How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs On Grill (And Why)?

How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs On Grill (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 8 – 16 Minutes

Non-vegetarians love having chicken and there is no denying that. However, amidst the various chicken recipes, grilled chicken thighs are particularly popular among chicken lovers. Chicken thighs when grilled perfectly, taste amazingly delicious and mouth-watering.

Grilled chicken thighs are juicy and flavorful and can easily be made as a quick dinner to enjoy with one’s family and friends. This dish can be prepared at the last minute as it does not take much time and preparation, without compromising even a bit on its taste. Cooking on a grill can never go wrong and when chicken thighs are grilled, it can make one’s Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons even more appetizing.

As for most people, chicken thighs are their favorite cut of chicken, it becomes important to know how long ideally chicken thighs are to be cooked on the grill for getting the perfect taste of grilled chicken thighs.

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How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs On Grill?

Chicken thighs are mainly of two types boneless chicken thighs and bone-in chicken thighs. As both have different compositions, they take different times to cook on a grill. The cooking time of chicken thighs will depend on whether one is grilling boneless or bone-in chicken thighs. For the boneless variety of chicken thighs, it could take about 8 minutes in all for grilling them from all sides. However, for bone-in thighs, this grilling time could go up to approximately 12 to 16 minutes.

Just as the cooking time on the grill differs for both boneless and bone-in varieties, the same is the case with the temperature at which one should cook their chicken thighs. Generally, boneless chicken thighs are grilled at approximately 400 degrees and bone-in chicken thighs are cooked on a grill at a temperature of about 450 degrees.

The skin on the chicken thighs gets crispy first and afterward, the chicken flesh inside the thigh part gets cooked. When the chicken thighs are kept skin-side down while they are cooking, the thighs crisp up nicely. If one cooks the skin a bit longer than 3 to 5 minutes on the grill, they become super crispy and tasty. Once the thighs are flipped, they can be cooked for a few additional minutes to ensure that they are evenly grilled from all sides.

Type Of Chicken Thighs Duration
Boneless chicken thighs8 – 10 minutes
Bone-in chicken thighs12 – 16 minutes

Why Cooking Chicken Thighs On Grill Take This Long?

Grilled chicken thighs can be made in less than 20 minutes most of the time. It is a dish people prefer to have with fresh salad or even in dinner as the main course. To prepare delicious grilled chicken thighs, the first step is to generously season the chicken thigh pieces. One can season their chicken thighs with a variety of herbs and spices to give them a fantastic taste.

The seasoning mix for grilled chicken thighs can consist of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and other mixed herbs or spices. The quantity of each spice can be adjusted to the individual’s preferred spice level. Sprinkling the chicken pieces with a generous amount of the spice mix is the key to having flavorful chicken thighs

Grilling chicken thighs enables one to prepare food even for a large crowd. Grilling does not take much time and can help in cooking a larger quantity. Once the chicken thighs are properly and sufficiently seasoned they become ready to be grilled.

To understand when the chicken is done, one’s can observe its color. The thigh pieces should not look too dark or raw whilst grilling. However, it must be noted that color doesn’t indicate doneness, and thus, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for the chicken pieces to be safe for consumption. This can be easily checked with a meat thermometer to know exactly when the chicken thighs are perfectly cooked to be served and consumed.

Conclusion

Chicken thighs can be grilled at a temperature of 400 to 450 degrees depending on their type. The chicken thighs are required to be grilled for at least 4 minutes per side or until the thigh pieces appear golden and the grill marks appear on them. It is observed that the bone-in variety of chicken thighs takes more time to get cooked in comparison to boneless chicken thighs. Finally, the delicious grilled chicken thighs can be served after letting it rest for about 5 minutes after they are thoroughly grilled.

References

  1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-014-1510-8
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579121004326

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