These grilled BBQ chicken thighs are probably one of the family's most favorite meals. Like most recipes, they're very tasty and economical when you want to feed the family. This particular recipe is actually pretty easy, and using just a handful of spices and a few simple grilling techniques, you'll be an accomplished BBQ Chicken Wing griller in no time! I'll show you how to make these delicious thighs using only barbeque sauce and nothing else. When you try this recipe, you'll realize that there is no substitute for a grilled piece of chicken.

Thawed Room Temperature Chicken

The first step is to make sure your chicken is completely thawed. I suggest either bringing it to room temperature or letting it defrost at room temperature for about an hour. This will help prevent the formation of bacteria and let you know when it's ready to remove from the marinade. Once it's defrosted, you can then begin checking for doneness:

Traditional BBQ Method

Now, I'd like to talk about the two methods you can use for grilling your chicken. First, let's discuss the more traditional method of BBQ chicken, and that is direct heat. In a nutshell, you cook your chicken on a hot grill or on the hot side of a barbeque grill. Direct heat is really good for tenderizing proteins and giving your chicken nice, even grill marks. However, I prefer indirect heat for my barbecue chicken because it doesn't produce the common burnt or char marks common with direct heat. I prefer indirect heat because it gives better results (especially lighter proteins such as skinless chicken).

Quick Brine BBQ Method

Another common method of BBQ chicken is quick brine. A quick brine is when you pour a mixture of water and vinegar onto the meat and allow it to sit for about an hour. This will cause the meat to be moistened and give it a natural taste. I've found that a homemade vinegar quick brine is best if you're cooking a chicken that's not going to go well with barbecue sauce.

Seasoning

Making grilled BBQ chicken thighs is based on two principles: the dry rub or BBQ Sauce and the cooking time. The dry rub is a mixture of spices that provide a unique flavor to the chicken thighs. I like to use cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Most of the recipes I've seen call for tomato paste as the second ingredient, but you can use what you have on hand, or if you have a spicy chicken dish, add more of the spices mentioned to bring out the flavor even more.

Cooking Time

The cooking time refers to the duration of time from grilling until the chicken is done. Once the chicken is done, let it rest for about two minutes before flipping. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to cool on a wire cooling rack. Depending on the recipe, you may have to cook the chicken a second time. It depends on the thickness of the chicken and what the recipe calls for.

Conclusion

Making grilled BBQ chicken thighs is really very simple, but I would recommend cooking it the same way every time. I find that using a thin slice of ginger makes everything taste so much better, especially on a hot summer day. If you're looking for a really great way to impress your friends and family with an amazing taste, consider trying the "cale" recipe, which uses a bbq sauce flavored with crushed garlic, lemon juice, and cumin.