The BEST Grilled Chicken
This Grilled Chicken has become a staple in our house that I make every week. It requires zero marinating, takes less than 20 minutes using only a handful of ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. This really is the best grilled chicken and it’s Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS GRILLED CHICKEN
- There is absolutely no marinating required! Simply toss chicken thighs in a mix of spices and olive oil and then cook them on the barbecue for 10 min
- This is the perfect weeknight meal to make when you are short on time, it takes less than 15 min to make start to finish
- If you are looking for an easy chicken recipe to batch cook for the week, this is it. Cook a double batch of chicken, store it in the fridge, and you can toss chopped up chicken into salads, into rice bowls, in a wrap, sandwich or serve it with roasted or grilled veggies. The spice blend flavour is incredibly versatile so you can really serve this chicken in an endless number of ways.
- Absolutely no fancy ingredients required. You likely already have all of these spices in your kitchen cupboard making it both easy and affordable.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS GRILLED CHICKEN
This chicken contains a handful of ingredients that you likely already have in your spice cupboard. All you need is:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Paprika
- Oregano: only dried oregano will work, don’t try using fresh.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
IS THIS GRILLED CHICKEN SPICY?
Nope! I would rate this easy grilled chicken a 2/10 on the spiciness scale and is therefore a great recipe to serve to kids or anyone spice adverse. If you want to give this chicken a kick, I would recommend adding 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder to the spice mix.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS GRILLED CHICKEN
- After placing the spices and olive oil in the bowl with the chicken thighs, use your hands to toss the chicken and to ensure that every piece is well coated all over in the spices.
- When placing the chicken thighs on the grill, make sure that you lay them out flat and they aren’t folded under
- Baste the chicken while it cooks in any of the excess spices and oil leftover in the bowl so nothing goes to waste
- Cook the chicken thighs on medium high heat to seal in juices and give the chicken a nice sear
- I like to grill the chicken until it gets slightly charred on the corners and is a dark brown in colour
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT CUT OF CHICKEN?
I like using boneless skinless chicken thighs because they cook quickly, are more flavourful than breasts and stay moist when grilled. Alternatively you can use chicken breasts, drumsticks on bone in skin on chicken thighs for this recipe, you will just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. For guidance I would recommend the following cooking times on medium high heat:
Chicken Breasts: 9 to 10 minutes
Chicken Drumsticks: 20-25 minutes
Bone in Skin on Thighs: 20-25 minutes
If you are uncertain if the chicken is cooked through I recommend inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, it is done when it reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
HOW TO SERVE THIS GRILLED CHICKEN
This grilled chicken can be served in so many different ways! One of my favourite ways (which I make for dinner at least once a week) is chopping it up into pieces and adding it to a caesar salad, the flavours work incredibly well together. I also love eating it with big dollops of tzatziki on top, the cool flavour of the tzatziki pairs wonderfully with the bold spices of the chicken. Other side dishes to serve alongside this grilled chicken for an easy summer barbecue include sauteed corn and zucchini, creamy classic coleslaw, charred asparagus, honey mustard carrot salad, greek salad with cauliflower couscous or grilled eggplant.
IS THIS GRILLED CHICKEN SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE DIET LEGAL?
This Grilled Chicken is Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal as long as use the correct garlic powder and onion powder which are two spices which often contain an anti-caking agent to prevent the powder from clumping in the jar. Brands such as Frontier Spices and Simply Organic make both onion powder and garlic powder that does not contain any anti caking agents and are therefore Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
CAN I MAKE THIS CHICKEN IN THE OVEN?
You can! Lay the chicken thighs out on a large sheet pan making sure that they are spaced out evenly and do not touch or overlap. Cook the chicken at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then flip over and cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
CAN I MAKE THIS GRILLED CHICKEN IN ADVANCE?
Absolutely. You can toss the chicken in spices and cook it on the grill up to 2 days in advance. Before serving quickly reheat the chicken on the grill for a few minutes until warmed through, on a sheet pan in the oven for 5 min at 350º Fahrenheit or in the microwave for 45 seconds.
WHAT ABOUT LEFTOVERS?
Any leftover grilled chicken will last for up to four days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can also freeze the chicken for up to four months. The frozen chicken can be thawed in the fridge overnight, or placed in a water bath if you are short. on time before warming up and eating. Leftover chicken is delicious both warm and cold and is great added into salads (especially a Caesar Salad), rice bowls, or just enjoyed on its own dipped into tzatziki.
Here are a few more grilled chicken recipes that you will enjoy…
- Korean Gochujang Chicken with Scallion & Cilantro Chimichurri
- Jerk Chicken & Peach Skewers
- Za’atar Chicken with Tahini Lemon Sauce
- Asian Chicken Skewers
- Pesto Chicken & Tomato Skewers
- Grilled Chicken with an Easy Spiced Marinade
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Asian Chicken Skewers
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 ½ tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a bowl. Add in the oil and spices and stir with a fork to ensure all sides of the chicken are well coated.
- Heat a barbecue to high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and dark grill marks form.
Nutrition
This is absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy. My husband calls it “scrumptious “.