BBQ Chicken Thighs
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BBQ Chicken Thighs
These BBQ chicken thighs come off the grill juicy, charred, and glazed with sticky barbecue sauce. A quick dry rub seasons the meat, then the thighs grill over medium heat until cooked through, with the sauce brushed on at the end so it caramelizes instead of burning. Bone-in, skin-on thighs stay the juiciest. Plan on about 35 minutes for four to six servings.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Directions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne, then rub it all over the thighs.
- Heat the grill to medium, around 375F, and oil the grates. Lightly brush the thighs with the oil.
- Grill the thighs skin side down for 6 minutes, until the skin is crisp and marked. Flip and grill 12 minutes more.
- Brush both sides with barbecue sauce and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the sauce sets into a sticky glaze.
- Check that an instant-read thermometer reads 175F at the thickest part. Thighs are best cooked a bit past the minimum for tenderness.
- Rest the thighs 5 minutes, then serve with extra sauce.
Tips and variations
- Bone-in, skin-on thighs are far juicier than breasts and forgiving on the grill. They are hard to overcook.
- Wait to add the sauce until the last few minutes. The sugar in barbecue sauce burns over direct heat if it goes on too early.
- Cook thighs to 175F, not 165F. The extra few degrees melt the connective tissue and make dark meat more tender.
- Use two grill zones if you can. Sear over the hot side and finish over the cooler side to avoid flare-ups.
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Common questions
- What temperature for BBQ chicken thighs
- Grill over medium heat, around 375F, and cook the thighs to an internal temperature of 175F. Dark meat is more tender cooked past the 165F minimum.
- When should I add barbecue sauce
- Add the sauce in the last 4 to 6 minutes of grilling. The sugar caramelizes into a glaze, but it burns if you brush it on too early.
- Why use thighs instead of breasts
- Thighs have more fat and connective tissue, so they stay juicy and forgiving on the grill where lean breasts dry out quickly.
- Can I make these in the oven
- Yes. Roast at 425F for about 35 to 40 minutes, brushing on sauce in the last 10 minutes, then broil briefly to set the glaze.
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