Valentina's Corner
EASY Tender Grilled Chicken Thighs with the BEST marinade. The thighs become so juicy, tender and flavor-packed once marinated and grilled. The grilled thighs have quickly become a favorite for summertime cooking.
We love cooking with chicken thighs! Whether they are baked, added to stir fry, or in homemade gyozas, they are so juicy if cooked properly.
grilled chicken thighs-
Chicken thighs, if marinated properly are the best meat for grilling season. This easy marinade adds so much flavor to the bland thighs and the recipe requires like 10 minutes of prep time. The marinade consisting of seasoning, oil and lime is amazing with the thighs.
I love that the thighs may be marinated ahead of time making it the perfect recipe for parties and barbecues.
how to grill chicken thighs-
These grilled thighs require just 10 minutes of prep time and are flavor-packed.
Prepare marinade:
- Combining the mayo, oil, lime, garlic, and seasoning.
- Trim off excess fat from the thighs and cut thighs in half.
- In a large bowl, combine the thighs, onion, marinade and mix to combine TIP: This may also be done is a gallon-size zip-top bag.
Grill the thighs:
- Preheat the grill to about 400°F.
- Add the chicken to the grill and sear the chicken on both sides, then turn down the heat and cook until food thermometer read 165°F.
- Drizzle fresh lime juice over the chicken before serving.
NOTE: Discard of leftover onion and marinade.
faq’s and TIPS for GRILLING CHICKEN THIGHS:
No! You cannot taste mayo in the meat, it just acts as a tenderizer and it does its job well.
Before turning on the grill, grease the grates with cooking oil so the meat releases when flipping.
You’ll want to sear the chicken then turn down the heat and cook until food thermometer reads 165°F, about 6-8 minutes per side. TIP: The grilling time will slightly vary depending on the thickness of the thighs.
Never add the meat to a cold grill. Wait for the grill to fully preheat, then add the meat.
Give the marinade at least 2 hours for it to penetrate into the meat. You can prep it up to 24 hours in advance.
how to use leftover grilled chicken thighs-
If you have leftover chicken thighs, it can be used for other recipes such as:
- flatbreads– perfect for add to a flatbread for a quick lunch.
- salad– the meat can be added to just about any salad, we love it with this Copycat salad recipe.
- sandwich- add the chicken to a sandwich or grilled cheese.
- pasta- make a quick pasta dinner with the chicken.
Grilling is by far one of my favorite methods of cooking, especially during the summer. The food turns out great and is usually simple to make.
These thighs are definitely a family favorite and so good!
Other recipes to try on the grill:
- Grilled Shrimp– with a sweet and savory marinade.
- Juicy Grilled Chicken Kebabs- grilled chicken with a hint of lime.
- Grilled Chicken Kebabs– grilled chicken with a herb, mayo and oil marinade.
- Grilled Tender Pork Kebabs- grilled pork kebabs.
- Easy Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken– with a deicious cilantro lime marinade.
Tender Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved (or kept whole)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp oil (canola or olive oil)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 fresh lime, juice divided
Instructions
- Trim off excess fat on thighs and cut thighs in half.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp lime juice, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika.
- In a bowl, add the thighs, marinade and onions, mix to combine.
- Allow thighs to marinate at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Grill the chicken thighs on a preheated grill 6-8 minutes per side.
- Drizzle thighs with fresh lime.
Notes
This post was originally posted in August 2017 and updated in June 2020.