30 Minute Grilled Chicken Thighs (No Marinade Needed) | Salima's Kitchen (2024)

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,

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