Broiled Chicken Thighs cook quickly under high heat, creating juicy chicken with beautifully caramelized edges. In this recipe, a simple homemade marinade adds even more flavor while the broiler does the rest.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Quick cooking - Who loves options? There are many ways to cook chicken; grilling, baking, frying etc. These broiled chicken thighs are easy and quick, ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Full of flavor - Marinating chicken is my favorite way to guarantee lots of flavor and juicy meat. You can change up the marinade but as long as it has some type of acid (citrus, vinegars, wine), oil and seasonings, that is the balance needed.
- If you want to save time, skip the marinade and make a seasoning blend of 1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Rub on outside and under the skin.
If you or your family love chicken thighs, you should check out some of my other chicken thigh recipes: Chicken Chesapeake,, Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Thighs.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
- lemon
- garlic (cloves or dried ground)
- fresh herbs - sage, parsley, thyme (or dried equivalents)
- skin on, bone-in chicken thighs
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken- You can use boneless thighs if you prefer but you won't get that crispy skin that so many people like and the chicken won't be quite as juicy. Also bone-in breasts will take about the same time but it depends on their size. Boneless breasts will take half the time and really need to be watched under the broiler so they don't overcook.
- You can choose your favorite fresh or dried herbs for this recipe. Most fresh herbs can be substituted with dried versions. However, they are much more concentrated and you only need a small amount. Taste the marinade and see if you would like to add more.
- Many people ask if they can use bottled lemon juice instead of a fresh lemon. In my opinion, fresh is always preferred for the flavor. But in a pinch, you can use bottled but check if it is a fairly fresh bottle (expiration date can sneak up on us). And add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the marinade.
How to make Broiled Chicken Thighs
- Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup and stir well.
- Place chicken thighs in a bowl or plastic storage bag and pour marinade over them.
- Close bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, remove thighs from refrigerator, drain and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat oven to broil setting.
- Lightly spray an oven safe skillet or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and place in the oven on a rack that is 5-6 inches from broiler flame.
- Broil chicken for 10 minutes, about 5-6 inches from broiler flame. Remove pan, rotate it and carefully flip the thighs over. Baste thighs with pan juices and place back in the oven under the broiler.
- Broil for another 10 minutes. Test the largest thigh with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature must reach at least 165°F.
- If the chicken needs to broil a bit longer, I would suggest leaving the oven door open just a bit so you can peek in. The oven will be very hot at this point and the skin on the chicken can burn. Mine were fairly large thighs and needed a total of 25 minutes. But I watched them carefully for the last few minutes. A little bit of char on top is ok and adds to the caramelized tasted. But you don't want the entire top of the skin to be burnt.
- Also, I never cook any recipe on the top rack of the broiler unless it for a quick browning. It's just too high of heat and can burn easily.
- Remove chicken to a platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. This will help the juices stay in the meat before you cut into it.
Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
My Best Tip: Every broiler cooks a little differently. Once the chicken starts to brown, check it every minute or two. It's much easier to let it cook a little longer than to deal with chicken that's just about burnt.
- Trim off any excess, hanging skin from the chicken thighs.
- Marinate for a minimum for 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours. Use a plastic or glass container to minimize a metal reaction.
- Rotate the broiler pan if your broiler has hot spots. Many broilers heat unevenly. If one side of the chicken is browning faster, carefully rotate the pan halfway through cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Our side dishes for chicken is usually a rice dish or Garlic Mashed Potatoes and 1-2 vegetables. Some delicious quick cooking vegetable dishes to try are Pan fried yellow squash, Blackened Green Beans or Marinated Broccoli.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most ovens, placing the rack about 5 to 6 inches below the broiler gives the chicken enough direct heat to brown without burning too quickly. If your broiler runs especially hot, move the rack down one position.
You can definitely salvage overcooked, dry chicken. Some suggestions would be to make a quick pan gravy with chicken broth, seasonings and a bit of flour or cornstarch.
You could also make a dipping sauce of mayonnaise and hot sauce or chili sauce. Or make a quick lemon, herb and butter sauce.
And you could remove the skin, shred the meat, add barbecue sauce and you will have a quick version of pulled chicken.
If you have tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it comment and a star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
More easy chicken thigh recipes to try:
Broiled chicken thighs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Broiled Chicken Thighs cook quickly under high heat, creating juicy chicken with beautifully caramelized edges. In this recipe, a simple homemade marinade adds even more flavor while the broiler does the rest.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- Juice of one lemon *
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 sprigs of thyme *
- 2 sage leaves *
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper *
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except lemon pepper, in a measuring cup and stir well. Place chicken thighs in a bowl or plastic storage bag and pour marinade over them.Close bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, remove thighs from refrigerator, drain and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat oven to broil setting. Lightly spray an oven safe skillet or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.Place chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and place in the oven on the middle rack.
- Broil chicken for 10 minutes. Remove pan, carefully flip the thighs over. Baste thighs with pan juices and place back in the oven under the broiler.
- Broil for another 10 minutes. Test the largest thigh with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature must reach at least 165°F.
- If the chicken needs to broil a bit longer, I would suggest leaving the oven door open just a bit so you can peek in. The oven will be very hot at this point and the skin on the chicken can burn. Mine were fairly large thighs and needed a total of 25 minutes. But I watched them carefully for the last few minutes. A little bit of char on top is ok and adds to the caramelized tasted. But you don't want the entire top of the skin to be burnt.
- Remove chicken to a platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. This will help the juices stay in the meat before you cut into it.
Notes
* You can use bottled lemon juice if necessary. It won't have the same fresh taste as a whole lemon but is usable. Just add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the marinade.
*If needed, substitute ½ teaspoon of a dried herb for the fresh herb.
*Test the largest thigh with an internal meat thermometer. It should register at least 165°F.
*Store leftover, cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave for 2-3 minutes. Cover with a paper towel or plastic wrap. Or heat a skillet over medium heat and reheat thighs until hot. You can reheat them in a bit of chicken broth or a little bit of water with some seasonings.
*Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
*Nutrition reflects that all but 1 tablespoon of oil was drained from the marinade.
Jean says
I marinated the chicken in the morning and they really absorbed the flavor so much. Will make again