These grilled boneless chicken thighs use a 4 ingredient marinade that is so simple to make. They cook up in no time on your gas grill, turning out tender and juicy. This recipe is also gluten free, paleo, and Whole30 compatible, but families of any persuasion will still enjoy this slightly sweet chicken!
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If you like grilled chicken, you’re going to love these grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Chicken thighs are one of my favorite proteins to grill. They’re pretty forgiving if you let them cook a little too long on the grill and you can use a whole host of different flavors with them – as evidenced by my grilled pineapple chicken thighs and lemon dijon grilled chicken thighs.
But today takes the cake because this grilled chicken thighs recipe is about as easy as it gets when you’re marinating chicken. It uses a super simple chicken marinade that doubles as a glaze and it makes the chicken so flavorful – but without being overpowering. It also works to make marinated grilled chicken breasts too.
So read on for just about the easiest marinated grilled chicken thighs you’ll find.
Why you’re going to want to make these grilled skinless chicken thighs
- You only need 5 ingredients – including the chicken. The 4-ingredient easy marinade for chicken thighs truly does wonders and is a great balance of savory and sweet.
- Chicken thighs are one of the easiest meats to grill. Thighs have a higher fat content compared to breasts, which makes them much less likely to dry out. Even if you overcook them a bit they’ll still turn out juicy and flavorful.
- Quick cooking time. Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook up faster than bone-in ones. When your family is getting hungry, a quick cooking time does wonders.
- Kid-friendly. Or really this should be picky-eater friendly. These gluten free chicken thighs taste very similar to teriyaki chicken. They’ve got a light sweetness but it’s not overpowering, or overly sticky. Kids naturally lean toward sweeter food, but in this case they’re also getting some protein in. Say hello to a clean dinner plate!
Grab these ingredients!
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Chicken – you want boneless skinless chicken thighs that are thawed (not frozen).
- Coconut aminos – not to be confused with liquid aminos or soy aminos, coconut aminos are essentially nectar (or sap) from a coconut tree.
- Oil – use a high heat oil here. I like to use avocado oil.
- Dijon mustard – I like to use Organicville or Primal Kitchen dijon mustard, but any brand is fine. Just watch the ingredients if you’re gluten-free, paleo, or Whole30.
- Kosher salt – in this recipe I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty by weight than other brands of kosher salt. If you have a different brand I would use the chart provided in this article to convert how much salt you’ll need.
How to make gas grilled chicken thighs
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
With a marinating time of just 1 hour, this gluten free chicken thighs recipe is going to become one of your weeknight pinch-hitters. Look through the photos and read through the captions to see how easy they are to make.
Marinating the chicken
First up you want to get the meat in the boneless chicken thigh marinade.
Making the glaze
When the 40 minutes are up, take the chicken out of the fridge and let rest for 20 minutes to come close to room temperature.
While the chicken is warming, use the rest of the marinade to make a glaze.
Grilling the marinated chicken thighs
After the glaze is done, turn your gas grill on and bring the heat up on it to between 375 and 400 degrees F. Once it’s preheated, the marinated chicken thighs should be ready to go on the grill.
How do you grill chicken thighs without drying them out?
Concerned about dry chicken? You don’t have to be. I’ll let you in on a secret…
Internal temperature.
Yup, that’s it. The secret to juicy chicken is to grill it to the right internal temperature – before it gets too hot and dries out.
For both chicken breast and chicken thighs, that internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Thighs are more forgiving than breasts and if you cook them to a little higher temper they’ll still retain moisture, but breasts shouldn’t be cooked higher than 165 degrees F.
To do this, you’ll want to get a really accurate and speedy meat thermometer. The one I always recommended is the Thermapen by Thermoworks. We have had one for years and absolutely love it – we actually own two now.
To read more, check out this post I wrote on how to use a meat thermometer for grilling.
What to serve with grilled chicken thighs
There are so many great side dish options for these boneless grilled chicken thighs. Here are some of our favorite options!
- Grilled vegetables, like this grilled asparagus;
- A starchy salad, like some Greek rice salad; or
- A potato dish, like this gluten free potato salad.
To see more ideas, check out this list of side dishes for grilled chicken!
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Marinated Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Ziploc plastic bag
- Jar with a lid
- A small saucepan
- A gas grill
- A basting brush
- A large platter or cutting board
Ingredients
- 1.75-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 7 or 8 thighs
- 3 oz oil I like avocado oil
- 4 oz coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs in a plastic ziploc bag. Measure out the ingredients for the marinade into a jar or lidded container, then put the lid on and shake the jar to combine. Pour all but 2 ounces of marinade from the jar into the bag with the chicken, putting the lid back on the jar and placing it in the fridge.
- Close the bag and manipulate it with your hands to coat the raw chicken thighs with the marinade. Place the bagged chicken thighs in the fridge and let them sit for 40 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
- When the 40 minutes are up, take the bagged raw chicken thighs out of the fridge and let them rest on the counter or a plate for 20 minutes to come close to room temperature.
Make a glaze
- While the chicken is warming, take the jar with the remaining marinade out of the fridge, open it, and pour the mixture into a small saucepan on the stove. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil, stirring consistently with a small whisk or spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the marinade for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Set the pot aside, off the heat, when done.
Grill the chicken
- After the glaze is done, turn your gas grill on and bring the heat up on it to between 375 and 400 degrees F. Once it’s preheated, the marinated raw chicken thighs should be ready to go on the grill.
- Use a pair of tongs to place the marinated chicken thighs on the preheated grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 5 minutes. You can discard the used marinade and the ziploc bag at this point.
- Once the 5 minutes are up, use the tongs to flip each chicken thigh over, close the grill lid, and cook another 3 or so minutes.
- When the 3 minutes are up, open the grill lid and use a basting brush to spread a dollop of glaze on each chicken thigh. Keep cooking the thighs until they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F (another 3 to 5 minutes).
- Remove the chicken from the grill with the tong, placing on a large platter or cutting board. Let the cooked chicken thighs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing or serving, adding more glaze if desired.
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