These grilled boneless chicken thighs with green goddess sauce are a delightful recipe for warmer months. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are marinated in a green goddess sauce and then grilled to perfection. Once grilled, they're topped with the creamy, herby sauce for a delicious, Mediterranean-style dish.
These green goddess grilled boneless chicken thighs would be perfect for a summer BBQ or a weeknight meal. Pair them with an easy butter lettuce salad or Mediterranean pasta salad for a full meal.
![Chicken thighs grilled and drizzled with a green herb sauce on top.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs.jpg)
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Why Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Boneless chicken thighs are really the best type of chicken for the grill because they're so forgiving compared to chicken breasts. So if you're new to grilling, this is a great place to start.
Marinating the chicken thighs helps to infused some of the garlic herb flavor ahead of the grill, and the marinade can also double as a sauce after! You'll love these grilled boneless chicken thighs because:
- Flavorful - The green goddess marinade and sauce makes these herby, garlicky and delicious.
- Easy - Chicken thighs contain more fat than chicken breasts which makes them naturally more tender and flavorful. This also makes this recipe a little more forgiving if you cook them a little too long on the grill!
- Meal prep friendly - This would be a great recipe to cook ahead and store for salads or main dishes.
- Diet friendly - This recipe fits a migraine diet, low histamine, low carb and Mediterranean diet as well as gluten free and dairy free.
Equipment Needed
- Grill or Grill Pan - These can be made on all types of grills - gas grills, charcoal, or pellet grills. Don't have a grill? No problem! A grill pan will work as well.
- Immersion blender - For the marinade, an immersion blender makes this an easy process, but a food processor will also work. You could also use a regular blender, but would need to chop the herbs up very finely before adding as they may not get blended as well.
- Meat thermometer - Although chicken thighs can be forgiving, I recommend using a ThermoWorks meat thermometer to help you get an accurate internal temperature and prevent over or under cooking.
Ingredients
![Ingredients for boneless chicken thighs with green goddess sauce.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs-Ingredients.jpg)
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs - Highly recommend going with air-chilled chicken anytime you grill. These are processed through chambers of air instead of through solution, which means the chicken doesn't soak up any excess solution. This can produce a better sear/grill on the chicken as well as better flavor.
Green goddess marinade and sauce:
- Herbs - chives, basil, parsley, and dill are recommended, but you can mix and match depending on what you love most.
- Distilled white vinegar and/or lemon juice - Adds some acidity. I prefer a combination of both.
- Extra virgin olive oil - high quality extra virgin olive oil has a higher smoke point, or you can use avocado oil too.
- Mayonnaise - This adds a little bit of creaminess to the sauce and also makes a fantastic marinade. I like to use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo from Costco.
- Garlic - Fresh is recommended for the marinade and the sauce.
- Honey - Can be subbed with maple syrup or a pinch of white sugar, this tones down some of the acidity and compliments the herbs.
How to Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs
![Process photos of making green goddess sauce marinade, marinating chicken thighs, and grilling them.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs-Process.jpg)
Step 1: Prepare the marinade
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade except the oil in a small, tall container for an immersion blender, or a food processor. Blend till the herbs are fully incorporated. Then blend in the oil till the marinade is smooth and a light green color. Separate the marinade into two parts - one for marinating and one for sauce. I like to use about ⅓-1/2 cup for marinating.
Step 2: Marinade the chicken thighs
Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours to infuse the garlic herb flavor. You should have enough marinade to cover all the chicken. Sometimes I find it's best to marinate in a bag instead of a dish so all sides are covered.
Step 3: Grill
Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to 400 degrees F. Pull the chicken thighs out of the fridge 10 minutes before. Clean and oil the grill grates. Shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken thighs on the grill. Cover with the grill lid and grill for 5-6 minutes the first side. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes or until you reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F. Let them rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the rest of the green goddess sauce.
If using a grill pan - heat over medium high heat, then drizzle the pan with oil to coat. Cook for 6-7 minutes on the first side, then flip the chicken. Cook another 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken thighs reach a good internal temperature.
