GrillAmerican
Grilled chicken thighs
Dark meat on a two-zone grill. Skin crisp at the end, 185°F in the thigh — not the 165°F that leaves it rubbery.
Made it?
50 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 185°F · rest 8 min
Ingredients
3 lb on the fire · ~2.1 lb to the table · 4 plates at 8 oz
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs8 (3 lb)
- kosher salt2 tsp
- paprika1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
Method
- 1
Salt the thighs; fridge uncovered 1 hour if you can. Dust paprika and pepper.
- 2
Indirect 375°F, skin up, until 170°F, 25–35 minutes.
- 3
Move skin-down over direct heat 2–3 minutes to crisp. Pull 185°F. Rest 8 minutes.
If you don’t have it
- Bone-in thighs → Boneless, or drumsticks. Boneless cook faster — pull 175–180. Drums want the same 185.
- Grill → The smoked thigh cook in the library. Same meat, more wood. Still 185°F.
Same cook, different day
Gochujang glaze
Sticky thighs. Thin glaze in the last 5 minutes over indirect. Sugar on the hot grate will burn.
Yogurt marinade
You want more than salt. Yogurt, garlic, 2–8 hours, wipe off before the fire.
Boneless weeknight
Speed. Direct-ish medium heat, 6 minutes a side, 180°F. Still not 165.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making petite roasted potatoes.
Same pan as a roast or chicken. Or a sheet next to chops. Halve, oil, salt, rosemary. 425°F cut-side down until the faces brown. Toss in the meat drippings at the end.
40 min
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
Same cut
Chicken thighs
Grill it, bowl it, shred it.