30 Minute Grilled Chicken Thighs (No Marinade Needed)
Looking for a quick and easy dinner option? These Grilled Chicken Thighs are perfectly seasoned and juicy, and come together in just 30-minutes! They require no marinade or brine to make, making them the perfect choice for a weeknight meal or impromptu barbecue. Topped with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs, they’re sure to be a repeat on our menu all summer.
⭐️ Why We Love These Grilled Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are one of our favorite cuts of meat to grill because of how juicy and flavorful they are, without much effort needed.
These are perfect as a main course, meal prep, or sliced up and served in a salad, sandwich, or alongside these grilled vegetables.
The best part? They’re so easy to make that you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!
🧾 Ingredients
Here are all of the ingredients you will need to make these grilled chicken thighs:
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Oregano (can be dried or fresh)
- Rosemary (can be dried or fresh)
- Brown sugar
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could also use skin on boneless chicken thighs if you like the skin!)
- Optional toppings: lemon juice, fresh herbs
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳 Step by Step Instructions
Reminder: Make sure to grease your grill before adding the chicken, to prevent the thighs from sticking.
What to Eat With Them
These chicken thighs go well with just about anything.
Here are some of my favorite sides, salads, & breads to enjoy with them:
💫 Variations
There are many fun variations you can try with this recipe as a base. Here are a few ideas:
- Spicy: Add some heat to your spice mix with a half teaspoon (or whole teaspoon if you like things extra spicy) of cayenne pepper or add some of your favorite hot sauce to the bowl with the spices and oil.
- Sweet: This recipe calls for brown sugar, but you could also add sweetness in the form of maple syrup or honey. These grilled chicken thighs are also really flavorful served with fruit, like grilled pineapple, a mango salsa, or classic fruit salad.
- Basted: Another fun way to amp up the flavor in this recipe is to baste your chicken while it’s grilling with your favorite sauce. I like using BBQ sauce when I don’t have time to make my own, or you could make a simple sauce with lemon juice, melted butter and fresh herbs. Brush the sauce over the chicken thighs as they grill.
These are just 3 of hundreds of variations you could create for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors and ingredients to create your own unique recipe!
Also check out my Puerto Rican grilled chicken skewers, aka Pinchos de Pollo, for a grilled & skewered chicken thigh recipe.
🍴 Grilling Tools
You will need a grill to make these grilled chicken thighs. Both charcoal and propane work, so use what you have!
It’s also helpful to have a large bowl to mix the chicken with the seasonings, as well as a pair of stainless steel tongs to use on the grill. I like having two tongs, one for the raw chicken, and one clean pair to use to remove the chicken from the grill.
🥡 Storage
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze them for up to 4 months.
Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep in mind that reheated chicken thighs will not be as juicy as they were directly off the grill.
One Last Reminder
One last reminder so that you don’t forget to grease your grill before adding the chicken!
This step is super important in preventing them from sticking, achieving those beautiful grill marks, and getting an evenly cooked end result.
You can also close your grill to help the chicken cook faster.
Enjoy,
30 Minute Grilled Chicken Thighs (No Marinade Needed)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Looking for a quick and easy dinner option? These Grilled Chicken Thighs are perfectly seasoned and juicy, and come together in just 30-minutes! They require no marinade or brine to make, making them the perfect choice for a weeknight meal or impromptu barbecue. Topped with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs, they’re sure to be a repeat on our menu all summer.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano (can be dried or fresh)
- 2 tsp rosemary (can be dried or fresh)
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Optional toppings: lemon juice, fresh herbs
Instructions
- Prep the chicken & prep the grill. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and add to a large bowl. Grease the grill and heat to medium high heat.
- Make the spice mix. Combine all of the spices, brown sugar, oil, and herbs in a small bowl or jar and mix to combine evenly.
- Season the chicken. Add the olive oil & spice mix to the bowl with the chicken and mix to coat every chicken thigh evenly with the seasoning.
- Grill. Grill the chicken on each side for 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken develops grill marks and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve. Top the chicken with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of fresh herbs (optional). Serve with rice, salad, and/or grilled veggies. Enjoy!
I made this tonight after failing to get a marinade made for some chicken thighs I’d defrosted. It was delicious, eaten by everyone and was asked to be put on the menu again! Thank you for a fast, delicious recipe!
This recipe tasted like I marinated the chicken all day! Awesome flavor. Cooked it in my cast iron and outside was nice and crispy. Great recipe!
This is so good!
I followed the recipe as written, sliced up the cooked chicken and served it on top of a salad.
I used mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cojita cheese, and roasted corn that I grilled while the chicken was cooking. Added fresh lime juice and ranch dressing.
I’m definitely adding this to my rotation!
That sounds fabulous Shelly! Thanks for your comment.
OH MY!!! I had thighs to use up and found this recipe, I only had one pound, so I halved the spice mixture. I’m SO sad that I didn’t have more chicken because I CANNOT stop eating this! So flavorful and juicy, we did it over charcoal and were planning to make chicken salad, but they won’t last until lunch tomorrow. This recipe is yum-mazing! Thank you!