BBQ chicken thighs with homemade BBQ sauce are a summertime essential in our house. They are easy, economical, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a weekend get together. Make your own quick and easy BBQ sauce and impress your friends and family!
Quick Summary: BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Calories: 210 per thigh (approximately)
- Dietary Info: Gluten free, high protein
- Cook Method: BBQ grill
- Difficulty: Easy
- Main Ingredients: Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, homemade BBQ sauce
- Flavour Profile: Smoky, sweet, tangy, and deeply savoury
We are big fans of chicken around here and you may have noticed from my Tex-Mex Chicken Bake, Margarita Chicken Kabobs, and One-Pan Chicken and Artichoke Bake that I love chicken thighs. If you are feeling even a little more adventurous try the Bacon BBQ Sauce included with my BBQ Grilled Pork Chops recipe.
Serve with this summery Zucchini Frittata, or Crispy Baked Zucchini Fritters to round things out perfectly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Putting the versatile rub on first was a game changer. These are the most flavourful, succulent, barbecued chicken thighs ever!!!!! Thanks, Andrea!
~Heather
Jump to:
- Quick Summary: BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
- How to BBQ Bone-In Chicken Thighs
- How to Store Leftovers
- Pro-Tips
- Can I Make BBQ Chicken Thighs in the Oven?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
- More Grilling Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Ingredients and Substitutions
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: This cut is the star of the show for a reason. The bone keeps the meat juicy during the longer cook time and the skin crisps up beautifully on the grill. If bone-in isn't available, boneless thighs work well too. Chicken breasts are also an option but watch the temperature closely as they cook faster and dry out more easily. For boneless cuts, cook to 165°F rather than 175-180°F.
BBQ spice rub: I use my own BBQ Spice Rub which I put on just about everything in the summer. If you're short on time, the quick rub in the recipe notes works perfectly.
Homemade BBQ sauce: Please make this sauce if you can. It takes 10 minutes and the difference is noticeable. It's tangy, a little sweet, with just enough heat from the cayenne. That said, any store-bought BBQ sauce you love will work. If you want to mix things up, the Bacon BBQ Sauce from my BBQ Grilled Pork Chops is also incredible on chicken.
Ketchup: The base of the BBQ sauce. Use your favourite brand. It makes a difference here since it's a main ingredient.
Cider vinegar: Gives the sauce its tang and balances out the sweetness of the ketchup and brown sugar. White wine vinegar works in a pinch.
Cayenne pepper: This is what gives the sauce a little kick. Start with less if you prefer a milder sauce and adjust from there.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
- In a saucepan, stir or whisk together all the BBQ sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Continue simmering for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.
How to BBQ Bone-In Chicken Thighs
Step 1: Rub the chicken thighs on both sides with olive oil and BBQ spice rub. You can leave them covered in the refrigerator for a few hours or cook them right away. The longer they sit with the rub the more flavourful they will become.
Step 2: Preheat the grill to 400°F (205°C) and oil with an oil soaked, folded up, paper towel.
Step 3: Place chicken thighs skin side down, close the lid, and cook for 10 minutes checking half way through and lowering the heat if they are getting dark too quickly.
Step 4: Flip and brush the skin side with barbecue sauce. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 - 185°F (80 - 85°C). You can add more barbecue sauce and grill for another minute or two or serve extra sauce on the side. Remove thighs from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly or in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. BBQ sauce will keep in a sealed container, in the fridge for 2 weeks. You may want to make a double batch!
Pro-Tips
- Don't walk away from the grill when barbecuing chicken with the skin on. Grill temperatures vary greatly so my times and temperature may not be perfect for your grill. Grilling is about getting to know your own grill, how hot it gets, and where the hot spots are. Sometimes you have to move things around to ensure even cooking and no burning. You also may need to adjust the temperature up or down.
- Adding the barbecue sauce towards the end of cooking prevents it from burning. If you like lots of sauce you can slather it on each side one more time before removing from the grill. Or serve extra on the side.
