seasoning Mix of Kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If using skinless thighs, give them a light brushing of vegetable oil before seasoning.
- Using only half the grill surface, place on the grill over direct heat with skin side UP. Grill for 5-6 minutes, then flip onto the other side of the grill and skin down—grill for about 4 minutes with the skin down. Continue to go back and forth between the sides of the grill and skin up and down simultaneously. But if the skin is getting too dark, turn down the area used for skin side down. If using skinless thighs, you can grill both sides for 5 minutes until done, but do alternate sides.
- Grill to 185° internal temperature—about 25-30 minutes, but this will vary depending on your exact grill surface temperature and the thighs' temperature and thickness.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Grill on a medium grill; not super hot. About 450° surface temperature. Use a grill surface thermometer if you have one—never believe the thermometer in the hood of the grill.
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs will cook faster since the bone absorbs heat and they are thinner. See the recipe post for more details about cooking boneless chicken breasts.
- You can cook thighs with the hood open, but it is better closed.
- Trim any extra skin and any visible fat to prevent flair-ups.
- Use the uneven grilling technique discussed, and use the whole grill surface and alternate sides with your flips to prevent flare-ups.
- Use the seasoning of your choice. I used our homemade seasoning mix.
- Do not try this with partly frozen chicken; you will burn it before getting to the correct internal temperature.
- Resting at room temperature before cooking helps get to the correct internal temperature.
- Use 185° as my final internal temperature. This is where the thighs are done. They are safe at 165° but are still tough.
- As always, cook to the final internal temperature. Do not cook on time alone.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published August 1, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Grillster girl says
I burnt my thighs within 8 minutes on the outside! If you have a new grille or yours runs high then definitely DO NOT cook at 450!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Was it the hood thermometer?
Dan
Louise Nicholson says
Me too. Went back to flip the second time and the whole grill was a bonfire inside. I did trim the fat and extra skin before. Charcoal on the outside, done right inside in 25 minutes. I must have done something wrong...
Aaron says
185 dries it out. This is the only time I've ever made dry thighs.
Davey says
I don't know how that would be possible, unless your thermometer is off. I always grill thighs to 190 or so and they are moist and tender. Just did them yesterday and people were telling me the chicken was fantastic. Are you sure you aren't using chicken breasts?
Debbie Kane says
I have been grilling and smoking meats for some time, but never mastered cooking chicken on the grill (especially thighs) This is the BEST way to grill chicken thighs! I will use this recipe forever. Thank you for sharing.
Kal says
Doc,
Thanks for the recipe, I always wondered why my grilled thighs were tough. I have been grilling chicken wrong for years! LoL!
At 185+ they are perfect!! I look forward to further recipes and thoughts from your site!
Jim says
Fabulous recipe! I've never had chicken thighs turn out this good before. The meat is moist and tender and the skin is crispy without being burnt - just a light char.
Lesa says
Awesome! Forgot to do the stars and wanted to!
Great recipe... 2nd time making it and it's delish!
Sheepinabowl says
I would just like to point out that chicken is fine at 165F, NOT 185. BUT overall, great recipe. Delicious.
Lesa says
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I'm a pretty good cook and don't need a ton of help, but every now and then I google "easy" whatever. This was so good and so easy. It takes virtually zero effort. S & P and move from each side of the grill till it's done and absolutely delicious!!
5 stars! I also cooked it for longer than what it says. It's a no brainer just use that thermometer to check it!
-L-
Gavin says
Who trims the fat off chicken thighs? The crispy skin is one of the great results of leaving it on!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Please see https://blog.thermoworks.com/chicken/bbq-chicken-thighs-temperature-surprises-plus-competition-trimming/
Tamara says
I ❤️Reading your recipes! Most all of them I’ve used, turned
out awesome! This is the best grilling method to use, both flipping
the meat and alternating sides.
These bone in chicken thighs are the absolute best!
Thanks for making it so easy to follow and understand!
Frankie says
Not the top skin silly!!! Only trim the excess bottom skin. Very little flare ups and less babysitting. It's a no brainer.
Kim says
I have just grilled my first chicken, and I’m so glad I found your blog/website!! My family tells me how good it is every time they eat!! Made plenty for the weekend, as to have leftovers!! THANK YOU!!!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kim,
Welcome to the website.
