Grilled chicken thighs have never tasted so good! These ones are marinated, grilled with the perfect amount of char and finished with a sweet chili glaze. Serve them with your favorite summer salad or grilled veggies.
Grilled chicken thighs are a breeze to prepare, making them an ideal for a weeknight meal or your next backyard BBQ. Sweet chili sauce can be found in most grocery stores and, when mixed with a splash of vinegar, makes a delectable glaze for the chicken.
This chicken pairs well with a variety of side dishes. Try it with Thai Cucumber Salad, Curried Rice Salad or Three Bean Salad.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken: This recipe works best with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Skinless drumsticks can be substituted. Follow the cooking directions for Grilled Chicken Drumsticks.
- Sweet chili sauce: Sweet chili sauce, sometimes labeled as Thai sweet chili sauce, can be found in the international section of many grocery stores. Or buy it online. This is NOT the same as ketchup-based chili sauce.
- Rice vinegar: Look for unseasoned rice vinegar. The seasoned version includes salt and sugar.
- Soy sauce: Use regular soy sauce. For gluten-free, use wheat-free tamari. Not all tamari is wheat-free, so be sure to check the label.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil, such as avocado oil or canola oil.
- Ginger: Peel a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger and slice it.
- Garlic: Smash the garlic cloves and remove the papery peel. No need to chop it.
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
How to grill chicken thighs
- Prep the chicken: Using a sharp knife, remove any large pieces of fat from the chicken thighs. Place in a ziplock bag or a non-metal dish.
- Marinate it: In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and salt. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. If the chicken is in a ziplock bag, seal the bag and "massage" the chicken to coat it thoroughly. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- Preheat and oil the grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F), then generously oil the grill.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together sweet chili sauce and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken on the grill, topside down, and close the lid. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip it. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 4 more minutes.
- Glaze it! Brush the top of the chicken with most of the glaze. Cook for 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the grill and brush with any remaining glaze. Serve it up!
How to bake it
If you don't have access to a grill, bake the chicken instead. It won't have the same char achieved with a grill, but cooking it under the broiler will reward you with a bit of char.
- Preheat the broiler in your oven. If your oven has two broiler settings, choose HIGH. Set the rack about 5 inches from the element.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. If you have an oven-proof rack, I recommend placing it over the foil (coat it with cooking spray). Otherwise, cook the chicken directly on the foil.
- Cook for 4 minutes, flip the chicken, then cook for another 4 minutes or cook through. Once the temperature reaches 165 degrees F, brush the chicken with the glaze and cook for 1 minute. Watch closely so the chicken doesn't burn!
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Make-Ahead and Storage
The chicken thighs are fantastic cold or at room temperature. Chop them up and serve in a salad.
Refrigerate: Store cooked chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat cooked chicken thighs in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat them in the microwave, using a lower power setting to avoid drying them out.
Other Grilling Recipes You'll Love
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and comment underneath the recipe card below. Thank you!
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Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sweet Chili Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed
- ¼ cup avocado oil or canola oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (sometimes labeled as Thai sweet chili sauce)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves smashed and papery skin removed
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger peeled and sliced
The glaze
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Instructions
- Place the trimmed chicken in a large ziplock bag or a non-metal dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and salt. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. If the chicken is in a ziplock bag, seal the bag and "massage" the chicken to coat it thoroughly. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F), then generously oil the grill.
- Place the chicken on the grill, topside down, and close the lid. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip it. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 4 more minutes.
- Brush the top of the chicken with most of the glaze. Cook for 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the grill and brush with any remaining glaze.
The glaze
- In a small bowl, stir together sweet chili sauce and rice vinegar. Set aside.
Notes
- Preheat the broiler in your oven. If your oven has two broiler settings, choose HIGH. Set the rack about 5 inches from the element.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. If you have an oven-proof rack, I recommend placing it over the foil (coat it with cooking spray). Otherwise, cook the chicken directly on the foil.
- Cook for 4 minutes, flip the chicken, then cook for another 4 minutes or cook through. Once the temperature reaches 165 degrees F, brush the chicken with the glaze and cook for 1 minute. Watch closely so the chicken doesn't burn!
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Matthew
Didn’t have access to a grill so I made this in the oven and it turned out beautifully. Marinade added a great flavor depth and the glaze was perfect! Highly recommend.
Full disclosure added by Cookin' Canuck: This is my son. He really did make the recipe!