Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs
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With BBQ season fast approaching, this Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs marinade recipe is truly a favorite. It’s deceptively easy to make, and the flavors of fresh lemon and fresh herbs are incredibly delicious – perfect for your next cookout!
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You’re going to love this simple, flavorful recipe for Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs. It’s super low effort yet tastes amazing — the only hard part is planning ahead a bit to marinate the chicken, but it’s worth the extra time! But I will tell you, I’ve marinaded this chicken from 1 hour to overnight. And both ways are really, really delicious.
I also love how well this chicken goes with so many different sides.
When I’m grilling, I love to add a potato packet to the grill with sliced potatoes, onions and sprigs of rosemary. And, of course, a giant summer salad. Perhaps with some homemade ranch dressing.
A versatile dish you’ll love!
Ingredients You Will Need for Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs
With only a handful of ingredients, this dish comes together easily! Ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinade: Lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, rosemary (fresh or dried) and thyme (fresh or dried).
- Chicken Thighs: I prefer bone-in and skin-on for the best sear and crispy, delicious skin, but you can also remove the skin if you prefer. Chicken breasts work nicely too, although they may take a bit longer to cook through depending on the size.
How to Make Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs
Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but this quick overview will give you an idea of how simple this grilled chicken thigh recipe is!
Step 1: Chicken Marinade
In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together along with fresh herbs sprigs (or dried herbs) Pour the marinade into a resealable bag.
Then, add the chicken thigh to the bag, seal, and massage the thighs to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.
Step 2: Grill
Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush off any excess herbs and oil. Season generously with salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Place the chicken, skin side down, on a preheated grill (indoor or outdoor). Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is nicely seared, then turn it over and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. Check for doneness (the chicken should be well cooked and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, this marinade is delicious on any kind of grilled chicken, just adjust the cooking times accordingly. These flavors will work great with pork too.
On rainy days, I’ve even baked them on a sheet pan at 375 degrees.
You Might Also Enjoy
- Easy Bone In Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Tomatoes
- Instant Pot Hoisin Chicken Thighs
- Healthy Kung Pan Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Sheet Pan Hawaiian Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Easy Grilled Lemon Chicken Thighs with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup lemon juice or the juice from 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- fresh rosemary 3 sprigs (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- fresh thyme 4 sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 6 to 8 chicken thighs bone in and skin on
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Whisk to combine. Add herb sprigs (or dried) and mix. Pour into a zip lock bag.
- Into the bag, add the chicken thighs. Close the top and massage the thighs to coat with the herb lemon mixture. Place the closed bag into a bowl refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
- When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the marinade and brush off any excess herbs and oil. Season generously with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place the chicken, skin side down, on a preheated grill. Cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. Check for doneness (the chicken should be well cooked).
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
You could do without using a plastic bag… a simple big bowl would eliminate another plastic bag bound for the ocean
Hi Matt — you are absolutely right. Thanks for commenting!