Glad you are enjoying the site and the chicken thighs.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Monica Kuretza says
Hi,
Trying this method today.
Question, do I grill using your method with the lid open or closed? I'm using a gas grill, if that makes any difference.
Thanks!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Monica,
Welcome to the blog.
Closed.
A general rule for all grilling: Less than 1/2 inch thick can (but does not have to be) grilled open. Think fish and things on a griddle. Between 1/2 to 1 inch can be either but is generally better closed to control the temperature better. Over one inch is always closed.
Hope that helps and enjoy your thighs.
Dan
John says
My family really enjoys chicken thighs, so thank you for this recipe. My wife and I are on a Keto diet, and our two kids are not, so it is great to be able to season our thighs and then, at nearly the end of the 25 minutes, put barbecue sauce on the kids' chicken thighs. Also, the skin turns crisps up better than any other technique I have tried. Thanks again for sharing.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi John,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it is working so well for you. This is just one of those "logical" recipes. Just what was the problem with other recipes and how to fix them.
There is a low carb category https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/category/low-carb-low-glycemic/ The cauliflower casserole is good enough that even your kids will ask for it and try the crackers. There are obviously a lot more low carb recipes around the site that aren't listed in the category.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Marianne says
Have used your recipe twice now. I don't think I will ever grill chicken thighs any other way again. Perfect! Skin is beautifully crisp and the meat is juicy. No more "praying it works"!!!
I have actually served the chicken with a side sauce made of Thai chili sauce, orange marmalade, red pepper flakes, lime, and snipped green onion. Sweet and sour works beautifully with this recipe.
Thank you so much! I am sorry you had the need to call people out for rude comments.
Christy says
This makes PERFECT thighs, every single time. We prefer bbq chicken, so I only season with salt and pepper and sauce it up the last 2-3 minutes, coating and flipping frequently to caramelize the sauce. Thank you for the recipe, we love it!
Barbara Flaherty says
I am a lazy cook. I put foil under the top, (bun) rack. Then I put either half chick, skin side up. They cook without turning, and since the foil below catches any fat,they don’burn. My gas grill holds two halves, perfect for two. Takes about an hour, and the skin is beautiful.
Michael K says
I'm so glad for your tip about 185 degrees. I told my wife about it as she used to cook all chicken to 165, and the legs turned out slimy in my opinion. Your suggestion prevented a future "discussion" between my wife and me. On my gas grill, I do chicken legs a bit differently than you, and I think it would work for thighs, adjusting the cooking time of course. I brush them with olive oil (but I am going to start patting them dry) and put a dry rub on them. I preheat my grill to high, oil it and then turn the heat down to the lowest temp. I put the legs on the grill and then turn them every 5-10 minutes (depending on flare-ups) for 45 minutes to an hour. This helps them cook evenly and slowly. When they are almost done I baste them with BBQ sauce. Don’t do it earlier or you risk the sugars in sauce burning. Wait till they’re almost done to smear on the sauce. I'm going to try your method this spring.
DrDan says
Hi Michael,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm sure you will like 185 much better for thighs and drumsticks. Hope it meets your expectations.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Anthon says
I’m going to try your style of grilling but I have one question that I hope you can answer. Why do most people recommend placing chicken in a grill skin side down first but you recommend skin side up first? Does it make a difference which side you place first?
DrDan says
Hi Anthon,
Welcome to the blog.
About skin up vs skin down to start. One of the main issues with cooking thighs is to get the meat to the correct internal temperature for juicy tender meat, that is 185, not 165 or the ambiguous "juices run clear". So to do that you need to cook/grill longer. The skin tends to burn anyway so to avoid that I start skin side up and suggest "uneven" grilling more direct exposure of the meat to the flames than the skin.
Hope that is clear.
Dan
Lyle says
Pretty cool, drinking my Bud, following your grilling recommendations, and enjoying the chicken. Thumbs up!!!
DrDan says
Hi Lyle,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the late reply.
I do love these results. I still remember the flare-ups from the fat the first time I just tossed them on a grill. A few modifications and I was good. Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan