This is Grandma’s EASY Boneless Grilled Chicken Thighs recipe! Marinate using just 4 pantry staples, then grill with a honey glaze. Before you know it, you’ll have a side dish that’s beautifully juicy, tender and the perfect side dish to serve with rice.
For a Vietnamese-style grilled recipe, try our family’s Sườn Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops)!
A no fuss weeknight winner
Do you ever have those days when you’re coming home from a long day of work and the thought hits you that dinner still needs to be made?
We’ve all been there before. It’s not the most exciting feeling to experience (to say the least), but Grandma’s Easy Boneless Grilled Chicken Thighs recipe is here to save the day!
This dish makes it into her A-list of Easy Asian Weeknight Dinner Ideas alongside recipes including Steamed Pork Belly with Salted Radish and Stir Fried Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste for a reason – they’re all made with minimal ingredients.
Just marinate using 4 seasonings, pop them straight on the grill, let everything char until golden perfection and voilà you’re done!
How long should I grill my chicken thighs?
Every piece of meat will have slightly different cooking times depending on their thickness and size. As a general rule, though, you should cook the thigh in this recipe for about 7-10 minutes on each side.
We cook it for 5 on one, then brush on the honey and let it cook for another 2 before flipping every piece over to repeat the process on the other side. In total, we cook it for roughly 5-7 minutes per side.
However, it’s important to remember that every appliance will have slight differences, so you might find that you need to cook the meat for a slightly longer or less time.
Once it’s done, you’ll end up with beautifully tender chicken. Just check out that close up below!
Why this recipe works
- Brushing on honey during the cooking process gives the protein a golden and sweet glaze.
- Grandma’s Easy Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs recipe only uses 5 seasoning ingredients, which are also conveniently accessible as pantry staples.
- The marinade is so simple that you can use it for any other protein of your choice.
What you’ll need
About the protein
For this Easy Boneless Grilled Chicken Thighs recipe, Grandma has used bone-in chicken thigh and pork chops in the past. If you’re a vegetarian, you can even opt for firm or fried tofu, hearty vegetables or your favorite mushrooms.
How to make this recipe
Marinate the meat with the garlic, chicken bouillon powder, sugar and oyster sauce. Let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate to marinate for longer.
Set up your grill rack and preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Our oven was set to ‘fan grill’.
We used our oven’s rack and placed it above a tray covered in foil to collect the drippings and make it easier to clean up after.
Place the chicken pieces on top. Our rack can fit about 4 pieces without being overcrowded. Fill your grill up with an amount that works for your appliance.
Note: If you have an outdoor grill, you can certainly use that instead. Also keep in mind that all appliances will cook food at slightly different rates, so adjust according to your appliance.
Place the tray and rack into the oven to cook for 5 minutes.
After the first 5 minutes, pull the tray out and use a basting brush to brush honey over the surface. Push the tray back in and let it cook for 2 minutes or until there’s a char to your liking.
When the 2 minutes are up, pull the tray back out and flip the thighs over. Brush more honey on top and push the rack back in to cook for another 5 minutes or until golden.
Take the meat out to rest on a plate.
Serve on its own or with rice!
Recipe FAQs
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use almost any method to cook the chicken. If you don’t have a grill, just use a stovetop with a flat plan. To get the closest result, I would suggest using a cast iron pan, but any regular one with do.
Alternatively, you can also use an air fryer or simply bake the meat in an oven. Just keep in mind that all methods will mean in slightly different results. Adjust temperatures and times according to what suits your appliance.
The best way to check if the meat is cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the poultry and if it’s 165°F (approximately 74°C), then it should be ready to eat, even if the color is slightly pink.
If you don’t finish all the pieces, store them in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. They will keep well for up to 3 days.
Tips for the best results
- Cook with the skin on. Opt for skin on because the skin will crisp up and bubble as it grills, meaning extra flavor and juices.
- Let it bubble and char slightly. The deeper the color, the more fragrance there is. Of course, this isn’t the same as burning everything, but a char or golden brown will end up being extra tasty.
- Let the cooked meat rest. After everything comes out of the grill, have it rest for 10-15 minutes so the juices can stay in the chicken.
What to serve it with
- A fresh Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜) is a great way to start any meal.
- Complement Grandma’s Easy Boneless Grilled Chicken Thighs with another effortless side dish – our family’s Steamed Eggs with Minced Pork (肉碎蒸蛋).
- Braised Mushrooms with Fat Choy will add more texture and flavor to your bowl.
- Jazz things up with some Scallion Ginger Sauce (薑蔥油).
- If plain rice isn’t what you’re after, enjoy this dish with Dad’s Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯).
- Chinese Sargassum Soup (海藻湯) will complete the dinner, finished off with a refreshing Mango Pudding (芒果布丁)!
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Boneless Grilled Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- grill or oven
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thigh
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup honey (or to preference)
Instructions
- Marinate the meat with the garlic, chicken bouillon powder, sugar and oyster sauce. Let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate to marinate for longer.
- Set up your grill rack and preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Our oven was set to 'fan grill'.We used our oven's rack and placed it above a tray covered in foil to collect the drippings and make it easier to clean up after.
- Place the chicken pieces on top of the rack. Our rack can fit about 4 pieces without being overcrowded. Fill your grill up with an amount that works for your appliance.Note: If you have an outdoor grill, you can certainly use that instead. Also keep in mind that all appliances will cook food at slightly different rates, so adjust according to your appliance.
- Place the tray and rack into the oven to cook for 5 minutes.
- After the first 5 minutes, pull the tray out and use a basting brush to brush honey over the surface. Push the tray back in and let it cook for 2 minutes or until there's a char to your liking.
- When the 2 minutes are up, pull the tray back out and flip the thighs over. Brush more honey on top and push the rack back in to cook for another 5 minutes or until golden.
- Take the meat out to rest on a plate.
- Serve on its own or with rice!
Notes
- Cook with the skin on. Opt for skin on because the skin will crisp up and bubble as it grills, meaning extra flavor and juices.
- Let it bubble and char slightly. The deeper the color, the more fragrance there is. Of course, this isn't the same as burning everything, but a char or golden brown will end up being extra tasty.
- Let the cooked meat rest. After everything comes out of the grill, have it rest for 10-15 minutes so the juices can stay in the chicken.
- Grandma has used bone-in chicken thigh and pork chops in the past. If you're a vegetarian, you can even opt for firm or fried tofu, hearty vegetables or your favorite mushrooms.
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