I’m all about grilling these days, and every weekend I cook up a batch of grilled vegetables and grilled chicken, like grilled chicken tenders, grilled chicken wings or these grilled chicken thighs.
Grilled Chicken Thighs Ingredients
To make these grilled chicken thighs make sure you have boneless skinless chicken thighs, olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime zest, cilantro, lime juice, salt, black pepper and garlic. You will want some cilantro leaves and lime wedges to garnish the dish. Enjoy this dish with some of my favorite summer side dishes like grilled pineapple, Mexican corn salad, dill potato salad and grilled broccoli.
How Do You Make Grilled Chicken Thighs?
To make this grilled chicken thighs recipe, first make the marinade. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime zest, chopped cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Place your chicken thighs in a large resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for between 1 and 24 hours. Once the chicken is infused with flavor, grill up the chicken until cooked through. Let the chicken rest a bit after grilling, then slice and serve with a little cilantro and some lime wedges to garnish the dish.
Tips For The Perfect Grilled Chicken Thighs
You can make the marinade made up to 8 hours before you plan to use it. It’s best to cook your chicken thighs over medium heat, as you don’t want the exterior to burn before the inside is cooked all the way through. Make sure you heat your chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Check the poultry with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken thigh. With this recipe you do not have to cook on indirect heat. As long as you cook with a medium heat your chicken with cook though without burning. I like to leave the chicken on the grill grates a little while and then turn the chicken 90 degrees to get nice grill marks on the chicken. You can enjoy your grilled chicken thighs over potatoes or rice, or make a double batch and use the leftovers in other recipes. I like to add diced grilled chicken to salads, pasta dishes and tacos. You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs if you prefer. Just be sure not to overcook your chicken breasts as they tend to dry out quicker than chicken thighs.
Flavor Variations
This grilled chicken thighs recipe makes flavorful and delicious chicken as written; however, you can change the flavors to suit your own taste.
Spices: You can increase the heat in your chicken by adding a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper to your marinade. Flavor: Add your favorite flavorings to the marinade like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder or Dijon mustard. Herbs: If you like herbs you can add a little chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme or oregano.
The marinade in this recipe infuses chicken with a wonderful sweet and savory cilantro lime flavor which you enhance by grilling the chicken. You’ll find yourself making this dish every week during the warmer months!
