Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are best when cooked quickly over high heat. That's the reason why broiled chicken thighs are such a treat. It's really is a shame that they are so underrated. Beautifully caramelized, with bits of charred meat, they taste almost like grilled chicken thighs. And they are incredibly juicy inside, which is the direct result of quick high heat cooking.
Benefits of broiling chicken thighs
But the benefits of broiling don't stop with great, grilled-like taste. Another one is time saving. All it takes to broil chicken thighs is 7 minutes. Yes, a great meal in under 10 minutes is hard to beat. You can even skip preheating the broiler.
After having done some experimenting, I found that the best way to broil chicken thighs is on the top rack, about 3-4 inches from the heating element. This close proximity to the heating element gives the best grill-like heat which results in the best caramelization. The thighs will be ready to eat in about 5 minutes. But don't pull them out just yet, give them a couple more minutes under the broiler. You will be rewarded with a better crispiness, even some charring that many of us like. I also find that chicken thighs taste better when cooked a little higher than the 165F internal temperature.
Do you need to flip chicken thighs when broiling them?
Another great thing about broiling chicken thighs is that you don't need to flip them. You can, of course. I used to do it, but then changed my broiling method to no flipping. I realized that it's better to have one really browned and caramelized side than two inadequately browned ones. You may be tempted to get a nice, rich caramelization on both sides, but you will be risking drying the meat out. Trust me and broil the thighs for 7 minutes on one side, without flipping, and you will have the most delicious broiled chicken thighs you've ever tasted.
Oh, and did I mention juicy?
Looking for more great skinless, boneless chicken thigh recipes? Check these out:
- Boneless Chicken Thigh Recipe (Family Favorite)
- Baked Maple Chicken Thighs
- Thai Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp granulated garlic (or powdered garlic)
- 1 tsp granulated onion (or powdered onion)
- 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Position the top rack about 3 - 4 inches from the heating element. Set the oven to high broil and let it preheat.
- Line a baking tray with foil.
- Place chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add the oil, and the seasoning and mix well. Transfer the thighs to the baking tray and spread around, such that all thighs will be directly under the heating element.
- Broil the thighs for about 7 minutes, until nicely browned and the internal temperature reads 165F plus. Tip: the broiling time may vary depending on the oven and the power of the heating element, proximity to the heating element, etc. Pay close attention to the chicken at all times as it will only need minutes to cook.
Nutrition
Looking for more great broiling recipes? Check these out:
Joel says
My boneless thighs were at 135/140 degrees with this time and I cooked them on broil hi (my oven has broil low and broil hi options). Definitely need more time. Otherwise seems fine. I think I'll try 5 minutes, flip, then 7 minutes.
victor says
Please, understand that there are many variables that impact the results - the thickness of the meat, the proximity to the broiler heating element, the power of the heating element, what we broil on, humidity in the oven, etc. You may have missed it, but I mentioned all this in the notes right below the recipe. There isn't a single recipe that will work for everyone in every situation. It's always a good idea to treat every recipe as a starting point. If it works as is - great. If not - make adjustments. When cooking meat, no matter what a recipe may say about the cooking time, it's always best to use a thermometer to check the temperature. The timing that I provided works great for me. But there is not guarantee that it will work for every oven, as I mentioned in the notes.
Marianne Tarbox says
7-minutes NO FLIPPING!..So simple AND easy; tried AND true, down to a science. Standing O, Victor!
victor says
🙂 Glad to hear that you liked my recipe, Marianne. Enjoy!!!!
axxam enni says
Unless you have a 1000 degree broiler, there is no way to cook chicken thighs in 7 minutes!
victor says
I don't know what kind of broiler I have and what temps it can put out, but this is exactly how long it takes to cook them in my pretty basic electric oven. That said, there is a saying that everyone's oven bakes differently and it's very common.
If it takes too long, you can try two things - bring them closer to the heating element and/or cut them in halves lengthwise. Good luck!
Amanda says
Thank you, had my own marinade, wanted to barbecue but i live in oregon and its April so not happening, i wanted something with similar results and found your recipe, it worked out perfectly. I have a newer gas stove, set oven temp to 500, then turned off and set it to broil on high two rungs down and broiled for seven i wanted a tiny bit more chare( I had a ton of chicken) and broiled 3 minutes longer. Broiled boneless skinless chicken thighs, came out soooo perfect! Thank you!
victor says
I am so happy to hear about your success! You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Peter Castagna says
Skin side down?
victor says
This recipe is for skinlees, boneless thighs.
AK Orliss says
7 minutes broiling (one side) as your article suggests for thighs leaves the down side raw! Your article didn't say that you could not use thighs with skin and bone, which I did. Luckily I checked when I took them out after 7 minutes and saw that the underside was rather raw, otherwise I think a lot of people would have gotten sick.
victor says
The recipe clearly says '6 boneless skinless chicken thighs.' When you make any changes, you should always expect different results.
