Grilled chicken recipes with a smoky spice rub for busy weeknights

Name: Grilled chicken recipes with a smoky spice rub for busy weeknights
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp light brown sugar; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3 lb (1.35kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs; 2 tbsp olive oil; Lemon wedges, to serve; Chopped cilantro or parsley, to finish

Nov 5

3 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

Charred grilled boneless chicken thighs with a smoked paprika rub resting on a wooden board

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A dry rub, 12 minutes on the grill, juicy every time

Boneless thighs are the most forgiving thing you can put on a grill. There is enough fat in them that an extra minute does no damage, and the rub here — smoked paprika, brown sugar and garlic — caramelises into a crust in about twelve minutes. The one rule is that you let them rest afterwards.

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Why this one works

A teaspoon of brown sugar in the rub is what gives you char marks rather than a pale, dry surface.
Thighs cook to 175F and stay juicy, where breasts turn to sawdust three degrees past done.
The rub keeps for months in a jar, so make a triple batch while you are at it.

At a glance

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 6 servings
Protein: 42g per serving
Calories: 372 per serving

Ingredients

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Smoky dry rub

1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Chicken

3 lb (1.35kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
Lemon wedges, to serve
Chopped cilantro or parsley, to finish

Instructions

Mix the rub. Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl and break up any lumps of brown sugar with your fingers.
Coat the chicken. Pat the thighs dry, toss them with the olive oil, then add the rub and massage it into every surface. Let them sit 10 minutes at room temperature — or up to 24 hours in the fridge, which is better if you have the time.
Set up the grill properly. Heat to medium-high, around 425F / 220C, and leave one section of the grill unlit or on low as a safe zone. Scrape the grates clean and oil them well.
Grill without fiddling. Lay the thighs on the hot side and close the lid. Give them 6 minutes without touching them, then flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes more. The sugar in the rub can flare, so move anything that catches to the cool side.
Check the temperature. Pull them at 175F / 80C in the thickest part. Thighs are better a little over than under — the connective tissue needs the heat to soften.
Rest, then serve. Move them to a board and leave them alone for 5 full minutes. Cutting straight away dumps all the juice onto the board. Finish with lemon and herbs.

Notes and swaps

No grill: a cast iron grill pan over medium-high gives nearly the same result, 5 to 6 minutes a side with the extractor on.
Bone-in, skin-on thighs need 10 to 12 minutes a side over indirect heat with the lid closed.
Leftovers are excellent sliced cold into salads or wraps the next day.