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My mom made these BBQ chicken thighs for Easter dinner and they were so tender and flavorful. Everyone was raving about the chicken. I literally overheard my mom get props for the chicken at least 5 times.
I jotted down the recipe before heading home and was craving this grilled chicken for the next few days. I re-created it just as soon as I could. I was really craving that chicken! I love that you can prep them ahead of time and just toss ’em on the grill when you’re ready; making them perfect for parties.
You’ll want to marinate the chicken at least 6 hours and it’s best to let them marinate overnight. I’m sharing the detailed grilling and baking methods for this chicken so read on. This is an easy, excellent recipe!
Ingredients for the Tastiest BBQ Chicken:
3 lbs (about 10 count) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sea Salt (about 1 tsp)
Pepper (about 1/4 tsp or to taste)
Mrs. Dash Seasoning (about 1 tsp), plain or garlic variety, or your favorite seasoning
Garlic Powder (about 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp Real Mayo
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
BBQ Sauce (Homemade or we love Stubb’s Original)
Marinating the Meat:
1. Season both sides of chicken thighs to taste. I used a total of 1 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Turn the chicken to coat evenly with seasoning.
2. Stir in 1 Tbsp Mayo and mix the chicken until evenly coated.
3. Add thick-sliced onion and toss everything together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and marinate 6 hours or overnight.
Grilling Method:
1. Preheat the grill and generously brush grill plates with oil. Reduce heat to low and place chicken thighs with a smooth side up.
2. Cover the grill and cook for 12-15 minutes. I rotated them once to make criss-cross grill marks. Before flipping the thighs, baste them with BBQ Sauce.
3. Flip thighs over, baste the flip side with BBQ sauce then cover and cook for another 12-15 minutes, rotating once to make grill marks. Check for doneness by cutting the thicker part of the chicken. If juices run clear then its done.
Flip the chicken again, coat it with BBQ sauce and remove from the grill. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Baking Method:
Preheat Oven to 400˚F.
1. Place Chicken thighs flat with the smooth side up, spaced out in a single layer on a large rimmed baking dish. Bake at 400˚F for 30 mins.
2. Increase heat to 450˚ and Remove chicken from oven to brush the tops and sides generously with BBQ sauce. Return chicken to the oven another 5 minutes or until glaze has dried slightly onto the chicken.
Juicy Barbecued Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs about 10 count boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Sea Salt, about 1 tsp
- Pepper, about 1/4 tsp or to taste
- Mrs. Dash Seasoning, about 1 tsp, plain or garlic variety, or your favorite seasoning
- Garlic Powder, about 1/2 tsp
- 1 Tbsp real mayonnaise
- 1 medium onion, thickly sliced
- BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Marinating the Meat:
- Season both sides of chicken thighs to taste. I used a total of 1 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Turn the chicken to coat evenly with seasoning.
- Stir in 1 Tbsp Mayo and mix the chicken until evenly coated.
- Add thick-sliced onion and toss everything together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and marinate 6 hours or overnight.
Grilling Method:
- Preheat the grill and generously brush grill plates with oil. Reduce heat to low and place chicken thighs with a smooth side up.
- Cover the grill and cook for 12-15 minutes. I rotated them once to make criss-cross grill marks. Before flipping the thighs, baste them with BBQ Sauce.
- Flip thighs over, baste the flip side with BBQ sauce then cover and cook for another 12-15 minutes, rotating once to make grill marks. Check for doneness by cutting the thicker part of the chicken. If juices run clear then its done. Flip the chicken again, coat it with BBQ sauce and remove from the grill. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Baking Method: Preheat Oven to 400˚F.
- Place Chicken thighs flat with the smooth side up on a large rimmed baking dish, spaced out in a single layer. Bake at 400˚F for 30 mins.
- Increase heat to 450 and Remove chicken from oven to brush the tops and sides generously with BBQ sauce. Return chicken to the oven another 5 minutes or until glaze has dried slightly onto the chicken.
I’m so excited for grilling season! Have you fired up your grill this year? What’s your favorite grill recipe?
Love this recipe. Will try when my in-laws are in town. Need to impress them somehow. 🙂
By the way, are the onions supposed to be thickly sliced instead of BBQ sauce?
I’m pretty sure they’ll be impressed 🙂 Yes I’m not sure what happened to the formatting there. Thanks for catching that! 🙂
I made these twice in the last 4 days, and I’m planning on making them again this week for our get-together with friends. They are amazing and super easy! Thanks for sharing the BBQ sauce as well!! I’ve been looking to replace that high-fructose syrup garbage I had with something more healthy 🙂
Isn’t the list of ingredients great? That’s why I picked it in the first place and the flavor is top notch. 🙂
Made it and enjoying now! Super good! I made them in oven today 🙂
Very good thanks for sharing
You’re so welcome! I’m just happy you loved the recipe 🙂
I make pork chops the same way. Sometimes add barbecue sause to the marinade and don’t reapply it when grilling.
Next time will make chicken!
Your pictures made me hungry.
Natasha I can’t find a recent link to a Birds milk cake. Help please!
Is this the one? https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/12/09/ptichye-moloko-cake-recipe-birds-milk-cake/
Thank you, but no. That was a link to a video recipe.. I think I saw it on FB but not any more.
How long ago was it? Are you sure it my facebook page? I don’t have a video for birds milk currently. Sorry…
Found it! It is your friend’s recipe- Birds milk chocolate cake.
Making your chicken now!.. Smells so good!
