Mediterranean Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

These juicy 20-minute Mediterranean grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs are infused with rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. The rosemary and garlic chicken marinade is the same as these grilled lamb chops, and it's so delicious!

For bone-in chicken thighs, try this slow-roasted chicken thighs and potatoes recipe. These Mediterranean grilled chicken thighs are excellent served with a bright salad like fattoush or shirazi salad.

Grilled Chicken Thighs

This boneless chicken thighs recipe is so easy, juicy, and quick. The chicken thigh marinade has Mediterranean flavors made with simple ingredients- herbs, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. Also, the easy grilled chicken thighs make for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredient Notes

Use boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts. I recommend fresh garlic cloves pulverized into a paste using a mortar and pestle or crushed using a garlic press. I prefer fresh rosemary rather than dried, but dried can be substituted. Lemon juice is best from freshly squeezed lemons.

How To Make Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs

Make the marinade. Mash the peeled garlic with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, use a garlic press.

Add the chopped rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice to a small bowl. Mix the chicken marinade ingredients well.

Pour the chicken marinade over the chicken thighs in a large bowl and mix.

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Add the chicken thighs to a preheated grill. Avoid the grill hot spots. You don't want to cook these too quickly.

Flip the chicken thighs after about 4 to 6 minutes. The cooking time depends on the temperature of the grill.

Tips and Tricks

• For juicy chicken thighs, don't overcook the chicken. Many articles on the web talk about cooking dark meat to an internal temperature of 165℉ (or greater), which will result in dry chicken. I referenced The Food Lab book (by Kenji Lopez-Alt), and it gives a time vs. temperature curve for when chicken is safe: an internal temperature of 155℉ for 45 seconds, 160℉ for 14 seconds, and 165℉ instantaneously. So if the thickest part of the meat reads 155℉ for greater than 45 seconds, it's safe and juicy!
• Marinate the chicken. I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but you can marinate for longer if desired. Also, you can batch-marinate these chicken thighs and freeze them for a later date.

📋 Recipe

Mediterranean Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Author: Lily Guidry

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

5 from 7 votes

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Servings 4

These Mediterranean grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs are marinated in lemon juice, fresh rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil, and salt.

Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 cloves garlic fresh
• 2 whole lemons juiced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Peel and mash the garlic using a mortar and pestle. You can also crush the garlic using a garlic press. Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a bowl. Mix well.
• Pour the chicken marinade onto the boneless skinless chicken thighs. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Grill the chicken thighs on a preheat grill for about 4 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through.

Video

Notes

1. Many articles on the web talk about cooking dark meat to an internal temperature of 165℉ (or greater), which can result in dry chicken. This has happened to me, and I delved deeper into understanding why. I referenced The Food Lab book (by Kenji Lopez-Alt), and it gives a time vs. temperature curve for when chicken is safe: an internal temp of 155℉ for 45 seconds, 160℉ for 14 seconds, and 165℉ instantaneously. So if the thickest part of your chicken reads 155℉ for greater than 45 seconds, it's safe and not overcooked. So if your chicken is dry, you might be overcooking it.
2. Store the grilled boneless chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Uncooked marinated chicken thighs can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
3. Variations:
   • Grill the boneless thighs on a preheated charcoal grill, gas grill, or indoor electric grill.
   • Substitute other fresh herbs like oregano or thyme for the rosemary.
   • Serve these grilled boneless skinless thighs with some grilled veggies. Add some zucchini halves or corn on the cob while cooking the chicken thighs.

Nutrition

Calories: 304 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 44 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 0.04 g | Cholesterol: 215 mg | Sodium: 202 mg | Potassium: 566 mg | Fiber: 0.1 g | Sugar: 0.04 g | Vitamin A: 57 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 25 mg | Iron: 2 mg