How To Cook Grilled Chicken Thighs Grilled Chicken On A Charcoal Grill

When thinking of how to cook grilled chicken thighs, it does not have to be too complicated. Today we will be discussing Grilled chicken on a charcoal grill.

This recipe is easy to do and will give a crispy outer skin and a tender juicy inside. These Outstanding Chicken thighs do not require any fancy ingredients and are a great way to barbecue for the novice or the expert in barbecue.

Grilled chicken thighs are perfect for the Novice pitmaster. They are forgiving and easy to do. If you make a mistake and overcook they will still come out great.

Helpful Equipment for Grilling

I have included some of the items I used for grilling these Chicken thighs. They are not required but helpful.

• Charcoal Grill. I use a Weber Original Kettle for this recipe any chacoal grill will work
• Cutting Board. A good cutting board makes it nice for trimming and slicing of your Chicken while saving the blade of your knife.
• Sharp Knife. A good sharp knife is always needed but makes it nice for trimming . I use a SAWKIT Boning Butcher Knife. My only problem with it has been getting it away from my wife so I can use it.:)
• Meat Themometor. Other than having a cooking method A meat themometor is a must, so you know when you are at the right internal temp of what you are Cooking. I have been using Lavatools Javelin PRO and have been very happy with it.
• Half sheet and Cooling Rack. I use a Nordic Ware Half Sheet and cooling rack for almost all my grilling.

How Long Do You Cook Grilled Chicken

For this recipe, the Grilled chicken thighs will take roughly 30-40 minutes. We will be using what is known as  Two-Zone Cooking.

We will start the chicken thighs over the indirect heat side of the grill for 20-30 minutes to slowly raise the temperature to 155°-160 °F

Once the chicken reaches 155°-160°F, we will move the chick thighs to the direct heat side of the grill to help crisp the skin and add a little extra char flavor to the chicken thighs. This will take roughly 3 mins per side depending on how much char you prefer.

Then we will move the chicken thighs back to the indirect heat side and add the BBQ sauce and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until the chicken reaches 170°- 175° F. This also allows the sauce to set.

The main thing to remember is your particular chicken thighs will vary in how long they take to cook. The main thing to remember is you, ALWAYS cook to temperature and not to time, You want to use time as a guide only, internal temp is the main thing when it comes to any form of Barbecue. You will want a good internal meat thermometer to help you gauge the temperature of the meat while it is cooking so you can remove it the second it’s ready.

How To Cook Grilled Chicken Thighs

This is a super easy recipe that will give you great tasting chicken. This will be a brief guide. Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe.

Prepping your chicken

To start off with we will want to trim off any excess fat and pat the chicken as dry as possible. Then we will place the chicken on a cooling rack and place it in the fridge for 3 hours to help dehydrate the skin.

Season Your Chicken

For this recipe use your favorite dry rub. apply a light coat of olive oil and season to your liking with your favorite dry rub

Grilling

With your preferred grill (I used my Weber Kettle Grill for this recipe), and it preheated to around 350° F for two-zone cooking, cook the chicken over indirect heat until the internal temp reaches 160°-165° F.

A little Crispy Skin

Then we will move the chicken to the direct heat side for about 3 mins per side. Up to you on how much char you prefer.

Sauce

Next, we will move back to the indirect heat side and add our favorite BBQ sauce, and let it finish for 5-10 mins.

Time to Remove

Once the temp is between 170°-175°F closer to 175° normally time to remove from the grill. Let rest for 5 mins and serve.

Grilled Chicken Thighs Tips

A few tips to help your chick thighs come out great.

Chicken is safe to eat at an internal temp of 165°F. When it comes to Chicken thighs though I prefer to take them to an internal temp of 170°-175°F. They can handle it and actually seem to be tastier the closer you get them to 175°F.

It is not required but I like to place the chicken thighs on a cooling rack in the refrigerator for 3 hours before grilling. This helps dehydrate the skin and it comes out crispier.

Two-zone cooking is key to getting perfect chicken thighs. It enables you to get to the proper temps without burning your chicken.

Easy Recipe For How To Cook grilled Chicken Thighs

Chicken Thighs are a great way for the novice griller to get started and a staple in many households for their simply outstanding taste.