Oh yes! I shared her recipe on my facebook page. 🙂
That’s a great idea with pork chops! Yum!!
This looks so amazing! I’m drooling…no kidding!
I hope you have a keyboard protector. 😉
I will prep this tonight for tomorrows dinner 🙂 Which cooking method is better, oven of grill? Will they taste as good in the oven?
thanks!
They both taste great, but we prefer the smoky flavor from the grill. 🙂
Hey, I’m trolling your website for new recipe ideas today :). This looks delicious. We barbecue chicken thighs just straight out of the packaging–they’re that tasty & moist, but I’ll have to try this marinade–I’m sure it’s even more flavorful. I love recipes that can be prepped ahead of time and throw on the grill or in oven at dinnertime because there’s always something going on with the kids at that time of day (and I can’t make too much noise in the kitchen while Adele naps). Also, love your photos!
Thanks Natalia; it’s especially nice for parties when you’re making a big batch or for dinner after church. It’s just ready to go 🙂
Natasha,
wow just wow the recipe was easy and my hubby ate half of what we made…. 🙂 im soo making this for my and my son’s birthday this weekends….thanks for another great and easy recipe
Haha! Sounds like it was a winner in your home also! 😉 Happy birthday to your son! I’m actually planning to make this same chicken for my son’s birthday too!
These look phenom! There is nothing that I like quite as much as bbq’d chicken. Well, that is not entirely true, I don’t discriminate against BBQ’s pork. Anyways! your mom’s chicken looks fabulous! I’ll have to mix all this up tonight and then make it in my grill pan tomorrow!
I need to get a good cast iron grill pan so I can make those lovely grill marks on all my meat 🙂
Hi I have to share 2 no brainer recipes for chicken and salmon. People give me rave reviews and think that I am lying when I give them the recipe. These are my go to recipes when I need a foolproof main course that is easy. Try them you will be surprised.
Chicken breasts or thighs
Marinade chicken breasts or thighs in bottled Caesar salad dressing several hours or overnight. Grill on bbq.
Garnish with green onion or anything you want to try.
Salmon
Salmon filet, all in one large piece (costco) or cut into serving pieces. Cover with creamy cucumber salad dressing (Kraft). Let sit for 30-60 minutes. Grill on bbq or bake in the oven at 350. I add dill sometimes. Garnish with lemon or sliced cucumber.
I love your recipes already! Seriously that sounds so good and way too easy! Thanks girl! 😉
these look so mouth watering Natasha! Thanks for recipe !
You’re so welcome! They are quite good. I’m probably going to make these for my son’s b-day! 🙂
Looks so good! We do not have a BBQ so I’ll be trying the oven method 🙂 We love chicken here.. white, dark… all of it! It does look incredibly delicious in your photos 😀
p.s. you have ‘thighs’ spelled with an extra ‘t’. 🙂
Of course I spelled it with an extra “t”. lol. Thanks so much for pointing that out. At least I didn’t do anything really embarrassing like mis-spell it in the title or the permanent link address! 😉 Seriously thanks girl! I think you’ll love the oven method too. That is how my mom made hers. We decided to break out the BBQ at home so we put them on the grill, but they are excellent baked.
Hi Dear!
Wanting to try this dish of yours! Is the BBQ sauce from Costco??
Thanks,
Alina
I think this one is from Rosauers but I’m pretty sure it’s in most grocery stores. I don’t recall seeing it in Costco, but it might be there? You might call your local Costco before you drive over. 🙂
They did start selling it at costco. I bought it at fred meyers though. They sell it in a big 2 pack at costco.
Thank you so much for sharing that!
I LOVE that you used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, so much more flavour! Life is too short to eat white meat. 😉 Wait…I think I forgot I am dieting. Ouch. Anyway, looks delicious, will be perfect for barbecues.
I’ve read that the differences are so small that I don’t even pay attention to it! “According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 g of white meat has 0.56 g of saturated fat and 114 calories; while the same amount of dark meat has 1 g and 119 calories….” Source. I’ll eat dark meat for an extra 3 calories any day! 😉
This looks fantastic, Natasha. Your photos are amazing as always. I’m excited about BBQ season too. Can’t wait.
Norma, thank you so much 🙂 As long as your patio is covered, its pretty cozy to even BBQ in the rain. I love the smell of BBQ. It just says summer to me 🙂
These sound sooo good. I will defiantly try them here in Aruba!
I will try this but will keep the salt out since I don’t use salt anymore. Will let you know the results
I’ve been trying to cut down on my salt intake too; it’s a great decision! 🙂
My mom has been making barbecue like this for years and now I always make it like this. Except we add some soy sauce to give it a bit of tangy flavor. But I love this. Will definetly be making this with thighs for our next sunny Sunday here in Washington.
I love the idea of adding soy sauce. Do you add it into the BBQ sauce or use it as marinade with the seasonings and mayo?
We add it the marinade.
Thanks Julia! 🙂
A lovely recipe. Thanks so much. Easy directions and well-written.
Thanks Liz 🙂 I always re-read and re-read and re-read to make sure things make sense 🙂
This looks so good! I’m going to try this.
Thanks Julie! They were pretty amazing 😉
Natasha, your photos are outstanding. Great easy recipe! I had used this brand of BBQ sauce, they are amazing. After trying it, I went and bough all other flavors they had, lol 🙂
I love the list of ingredients! It seemed like the healthiest one on the shelf and my fooducate app agrees 😉