- Use a quality, quick-read thermometer to cook meat perfectly every time. My favourite thermometer is the Thermapen ONE. It is the best quality thermometer on the market and worth every penny. If you are on a tighter budget I recommend the ThermoPop. Any thermometer from Thermoworks is a good buy!
Can I Make BBQ Chicken Thighs in the Oven?
Yes absolutely! Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Place thighs on a parchment lined baking tray. Rub with olive oil and spice rub. Divide the sauce in half and reserve half to serve on the side. Brush both sides of the thighs with BBQ sauce, finishing with skin side up. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove tray from oven and brush again on both sides with sauce. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 175 - 185°F (80 - 85°C). Serve with extra sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Times will vary based on the size of the thighs and the temperature of your grill but generally they will take 20 to 25 minutes.
Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 165° F (74°C). However, bone in thighs can be cooked up to 180°F (83°C) and will come off the bone more easily when cooked to a higher temperature.
Always wait until towards the end of cooking to add the BBQ sauce to prevent burning. Keep an eye on it and adjust the temperature if necessary.
What to Serve With Grilled Chicken Thighs
My favourite side dishes to serve with BBQ bone-in chicken thighs are my Chopped Dill Pickle Salad, Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Salad, Corn Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing, and Creamy Cucumber and Fennel Salad. And if you are looking for a perfect summer dessert recipe try my Easy Strawberry Shortcakes or Coconut Mango Panna Cotta recipe checks all the boxes!
More Grilling Recipes
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a comment below. You can also follow me on social media here on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Want to say thank you?📖 Recipe
BBQ Chicken Thighs with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 4 teaspoon BBQ Spice Rub
Quick BBQ Sauce (makes 1 cup)
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or less if you want less spicy
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons on both sides of spice rub on both sides to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to grill or up to overnight.
To make the BBQ sauce
- In a medium saucepan, bring all sauce ingredients to a boil, stirring or whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly reduced and thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning. Set aside. Makes 1 cup.
- Preheat barbecue to 400° F (205°C). Oil grill and place chicken skin side down. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes, checking halfway through to make sure it isn't getting too dark. If it is, turn the heat down.
- Flip the thighs and brush the tops with BBQ sauce. Cook another 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary. Flip and brush skin side with BBQ sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches a minimum of 170° F (77° C) and up to 180° F (82°C). If you like them extra saucy, brush more on and cook for 1 more minute on each side.
- Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
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Video
Notes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Wendy Valhoff says
Andrea, I love this recipe and have tried it several times. I have also made all of your soups, and your frittata and lots of other recipes. I love the way you print out each recipe and that you always give alternatives. My Pocket Kitchen is my favourite web site. I thank you for all of the expertise that you freely share, and for the excellence of your recipes. I can say this even though i hate garbanzo beans, (obviously one of your favourites). I have shared your web site with many of my friends, who also love what you do. So thanks so much.
Wendy
Andrea says
Thank you so much for your kind words and all your wonderful support. I am so thrilled you are enjoying everything and sharing the love! This made my day!
Suzanne says
Yum! Made these chicken thighs with the homemade BBQ sauce. They turned out juicy and fantastic tasting. Next time I will use the homemade rub as well - was missing one ingredient so used another rub. But the BBQ sauce was a fantastic add and so easy to make. Will definitely be showing off this recipe when we have company this summer!
Andrea says
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Suzanne!
Karen Link says
Delicious
Heather says
Putting the versatile rub on first was a game changer. These are the most flavourful, succulent, barbecued chicken thighs ever!!!!! Thanks, Andrea!
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Yes we use that rub on almost everything 😆
Cheryl says
This is similar to a recipe I make for ribs. It is yummy so I know this one will be as well. I am bar b que less so will have to make them in the oven…. Stand by for the results soon.
Andrea says
Let me know how it goes! Hope you enjoy them!