These grilled BBQ chicken thighs start with a simple, flavorful dry rub that infuses the meat with smoky, savory seasoning before it ever hits the grill. The rub forms the perfect base for the BBQ sauce, creating juicy thighs with crisp skin and bold, layered flavor all the way through.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp coarse ground pepper
- 5-6 chicken thighs bone-in bone-in, skin on
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- Canola oil for brushing on the grill, if needed
How to Make Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
1. In a small mixing bowl mix together all the seasonings. Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle the seasoning all over the thighs. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Remove from the fridge and let warm up slightly while you turn your grill on.
3. Preheat your grill to a medium high heat for 10 minutes. You want it to be about 400°F when you put the chicken on it.
4. Oil the grill grates (all of them) with canola oil, if needed, and place the chicken, skin-side down on the grill. Turn the grill heat down to medium. Grill for 4 minutes then rotate the chicken about 45 degrees, still skin side down, to get the nice crisscross char lines for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Flip the chicken over and baste the side with char lines with BBQ sauce. Grill for 4 minutes. Turn the heat off in the middle of the grill, leaving the side burners on still.
Flip the chicken over so it’s skin side down again over the grates with no flame underneath and baste the chicken with BBQ sauce again. Flip after 3-4 more minutes and baste once more. Keep flipping every 3-4 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. About 15-20 more minutes.
5. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp coarse ground pepper
- 5-6 chicken thighs bone-in bone-in, skin on
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- Canola oil for brushing on the grill, if needed
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl mix together all the seasonings. Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle the seasoning all over the thighs. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and let warm up slightly while you turn your grill on.
- Preheat your grill to a medium high heat for 10 minutes. You want it to be about 400°F when you put the chicken on it.
- Oil the grill grates (all of them) with canola oil, if needed, and place the chicken, skin-side down on the grill. Turn the grill heat down to medium. Grill for 4 minutes then rotate the chicken about 45 degrees, still skin side down, to get the nice crisscross char lines for an additional 3-4 minutes.Flip the chicken over and baste the side with char lines with BBQ sauce. Grill for 4 minutes. Turn the heat off in the middle of the grill, leaving the side burners on still.Flip the chicken over so it’s skin side down again over the grates with no flame underneath and baste the chicken with BBQ sauce again. Flip after 3-4 more minutes and baste once more. Keep flipping every 3-4 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. About 15-20 more minutes.
- Remove from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce. If you want this sweet, use a sweet BBQ sauce. If you want this spicy, use a spicy BBQ sauce.
- Turning the grill off after both sides are seared makes sure the chicken won’t burn on the outside.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you want to freeze leftover chicken, remove the meat from the bones before freezing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
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