![Chicken thighs being grilled.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs-Grill.jpg)
![Grilled chicken thighs on a sheet pan coated in a green goddess sauce and chives.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/image.jpeg)
Grilling Tips
- Clean the grates - Make sure the grates are free from any leftover food by heating up the grill, and scraping off anything that's leftover.
- Oil the grates - Take a paper towel and dip it into vegetable oil (shaking off any excess oil to prevent flare ups), lightly wipe it across the grill grates.
- Don't touch the chicken - Once you've placed the boneless chicken thighs on the grill, try to not move them around a bunch until they're ready to flip.
Serving Suggestions
These grilled boneless chicken thighs pair well with so many side dishes! Here are a few of my favorites.
![Grilled boneless chicken thighs on a white plate with a striped blue napkin and basil leaves and chives on the background.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/image-1.jpeg)
Leftover Idea
This chicken stores and freezes incredibly well. To use as leftovers for a different meal, save the green goddess sauce and use a simple salad base. Then top with the sliced boneless grilled chicken thighs.
They would also be great as a green goddess chicken rice bowl with the sauce, white or brown rice, carrots, romaine lettuce, and radish.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage - Refrigerate the chicken for 2-3 days, keeping it separate from the sauce, if possible. The green goddess sauce will keep for up to 1 week.
- Reheating - Microwave the chicken in 30 second increments till warmed through, or cover and place in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes, or till warmed through.
- Freezer - The grilled chicken thighs can be stored in the freezer for up to 5 months.
Substitutions
Chicken thighs - If you're not a big fan of chicken thighs, chicken breasts can be used. You may need to use a meat mallet to pound them out to about ½-3/4" thickness before grilling. If fish sounds good, I've got a baked salmon with this green goddess sauce that is awesome.
Marinade - If this green goddess marinade isn't your thing, I recommend using my Mexican marinade or 3 ingredient marinade.
![Grilled chicken thighs on a white plate with basil leaves and chives on top.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs-5.jpg)
Grilled Dinners
For more recipes like these grilled boneless chicken thighs, check out these posts.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
![Grilled boneless chicken thighs on a white plate with a fork and basil leaves.](https://thedizzycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Grilled-Boneless-Chicken-Thighs-Main-300x300.jpg)
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Chicken thighs
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- vegetable or avocado oil for the grill
Green goddess marinade
- ¼ cup parsley leaves
- ¼ cup fresh chives
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice or additional distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add fresh herbs, vinegar, lemon juice or additional vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic clove, and honey to a tall jar that will fit an immersion blender. Blend the herbs and dressing ingredients all together till it's a beautiful light green color and herbs have fully incorporated so it is a smooth texture. Blend in the olive oil till smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is too thin, add a little more mayonnaise. Separate the marinade into 2 parts - one for marinating and one for a sauce (recommend about ⅓ cup for marinating and the rest for the sauce).
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, season them with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides and place them in a plastic bag or baking dish. Coat with ⅓-1/2 cup of the green goddess sauce, making sure the chicken is covered. Marinate for 1-2 hours and up to 8 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or heat a grill pan. Pull the chicken thighs out of the fridge 10 minutes before. Dip a paper towel into a little bit of the vegetable/avocado oil and make sure there is no excess (this can cause a flair up on the grill). Wipe the paper towel on the grill grates to coat with oil.
- Shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken thighs on the grill. Cover with a grill lid and grill for 5-6 minutes the first side. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes or until you reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F. Let them rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the rest of the green goddess sauce.
Notes
- If you dislike any of the herbs in the green goddess, they can be subbed with another in the recipe. For instance, replace the dill with the same amount of parsley. Or use my basil dressing recipe.
- Chicken breasts can be substituted for thighs, but will need to be about ½-3/4" thickness and may take an extra 1-2 minutes on the grill. They should also be 165F internal temperature.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Seasoning is really up to you here. I recommend Diamond Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. For low sodium, just omit the added salt.
- Chicken thighs will keep up to 2-3 days in the fridge and freeze very well. Use on top of salads with the green goddess sauce or in rice bowls.
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