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Make these grilled boneless chicken thighs with green goddess sauce for a light and flavorful dinner. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are marinated and grilled to perfection with this simple recipe!
The herby green goddess marinade also makes a delicious sauce for dipping – it’s a two for one recipe!
These 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.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe is the Best
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. You’ll love these because they’re:
- 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.
This recipe fits a migraine diet, low histamine, low carb and Mediterranean diet as well as gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredients
- 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.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs – Can be substituted with chicken breasts – cooking times may changed depending on the thickness of the chicken. You can also substitute salmon with this sauce, like this sheet pan salmon and green beans.
- Mayonnaise – Yogurt can be substituted. I recommend full fat Icelandic skyr (not HYH).
- Marinade – If this green goddess marinade isn’t your thing, I recommend using my Mexican marinade or 3 ingredient marinade.
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.
How to Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs
Step 1: 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. Slowly add in the oil while blending till the marinade is smooth. Separate the sauce into two parts – one for marinating and one for sauce. Use about 1/3-1/2 cup for marinating.
Step 2: 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: 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.
Step 4: 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. .
Recipe Tip
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.
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. 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.
Grilled Dinners
30 Minute Meals
Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizza (Baked or Grilled)
Pork
Dry Rub for Ribs in Oven
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Green Goddess 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
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh chives
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or additional distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 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 1/3 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 1/3-1/2 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 1/2-3/4″ 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was delicious. I served it with some rice and a tomato salad on the side + grilled pita breads.
The pita is a great idea! I’ll have to try that, it sounds amazing.
Love this recipe. It’s easy and really fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend! Especially for a summer meal. We love this one !
Thank you so much!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I love everything you create. But, I am having problems printing it off. Is it found anywhere else? Thanks!!
Hey! I’m sorry, I’m not sure why – is the recipe card not printing? It is on my end.