The best way to cook chicken thighs in summer is to put them on a BBQ grill and enjoy some sun in the garden whilst it cooks! Our Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs are marinated for hours in lemon juice and yoghurt, resulting in extremely tender and succulent chicken (that's almost impossible to overcook!). Spiced with smoked paprika, chilli and garlic, threaded on metal skewers and grilled on a coal BBQ, it is smokey, flavoursome and succulent - and extremely easy to make!
Try these with your favourite side dishes, or use them in Santa Fe Salad!
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Ingredients
- chicken thighs: skinless and boneless. Allow 2 chicken thighs per portion.
- lemon: juice only.
- Greek yoghurt or natural yoghurt.
- spices: smoked paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder.
Variations
Lemon and yoghurt are essential in this chicken marinade for the most succulent and tender meat, but there is a lot you can do with the flavours of these grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs. Here are some of the variations that we enjoy:
- Cajun seasoning (try Slap Ya Mama Hot cajun seasoning): ½ teaspoon per chicken thigh.
- 1.5 teaspoon medium curry powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin and ¼ teaspoon turmeric.
- 2 teaspoon Tandori Masala.
- Try the same marinade we use for Harissa Chicken Traybake!
Method
Boneless Chicken Thigh Marinade
In a large bowl, mix the natural (Greek) yoghurt, lemon juice and spices: smoked paprika, chilli powder and garlic powder. The lemon and yoghurt will ensure extremely tender and succulent meat (that is difficult to overcook) and the spices will provide all the flavour!
Trim the large bits of fat off of the chicken thighs and cut them in half into two long flat strips. (If you are not planning to skewer the chicken, you can leave the thighs whole). Place the chicken thighs into the yoghurt and mix to cover. Cover the bowl with cling film (or place the chicken in an airtight container) and put it in the fridge for 6-10 hours to marinate.
Cooking Boneless Chicken Thighs On A BBQ
When you are ready to cook, heat the coals on the bbq (or you can cook on a grill or griddle on a gas bbq).
Threat the skewers through the chicken as if you're stitching it with a needle.
Put the skewers on the bbq grill and cook turning occasionally for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked through. To check if your chicken is cooked, cut into the thickest part of the thigh: if there's no pink (the juices run clear), it is ready to eat. Alternatively, use a kitchen thermometer: it should read 74C.
Using a fork, push the chicken off of the skewers and serve it with your favourite bbq side dishes!
How Long To Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs?
It is not an easy question to answer. It depends on the thickness of the thighs, the marinade and the temperature of the bbq grill. In our experience, boneless skinless chicken thighs take between 15-20 minutes to cook through.
The easiest way to check if your chicken is cooked is to stick a kitchen thermometer probe into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. It should read 74C (165F). Alternatively, cut the thickest bit of a thigh with a knife: if there's no pink in sight (juices run clear), your grilled chicken thighs are ready to eat!
What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs?
The world is your oyster when it comes to bbq sides to these grilled skinless chicken thighs. Our favourite thing to serve with these chicken thigh skewers is a Shirazi Salad or Red Cabbage Slaw, or Chargrilled Tenderstem Broccoli, but other things that go well with them are:
- Asian Cabbage Slaw with Sesame Mayo
- Courgette Ribbon Salad with Tea and Honey Dressing
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- Grilled Potatoes | Perfect BBQ Side Dish
We also love to add the chicken pieces to Greek Spinach Rice.
Other Chicken Thigh Recipes
If you like cooking boneless skinless chicken thighs for dinner, here are a few of our favourite recipes that you can make in your kitchen.
- Ras El Hanout Chicken with Tahini Drizzle
- Baked Harissa Chicken Thighs
- Senegalese Chicken Yassa
- Christmas Chicken with Cranberries and Orange
Other BBQ Grill Recipes
If you are looking for more BBQ ideas for a summer party in your garden, try some of the recipes below:
- Grilled Mackerel Fillets (Mackerel Kebabs)
- Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad
- Lamb Shashlik | Central Asian Lamb Skewer Recipe
- Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms with Pecans and Stilton
- BBQ Pork Tenderloin
Recipe Card
Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 4 Metal Skewers optional
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs skinless boneless
- ½ lemon juice only
- 50 g Greek yoghurt natural yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Trim the large bits of fat off of the thicken thighs and cut the in half into two long flat stips. (If you are not planning to skewer the chicken, you can leave the thighs whole).
- In a large bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and spices. Place the chicken thighs into the yoghurt and mix to cover. Cover the bowl with cling film (or place the chicken in an air tight container) and put it in the fridge for 6-10 hours to marinate.
- When you are ready to cook, heat the coals on the bbq (or you can cook on a grill or griddle on a gas bbq).
- Threat the skewers through the chicken as if you're stitching it with a needle.
- Put the skewers on the bbq grill and cook turning occasionally for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked through. To check if your chicken is cooked, cut into the thickest part of the thigh: if there's no pink (the juices run clear), it is ready to eat. Alternatively, use a kitchen thermometer: it should read 74C.
- Using a fork, push the chicken off of the skewers and serve with your favourite bbq side dishes!
Nutrition
Tavo says
Your post on Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs was simply delightful! Your thorough step-by-step process, combined with the well-shot images, took all the guesswork out of grilling these beauties. The seasoning, with its unique blend of spices and yogurt, was a revelation – an excellent balance of savory, sweet, and just the right amount of heat. Not to mention, the thighs were juicy and perfectly charred, just the way I love them. This recipe is definitely a keeper for those summer barbecue parties. Well done!
Ieva says
Tavo, you are so kind with your words! Thank you so much, and I am so happy you liked this recipe - it's certainly one of our summer favourites! 💖
Kushigalu says
These chicken thighs look amazingly delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie says
These grilled chicken thighs turned out perfect on the BBQ last night. I don't often make chicken on the grill - but the detailed instructions helped me make a delicious dish!
Ieva says
Thanks, Stephanie! Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Shadi+Hasanzadenemati says
Wow, this Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs recipe is a winner! The flavors are absolutely incredible and the texture is spot on. The marinade perfectly tenderizes the chicken, resulting in moist and juicy bites every time.
Ieva says
Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback 💖