Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs
Chicken Thighs are a staple to the grilling season! My Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs recipe includes my simple method to prevent grill flare-ups to stop chard chicken. Plus, my special BBQ spice rub gives this a flavor that elevates your grilling experience to whole new level!
Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs – Beat the Burn!
I used to hate grilling chicken thighs. My father loved them and always made them. So when I took over grilling, he always insisted that I make them. They took forever to cook and always had flare-ups, burning the skin and sauce.
As I gained more experience over the years, I learned a thing or two about how to make the grilling less and stop the flare-ups. For one thing, I learned not to put the BBQ sauce on until the very end of the grilling process.
Read on to find out my unique par-cooking method to reduce cooking time and prevent flare-ups under “Recipe Pro Tips.”
What Can I Serve with Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs?
Here are some of my recipes and other suggestions for excellent side dishes of this Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs:
- Grilled Corn
- Roasted Potatoes
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Steakhouse Macaroni and Cheese
- Steakhouse Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Russian Potato Beet Salad
What Ingredients Are in Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs?
Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Thighs
- Canola Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Barbecue Spice Rub (see below)
- Barbecue Sauce
Barbecue Spice Rub
- Brown Sugar
- Paprika
- Kosher Salt
- Smoked Paprika
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Mustard
- Ground Ginger
- Celery Salt
How Are Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs Made?
Barbecue Spice Rub
- Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Chicken Thighs – Par-cook
- Heat oven to 425° F. Place a wire cooling rack on a cooking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry. Coat the thighs with canola oil and season with salt.
- Next, sprinkle some of the spice rub on one side and gently press the mixture into the thighs. Repeat this on the other side.
- Roast the chicken for 45 minutes.
Chicken Thighs – Grilling
- Coat the grates of the grill with nonstick product of your choice (I use grill spray) and heat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the thighs on the grates and close the lid. Cook for 15 minutes then turn them over and cook for another 15 minutes. Note: beware of flare-ups as these can burn the chicken. Turn down the heat if needed.
- Test the thighs with an instant read thermometer. When the thighs have reached 160° F, brush barbecue sauce on one side and turn that side facing down. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush the side now facing up with the barbecue sauce. Turn the thighs over and let them cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Repeat this process once more to coat the thighs with a nice layer of barbecue sauce. Note: The sauce may turn very dark, almost black, from the sugars in it cooking. That’s perfectly OK!
- Remove the thighs when they reach 165° F internal temperature on the instant read thermometer. Place the thighs on a plate and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Recipe Pro Tips
Prep Work. Take time to trim off excess fat and flopping skin. This will help prevent flare-ups and burning.
Par-Cook the Thighs. This is the best thing I’ve done! By par-cooking the thighs, most of the fat melts off and the skin begins to crisp. Since the fat and skin are what cause flare-ups, you greatly reduce the chances that will happen.
Par-cooking also reduces cook time, so your grill is freed up to cook other items like burgers and hot dog, or whatever else you like.
Use Indirect heat. Depending on your grill and how much you’re grilling, using indirect heat may not always be practical or doable. However, if it is, this will greatly assist with preventing flare-ups and burning, and will give you more even cooking overall.
Testing The Meat. Don’t guess. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure you get an accurate reading.
What Are Some Variations of Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs?
Try Different Rubs. While I am extremely proud of my own original spice rub, I do like trying other rubs. So go ahead and experiment for yourself!
Try Different BBQ Sauces. Same as above. I love trying new sauces. When I travel, I like to pick up a new BBQ sauce, or hot sauce, or something like that. I have my favorites which are my normal uses, but my fridge is full of a number of sauces for something different from time-to-time.
FAQ’s for Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs
To make the grilling go a bit faster, you can do the parcooking in advance, either the day before or sometime earlier the day of grilling.
You can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
The best option is in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 and cook for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Yes! Freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Be sure to label it with the contents and date. To defrost it, you can put it on the counter for up to 2 hours, or defrost it in a covered skillet on med-low heat with 1-2 tablespoons of water.
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Best Barbecue Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6-8 Chicken Thighs
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup Barbecue Spice Rub, store bought or homemade (recipe included)
- 1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce, store bought or homemade
Barbecue Spice Rub
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1/4 cup Paprika
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Ground Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Celery Salt
Instructions
Barbecue Spice Rub
-
Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Chicken Thighs
-
Heat oven to 425° F. Place a wire cooling rack on a cooking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
-
Pat the chicken thighs dry. Coat the thighs with canola oil and season with salt.
-
Next, sprinkle some of the spice rub on one side and gently press the mixture into the thighs. Repeat this on the other side.
-
Roast the chicken for 45 minutes.
-
Coat the grates of the grill with nonstick product of your choice (I use grill spray) and heat the grill to medium-high heat.
-
Place the thighs on the grates and close the lid. Cook for 15 minutes then turn them over and cook for another 15 minutes. Note: beware of flare-ups as these can burn the chicken. Turn down the heat if needed.
-
Test the thighs with an instant read thermometer. When the thighs have reached 160° F, brush barbecue sauce on one side and turn that side facing down. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, brush the side now facing up with the barbecue sauce. Turn the thighs over and let them cook for another 2-3 minutes.
-
Repeat this process once more to coat the thighs with a nice layer of barbecue sauce. Note: The sauce may turn very dark, almost black, from the sugars in it cooking. That’s perfectly OK!
-
Remove the thighs when they reach 165° F internal temperature on the instant read thermometer. Place the thighs on a plate and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before eating.