Grill Pan Chicken Thighs
Forget the barbecue and make these succulent grill pan chicken thighs right in your own kitchen in about 25 minutes. And they require only a few ingredients!
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Give me chicken slathered in a luscious barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection any day, any time. These grill pan chicken thighs fit the bill with their finger-licking goodness. They also take hardly any time to prepare, ensuring an easy weeknight meal, especially if you make the accompanying barbecue sauce beforehand.
If you’re like me and are skittish by the intense heat and rising flames of barbecues, then this recipe is for you. My dad was an avid barbecue maven, and I remember watching him hover confidently over one when I was a kid while I stood at a cautious distance each time he lifted the cover. I do the same as an adult, so grilling anything means using a grill pan in the relative safety of my kitchen (while also using a splatter screen for extra protection, of course).
These grill pan chicken thighs are made with my scrumptious spicy barbecue sauce recipe, but feel free to use your own.
Shopping List
- hoisin sauce
- neutral oil
- fresh lemon
- worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- red pepper flakes
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- neutral oil
Pro Tips
Use a splatter screen: If you’re a scaredy-cat like me or just want to keep your kitchen clean, a splatter screen is a lifesaver in keeping the chicken from spewing as it cooks.
Move the chicken around the pan for even cooking: Just don’t move it around too much. Once is good for the skin side, and two to three times is good for the flesh side, which will cook for longer.
Trim excess skin: If excess skin hangs from any thighs, trim it with a knife or kitchen shears.
Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in, skin-on. They’ll cook in about half the time.
- Use any leftover barbecue sauce for pork chops, ribs, shrimp, and even salmon. You can also apply it to any kind of chicken, including drumsticks, and wings.
Leftovers
Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze the chicken for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on a pan in the oven until warmed through.
Store any remaining barbecue sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before using.
More Chicken Recipes
Grill Pan Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the Barbecue Sauce
- ¾ cup Hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (like vegetable or canola)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
For the Chicken
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
Instructions
For the Barbecue Sauce
- Add all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce to a small bowl and whisk together thoroughly.¾ cup Hoisin sauce; 1 teaspoon neutral oil, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and cover partly with a lid. Turn the heat to medium-low, bring it to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. You may have to reduce the heat to low at some point to keep it from bubbling too much.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Allow the barbecue sauce to cool fully before using it, or store it in the refrigerator to chill.
For the Chicken Thighs
- Baste the chicken thighs generously with the barbecue sauce, slathering it onto the tops, bottoms, and under the skins as much as possible. It's OK if you don't use all of it. 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for no more than a few hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling it.
- Rub 2 teaspoons of neutral oil onto a grill pan and heat it on medium. 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- Make sure the pan is hot enough so that the chicken will immediately start to sear once you add it. Place the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 7 minutes total (4 minutes, then rotate the thighs–do not turn them over–and cook for another 3 minutes to ensure even cooking). Note: You can add some kosher salt to the skin side of each thigh before adding them to the grill. As the skin side cooks, salt the flesh side of each thigh. Use ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon per side.Note: If desired, baste the flesh side of the thighs with more barbecue sauce as the skin-side cooks.
- Turn the thighs over so the flesh side is now down and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer indicates a temperature of 165°, about 13 to 18 minutes. Make sure to insert the thermometer away from any bone to ensure an accurate reading.
- Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!