These grilled boneless chicken thighs are the ones I make on repeat all summer. The pineapple-teriyaki marinade gives them a ton of flavor. Pineapple does double duty, tenderizing the meat while it marinates, so you get sticky edges and a juicy middle without extra effort on your part. Make a double batch on a summer night. You'll be glad for the leftovers all week.
I think boneless chicken thighs are among the most forgiving cuts you can grill.
We love grilled chicken breast, but they don't leave a lot of room for error. Chicken thighs stay juicy even if you pull them a few minutes late.
We use simple ingredients to make a homemade chicken thigh marinade. No bottled stuff. A charcoal grill or a gas grill will both get you there. You could even use your Ninja Foodi indoor grill if the weather's bad.
Serve them with simple sides, or use them in a salad. Either way, dinner's handled.
The Easy Marinade
Five ingredients do the real work: soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, ginger, and garlic.
About the pineapple juice.
Not everyone keeps pineapple juice around. I like to buy small cans I can keep in the pantry.
Orange juice swaps in one-for-one and gets you the same sweet-tart balance.
One difference worth noting: pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that gently tenderizes the meat, while orange juice doesn't. The difference with orange juice will be subtle, since chicken thighs are already tender.
Don't push the marinade past four hours, though. With pineapple (or any acid) in the mix, longer isn't better. Too long, and the acid will turn the chicken mushy.
A Few Things I’ve Learned
- Blot the chicken dry before it hits the grates. If your chicken is wet, it will steam and you'll miss the grill marks.
- Oil the grill grates. This is your best defense against sticking.
- Leave it alone. Lay the thighs down and don't touch them for four to five minutes. If they're stuck, they're not done searing, so give them another minute.
- The number that actually matters is the one on your thermometer. The cooking time is determined by your meat thermometer. The recipe is an estimate. Pull the chickenwhen the internal temperature is 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. Check early, because smaller, thinner pieces may be almost there after the first flip.
Chicken Thighs on the Ninja Flex Flame
I tested this recipe on my Flex Flame (in addition to a regular grill), and it worked beautifully, but the timing is a little different.
You'll want to preheat to 450°F.
Cook for four minutes on the first side and three on the second. The convection fan makes it cook faster, and you won't need to fuss with moving pieces to a cooler zone to finish. Still check the temp, though. 165°F is 165°F no matter what you're grilling on.
Make It a Meal
Pile a sliced thigh onto a toasted bread machine hoagie roll with shredded lettuce and tomato for chicken sandwiches . Use it to make my Asian Chicken Salad.
Or keep it classic and serve it hot with a couple of your favorite side dishes. My recommendations: a Sour Cream Potato Salad and an Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar.
Step-by-Step
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs with Pineapple Teriyaki Marinade
Ingredients
Pineapple Teriyaki Marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper.
- Place the boneless thighs in a shallow dish or ziploc bag and pour all but ⅓ cup of the chicken marinade over. Reserve the ⅓ cup for basting.
- Marinate for at least an hour or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and blot dry.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400°F to 450°F and oil the rack. Turn off one burner if you don’t have an upper rack for indirect cooking. (You will only need this if you have thicker chicken thighs.)
- Place chicken thighs over direct heat on the preheated grill. Cook with the lid closed until it releases easily, about 4 or 5 minutes. Flip, and brush with the reserved sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Check the temperature. Smaller/thinner chicken thighs may be done at this point.
- If your chicken thighs don’t yet register 165 °F, move to the upper rack or indirect heat, cook until the thickest part reaches there. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Ninja Flex Flame:
- Set it to 450°F. Cook 4 minutes on the first side, 3 on the second. The convection fan cooks a little faster, so there's no need to move the chicken to finish, but still check that it hits 165°F.
Notes
Cooled thighs keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you are prepping for a grill out, you can combine the marinade ingredients a day ahead and keep the marinade in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
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