Grilled Lemon Chicken Thighs
Yield: 6 servings
These grilled chicken thighs are juicy and smoky, with a fresh lemon-herb marinade and finishing sauce to brighten things up. The perfect summer main dish - great for both weeknights and entertaining!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped hardy fresh herb leaves, such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano, or any combination of these (I most often use 1 tablespoon rosemary + 1 tablespoon thyme)
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2½ pounds (8-10 medium-large pieces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 whole lemon, cut in half
Instructions
- Marinate: In a low, wide bowl or baking dish (a deep dish pie plate works great), create the marinade by stirring together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, honey, Dijon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside to use as a finishing sauce.
- Add chicken thighs to the marinade and massage to coat all sides well. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to a few hours covered in the refrigerator.
- Grill: Once chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, heat grill to high, about 500°F. Then clean the grates and oil them well (see Notes below).
- Using tongs, lift chicken thighs out of the dish and let excess marinade drip off. Place top (smooth) side down on the grates. Add lemon halves, cut sides down. Close grill lid and cook for about 3½ minutes, or just until the chicken shows nice char marks. Flip chicken thighs over. Remove lemon halves whenever they are very nicely charred.
- Close grill lid and immediately turn heat down to low. Cook on second side for another 6-7 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (test several thighs to be sure, and move them around on the grill if needed). I personally like to cook chicken thighs to 170°-175°F, and they're always tender and juicy.
- Transfer chicken to a serving platter and generously squeeze grilled lemon halves over the top. Spoon reserved 2 tablespoons marinade over the chicken to finish, and serve hot!
Notes
- To oil the grill grates, add some high-temperature cooking oil to a small bowl. Then fold a heavy paper towel a few times to make a smaller square. With a tongs, grasp the folded paper towel and dip it into the oil until the paper towel is soaked. Then run the paper towel over the clean, hot grates, repeating until all grill grates are thoroughly oiled.
- Keep a spray bottle of water handy at the grill, for any possible flare-ups. If grill flares, lightly spray the flame to extinguish — do not spray the chicken.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs come in a wide variety of sizes, especially when comparing different brands and stores. If your thighs are smaller or larger than specified in this recipe, you'll need to adjust the grilling time accordingly.
- Only use the 2 tablespoons of reserved/unused marinade to finish the grilled chicken on the serving platter. Do NOT use the "used marinade" that the chicken marinated in as a finishing sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 343kcal Carbohydrates: 3g Protein: 37g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 4g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 0.03g Cholesterol: 180mg Sodium: 575mg Potassium: 490mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 69IU Vitamin C: 5mg Calcium: 26mg Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.