Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Grilling How to Grill Chicken Thighs When it comes to the barbecue, breast isn't always best. By Sarah Karnasiewicz Sarah Karnasiewicz Sarah Karnasiewicz is a freelance writer and photographer and was the Digital Food Director for Real Simple for two years. She was also a senior editor for Saveur Magazine. Her contributions include articles for the Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Every Day with Rachel Ray, Epicurious, Food Network, and many more. Highlights: * Was a deputy editor for Salon.com * Wrote Fiji Water's global travel guide, Earth's Finest City Guide * Was a copywriter for Williams Sonoma * Won a James Beard Award for Wine, Spirits, Beverages Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 15, 2024 Fact checked by Emily Peterson Fact checked by Emily Peterson Emily Peterson is an experienced fact-checker and editor with Bachelor's degrees in English Literature and French. Our Fact-Checking Process Close Photo: Freeze Frame Studio/Getty Images For reliably tender, tasty results, few cuts offer more bang for your buck on the grill than chicken thighs. Quick-cooking, inexpensive, and—thanks to a higher fat content—they are moister (and more forgiving) than chicken breasts, so learning how to grill chicken thighs ensures a perfect barbecue every time. Another bonus: Because their rich, dark meat stands up so well to bold flavors, thighs are the perfect blank canvas for trying out the wide world of BBQ rubs, marinades, and spice blends. Not sure how to handle them? Remember these rules of thumb when you're grilling chicken thighs. 30+ Essential, Easy Chicken Recipes for Every Day of the Week Grilling Techniques for Chicken Thoughs There's more than one way to grill meat. Besides choosing between gas, charcoal, and electric grills, you can also choose between grilling over direct heat, indirect heat, or smoking. Here's a quick look at how these techniques can be used for grilling chicken thighs. Direct Heat Using direct heat for grilling means placing your chicken thighs or other grill items directly over the coals or the gas grill heat source. This is what you'll want to do to get those blackened grill marks on your chicken thighs. The downside to using direct heat for grilling chicken thighs? With a skin-on chicken thigh and its high fat content, you'll risk creating a grill flare that could result in a burned piece of meat instead. Indirect Heat Grilling over indirect heat means that you place your chicken thighs near, but not directly over, the heat source. (Generally, that means only turning on half the burners of a gas grill, or placing hot coals only on one side of the grill, and placing your chicken thighs on the side away from the heat source.) Indirect heat results in a more low-and-slow cooking method—and you'll need to close the grill cover to really trap in the heat and cook your chicken thighs. Many grilling experts recommend using this method as an ideal way to grill chicken thighs. Smoking If you have the time, smoking your chicken thighs can create a flavorful and tender chicken dish for you. You'll need to use a separate smoker or a smoking insert on a traditional grill, and it's best for chicken thighs that still have the skin on and the bones in, to help them stay moist and delicious. You'll need to smoke your chicken thighs for up to an hour—use a meat thermometer to ensure that the thighs reach 165 degrees. What You'll Need Materials Equipment / Tools Sharp knife Refrigerator Grill (gas, charcoal, pellet, or electric) Meat thermometer Long-handled tongs Ingredients Chicken thighs Seasoning of your choice Instructions Start Trimming The extra fat on chicken thighs is what locks in their moisture and gives them their irresistibly rich, savory flavor (and makes them almost impossible to overcook). But some producers leave more skin and fat on their thighs than others—and large pockets of fat can cause nerve-wracking flare-ups when they hit the grill. Your best bet? Inspect each thigh before cooking and trim away any excess folds of fat with a sharp knife. Season Generously Even unadorned, thighs are succulent and full of flavor—but season them with even the simplest marinade or spice rub, and the results will be off the charts. Their rich meat can stand up to robust spices, so don't be shy. Slather them with a creamy Tandoori-style yogurt marinade and thread them on a skewer; pound them into a paillard and rub with a garlic- and thyme-flecked Mediterranean blend; or bathe them in a sweet-and-salty Vietnamese-style citrus and brown sugar brine and serve them over vermicelli noodles. The only limitations are your appetite and your imagination. How to Marinate Chicken So It Never Tastes Bland Let Them Rest No matter what kind of flavor agent you're working with, for the fullest flavor, allow yourself enough time to season the chicken three to four hours ahead of cooking and let it rest in the refrigerator. Then, bring it to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling. Get Grilling No one wants to bite into a chunk of undercooked chicken. Because of their size, thighs will tend to cook quicker than breasts. If you want to know how long to grill chicken thighs, generally, 10 minutes on the grill will take care of small thighs, and 12 to 13 minutes should work for larger ones. To Flip or Not to Flip? For bone-in thighs, there's no need to flip them over, but if you're working with boneless thighs, aim to flip them with tongs at least once as they cook on the grill. Check the Temperature Eyeballing doneness can be a little tricky because unlike breast meat, which turns from pink to white, thigh meat retains some of its dusky hue even after a thorough cooking. Ultimately, if you're unsure of when to pull your thighs from the fire, your safest bet is to rely on a temperature check. Most food experts agree that when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, it's time to remove it from the heat. Remember: For the most accurate reading, always insert the tip of a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Rest and Serve Lauri Patterson/Getty Images Once you remove the chicken thighs from the grill, let them rest for about five minutes before serving. This will help lock in as much of that delicious moisture and flavor as possible. Then, serve and enjoy! Tips for Grilling Chicken Thighs Perfectly Understand why pieces are irregularly shaped. Unlike chicken breasts, which consist of a single muscle, chicken thighs contain multiple pieces—which is why they tend to have more irregular shapes and sizes, especially after the bone is removed. You'll have smaller sized thighs if you opt for free-range chicken. The weight of a package of thighs can vary considerably depending on where and how they were raised. In general, free-range methods produce thighs that are more petite than their industrially bred counterparts.Allow more time for larger thighs. Larger pieces of meat will require more seasoning and longer cooking times, so know what you're working with before you fire up the grill.Use indirect heat. The higher fat content of chicken thighs makes them more prone to creating grill flare-ups (and perhaps burning your thighs in the process). Using indirect heat (which means heating one part of the grill, and placing the meat near, but not directly over, the heated part) reduces the risk of burning your chicken. Grill skin side down first. If you want perfectly crispy skin on your chicken thighs, grill with the skin side down first to allow it to crisp up, then flip over to allow the meat to continue to grill thoroughly. 6 Easiest Ways to Cook Chicken Breasts—Including Grilled, Fried, and More