Discover the beauty of perfectly grilled chicken that starts with thigh meat that contains a flavorful dry rub.
The Case for Chicken Thighs on the Grill
What do you think of when you think of grilled chicken? Does the idea sound good to you but when you do it, disappointment is what you mostly experience.
You know what I have done to end that disappointment? I grill chicken thighs, not breasts. You see while a chicken breast can be juicy on the grill, your chances of that are a lot slimmer. You need to nail that perfect temperature exactly, or that chicken is doing to be dry.
Thigh meat is a lot more forgiving. You have a wider range to hit temperature where the chicken will be cooked safely, be tender, and juicy. I use thermometer all the time when I am cooking meat and even then when you have several pieces of chicken on a grill that has hot and cold spots, you really have to be on top of your game temping that chicken. A bee starts chasing you or you have to break up a fight with the kids and you can't miss the mark. So even thought, I can grill juicy chicken breast, 99% of the time, I am just going to go with thighs.
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Dry Rub Ingredients
Here is the ingredients I use to make my dry rub for this chicken. I also have a recipe for Grilled Chicken with a Honey, Ginger, and Garlic sauce that you check out.
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp lemongrass powder (optional)
You can make extra and store it in a air-tight jar for later if you want.
The lemongrass powder isn't an easy find ingredient but I have a jar on hand that I got from Burlap & Barrel and like to use it in dry rubs. It's easier to use than the sticks of lemongrass that you normally find in the stores.
1 teaspoon of the lemongrass powder is about equal to a stalk of lemongrass. You can order a jar yourself from Burlap & Barrel's website.
I have a couple kids that don't like a lot of seasoning on their chicken, so I will just do theirs with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Grilling Tips
Here a few tips you will want to read through before putting your chicken on the grill.
- If you have time, let the chicken thighs sit out for 30 minutes before grilling once you have added the dry rub. This will help the chicken cook more evenly.
- You don't need to oil the grates or the chicken before you put in on the grill. We have done it several times and never had any issue. When the chicken is done cooking on one side, it will naturally release from the grates and you should be able to easily flip it
- If your chicken is getting too much char on it before it's internal temperature has reached 175, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish.
If you have any other questions about grilling chicken, leave me a comment below and I will be happy to answer it.
Dry Rubbed Grilled Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp lemongrass powder optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients of the dry rub together in a bowl.
- Place all the chicken thighs onto a sheet pan. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add the entire dry rub to the both sides of each chicken thigh.
To grill the chicken
- Preheat your grill to 400–450°F.
- Using tongs arrange the chicken thighs onto the grill.
- Grill until you have grill marks on one side and then flip the chicken. This should take around 4 to 6 minutes.
- Continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches at least 175°F when checked with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
- Remove from the grill onto a clean sheet pan.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before eating.
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