Zesty Chimichurri Grilled Chicken Thighs

• Preheat Your Grill Thoroughly: Always preheat your grill to a consistent temperature of 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. This high heat is essential for achieving a perfect sear and preventing sticking. A well-heated grill also cooks food more evenly.
• Clean and Lubricate Grates: Before adding any protein, ensure your grill grates are meticulously clean. Use a sturdy grill brush to remove any residue from previous cooks. Immediately after cleaning and just before placing the chicken on the grill, lubricate the grates generously with avocado oil. Avocado oil is ideal due to its high smoke point, which helps prevent sticking and promotes a beautiful sear without burning.
• Alternative Oiling Method for Less Flare-Up: For a method that often results in less flare-up, tightly roll a clean kitchen towel. Dip the rolled towel into avocado oil until it’s thoroughly moistened. Using metal tongs, carefully rub the oiled towel across the hot grill grates. This technique provides excellent lubrication while minimizing direct oil drips onto the flames.
• Choose Non-Reactive Marinating Bowls: When marinating any protein in an acid-based marinade, like our chimichurri which contains vinegar, it’s crucial to use a non-reactive container. Materials such as glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or even high-quality Ziploc bags are excellent choices. Avoid using reactive materials like aluminum, cast iron, or other metals, as they can chemically react with the acid in the marinade, imparting an undesirable metallic flavor to your food. For easy marinating, consider investing in some good marinating essentials.
• Optimal Marinating Time for Acidic Marinades: Due to the vinegar content in chimichurri, which helps tenderize the chicken by breaking down proteins, restrict marinating time to a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours. Over-marinating in an acidic base can lead to a mushy texture, making the chicken difficult to grill and less appealing to eat. Always cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate during marination.
• Bring Chicken to Room Temperature: Once marinated, remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before grilling. This step allows the chicken to cook more evenly and prevents the exterior from burning before the interior is fully cooked.
• Wipe Excess Marinade and Brush with Oil: Before placing the chicken on the grill, it’s vital to wipe off any excess chimichurri marinade. This is especially important for thicker cuts of meat, which require longer cooking times. Leaving too much marinade, particularly the delicate herbs, can cause them to burn on the hot grill, resulting in a bitter, charred taste. After wiping, give the chicken a light brush with fresh avocado oil to ensure a perfect sear and prevent sticking. For thinner cuts, this is less critical if grill temperature is well-controlled.
• Grilling Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: For boneless, skinless chicken thighs, aim to grill for 5-7 minutes per side. The most reliable way to confirm doneness is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, ensuring it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). Remember, cooking times are approximate and will vary based on the thickness of your chicken thighs and your grill’s specific heat.
• Resist the Urge to Flip Constantly: Once placed on the grill, allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for the recommended time on one side to develop a beautiful crust and char marks. Flipping too often prevents proper searing. Flip only once, when the first side is golden brown and releases easily from the grates.
• Rest Your Meat: After grilling, transfer the chicken to a clean plate or cutting board and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. This crucial step allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful chicken. Skipping this step can lead to dry chicken.

Begin by preparing your vibrant chimichurri sauce. Carefully remove the tough stems from the fresh parsley, oregano, and cilantro, using only the tender leaves. Add these aromatic herbs to a food processor along with fresh garlic cloves, white wine vinegar, a touch of granulated sugar to balance the acidity, ground cumin for depth, kosher salt, and a few generous turns of freshly cracked black pepper. Pulse the food processor until the mixture is finely chopped and well combined, but still has some texture – avoid over-processing into a paste.

Once the herbs and garlic are perfectly minced, transfer this fragrant mixture into a small mixing bowl. Next, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil, ensuring everything is thoroughly incorporated. Mix well with a spoon or whisk until you have a beautifully emulsified green sauce. Set aside half of this exquisite chimichurri to use later as a serving sauce, and the other half will become your marinade.

Before you begin grilling, preheat your grill to a steady temperature of 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Refer to our “Master Your Grill: Top Tips and Tricks” section above for detailed instructions on cleaning and oiling your grill grates—these steps are critical for a successful grill!

Once your grill is properly preheated, retrieve the marinated chicken thighs from the refrigerator and allow them to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This helps ensure even cooking. Crucially, before placing the chicken on the hot grates, gently wipe off any excess chimichurri marinade with a paper towel and then brush each chicken thigh lightly with fresh avocado oil. This prevents the herbs from burning and creates a beautiful sear.

Carefully place the prepared chicken thighs on the preheated grill. Grill each side for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer in the thickest part. Once cooked, remove the perfectly grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs from the grill. Serve them hot, either topped with a generous spoon of the reserved chimichurri sauce or with the sauce offered on the side for dipping. Keep in mind that precise cooking times may vary based on the exact thickness of your chicken thighs and your specific grill’s heat distribution.