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By Taryn Solie Updated
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With just 5 ingredients and a quick marinating time of one hour, these grilled soy garlic chicken thighs are going to become your new go-to meal. Marinated in garlic, honey, and soy sauce (gluten-free if needed), these chicken thighs are bursting with flavor. Whether you’re hosting a family dinner or a summer cookout, this grilled protein is going to be loved by kids and adults alike.
If you need an easy grilled chicken recipe, you’ve come to the right place.
These soy garlic chicken thighs are super tasty and honestly, so easy to make.
Chicken thighs are my favorite protein to grill and my family loves them all ways.
We’ve done Mexican grilled chicken thighs, pineapple grilled chicken thighs, and a super simple 4 ingredient marinated chicken thighs.
All have been delicious and this recipe is no different.
Why you’ll love this honey soy grilled chicken
- Chicken thighs are one of the easiest meats to grill. Thighs have a higher fat content compared to breasts, which makes them much less likely to dry out – even when they’re boneless and skinless, as in this recipe. If you overcook them a bit they’ll still turn out juicy and flavorful.
- Quick cooking time. Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook up faster than bone-in ones. When your family is getting hungry, a quick cooking time is a bonus.
- You only need 5 ingredients– including the chicken.The marinade has just four ingredients – it truly does wonders and is a great balance of sweet and savory.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Chicken thighs – you want boneless skinless thighs that are raw (and not frozen).
- Soy sauce (or tamari)– you can use regular soy sauce, or if you’re gluten free you can usetamari sauceorgluten free soy sauce. While the two are slightly different you can use them interchangeably in this recipe.
- Honey– don’t use your fancy honey here, just whatever comes from the grocery store will work. If your honey is particularly stiff you may want to warm it slightly in a microwave-safe dish before putting it in with the other marinade ingredients.
- Garlic– use fresh garlic for this marinade as it will make a difference in the flavor.
- Oil– you want a mild oil for the marinade that won’t impact the flavor. My preference isavocado oilas it’s both mild and has a fairly high smoke point.
How to make grilled soy garlic chicken
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
With a marinating time of just 1 hour, these gluten free chicken thighs are going to become one of your weeknight favorites. Look through the photos and captions to see how easy they are to make.
Marinating the chicken
First you want to make the garlic honey soy marinade and get the chicken in it.
Making the glaze
Using the marinade you reserved, make a glaze for the chicken.
Grilling the honey marinated chicken
Now it’s time to get the marinated chicken thighs on the grill!
How do you make sure your chicken thighs don’t dry out?
Concerned about dry chicken? You don’t have to be. I’ll let you in on a secret…
Internal temperature.
Yup, that’s it. The secret to juicy chicken is to grill it to the right internal temperature – before it gets too hot and dries out.
For both chicken breast and chicken thighs, that internal temperature is 165 degrees F.Thighs are more forgiving than breasts and if you cook them to a little higher temper they’ll still retain moisture, but breasts shouldn’t be cooked higher than 165 degrees F.
To do this, you’ll want to geta really accurate and speedy meat thermometer. The one I always recommended is theThermapen by Thermoworks. We have had one for years and absolutely love it – we actually own two now.
To read more, check out this post I wrote onhow to use a meat thermometer for grilling.
What to serve with honey garlic grilled chicken
There are so many great side dish options for these boneless grilled chicken thighs. Here are some of my family’s favorites!
- Grilled vegetables, like thisgrilled asparagus;
- A fruity salad, like someblueberry spinach salad; or
- A potato dish, like this red skin potato salad.
To see more ideas, check out this list ofside dishes for grilled chicken!
Pin this grilled honey soy chicken for later!
YOU CAN ALSOFOLLOW MEONFACEBOOK,INSTAGRAM,ANDPINTERESTTO SEE MORE GOOD TO EAT, GLUTEN-FREE FOOD ON AND OFF THE GRILL.
If you make these grilled honey garlic chicken thighs,then don’t forget toleave a star ratingand let me know how it went in the comments below!
Grilled Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs
With just 5 ingredients and a quick marinating time of one hour, these grilled soy garlic chicken thighs are going to become your new go-to meal. Marinated in garlic, honey, and soy sauce (gluten-free if needed), these chicken thighs are bursting with flavor. Whether you're hosting a family dinner or a summer cookout, this grilled protein is going to be loved by kids and adults alike.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: #chickenthighs, #garlic, #grilling
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Taryn Solie
Ingredients
- 3 oz gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs 5-6 chicken thighs
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
Measure out the soy sauce (or tamari) in a small measuring cup.
Measure out the honey and oil and add that into the cup as well.
Mince or press the garlic and add it to the cup, then stir with a whisk or other utensil to combine everything together.
Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs in a large resealable bag or a shallow dish.
Pour 3-3.5 ounces of the marinade over the chicken, making sure to coat the chicken evenly. Press out any air from the bag and seal it. if using a shallow dish, place a lid or plastic wrap on the dish. Reserve the remaining 2.5-3 ounces, keeping it covered on the counter.
Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
Take the chicken out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before putting on the grill (so after 40 to 45 minutes of marinating). While the chicken warms slightly, pour the remaining sauce into a small saucepan. Place it over medium-high heat and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes until it starts to reduce and thicken, stirring frequently with a whisk. Set it aside to cool when done.
Preheat the grill to medium heat (around 350-375F) – you don’t want it higher than that as it will char the honey in the marinade. Place the chicken on the grill using a pair of tongs. Close the lid and grill the chicken for 5 minutes on the first side.
When the first 5 minutes are up, flip the chicken with the tongs. Take a basting brush and coat each piece of chicken on the cooked side with the reserved and reduced marinade sauce. Close the lid and let the chicken cook another 5 to 8 minutes on the second side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Remove the chicken from the grill and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if desired. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
This recipes makes about 6 ounces of marinade, which is enough for 1.5 pounds of meat with between 3 and 3.5 ounces of the marinade being reserved for a glaze.
More Chicken
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- Juicy Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Breast
- Quick Marinade for Mediterranean Chicken
- 4-Ingredient Grilled BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