Similarly, no recipe will come out the same for everyone - different ovens bake differently. The distance to the heating element can be different. Meat directly under the heatng element will cook faster then peices on the perifery. Meat size/thickness can be slightly or significantly different, etc. It's a good idead to not blindly rely on any recipe and always check for proper doneness.
Mike says
Prepare for a smokey house and alarms, but it tasted good! 😀
I tried to use a different seasoning (lemon pepper, for my wife) on ONE of the thighs for experimentation purposes - it was bad. Stick with this onion-garlic version!
victor says
Mike, I've never had this problem with smoking, wonder if you used skinless thighs or skin on. If skinless, did they have some fat left on them? 100% what smokes is fat, so it's best to use skinless and any visible fat trimmed off. Enjoy!
Terry Dalton says
Great and easy!
victor says
Enjoy!
Ángel says
This worked very well to make cooking fast. I only had a small amount of chicken so it cooked perfectly in a cast iron pan for 8 minutes. The only thing I did differently was put a small amount of butter in the pan and some on top of the chicken since I didn’t plan to flip it over. This resulted in nice crunchy edges but not dry at all. Very good
victor says
Glad to hear it. Enjoy!
Mattie says
Ii broiled the chicken thighs 7 minutes on each side. The results were tender nicely browned thighs.😍😁😁😁🤗🙏👍
victor says
Enjoy!
Christian says
I am sick and tired of this shake & bake
And it’s way too cold to cook out side on a charcoal… I’m going to give me a recipe of whirl
I’ll let you know how it turns out… Thank you for your recipe… Much appreciated
victor says
Hope you like it, do let me know how it turns out. For indoor cooking, I love my air fryer. Broiler is good, air fryer is even better. Happy cooking!
Joan says
As I usually do the first time making a recipe, I made these according to the directions this evening. I did have to broil them 12 minutes, however, because I have an old oven that loses heat. They are delicious! I'll definitely keep making them - juicy, nice mild flavor and easy.
victor says
Enjoy!
Susan Thornburg says
I totally agree about cooking times…I spread the thighs out flat and let them rest on the foil lined tray for about 20 mins or so to get room temperature. I did not use the seasonings but instead used a thin coat of our favorite bbq sauce which is Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Sauce With Sriracha. Only because my husband is obsessed with it. Will try your seasonings next time for sure!…But you’re right!…Broiling is absolutely the way to go!… I set the rack on the second position from the top burners since it was bbq sauce and didn’t want it to burn…At 25 mins. it was perfect!…but letting the chicken come to room temp is the key before broiling…Thank you…I never used my broiler for this…always the grill…Love your technique❤️
victor says
Good to hear it, Susan. ENjoy! Please, try my other recipes here and on Taste of Artisan.
Julie says
Do you spread the thighs out so they are thin? The thighs I get are usually sort of rolled up.
victor says
Yes, I spread them out as thin as possible.
Beverly says
My chicken thighs came out good but not crispy. Very juicy. What did I do wrong
victor says
Try closer to the heating element. If the chicken meat had water/broth injected, some vendors do that nonsense, it could lead to poor browning. You can also try broiling on a cooling rack with a baking tray underneath to catch the drippings otherwise the meat will be broiling in a pool of water which will prevent browning. Some ovens don't have a strong heating element, my new gas oven's broiling is not as strong as my old electric oven's.
carl says
Well, don’t know how you broil thighs in 7 minute. Mine were still bleeding after 21minutes
victor says
Broiling is like grilling, very quick. If your thighs were bleeding after 21 minutes there may be something off with your stove or you broiled them too far away from the broiler. Or the thighs were ginormous. Sometimes a little experimenting is needed.
jazz11 says
I often see that when people try to cook still frozen meat. Also as mentioned above broiling is usually you moving the oven rack to the top level of your oven so the meat is getting direct heat.
Joan says
Nice flavor, including the cayenne, and seriously juicy! Fast and simple for an easy weeknight meal.
Lurch says
What temperature do you broil at?
victor says
I broil on high. I only have hi/lo setting on the broiler, no specific temperature.
Sharmin says
Thank you very much for the method. I used this broiling technique to broil chicken thighs to make Thai chicken-saytay, and it worked out perfectly! Soft and juicy and the charred effect was excellent. Thai people grill boneless chicken thighs threaded in skewers. I am not Thai, but love Thai food. I wanted to make Thai satay for a quick dinner at home. I decided to broil, I just wasn't sure how long to broil for, hence the search, which landed me here. Thank you very much.
victor says
You are very welcome.
Gabriel says
How would you alter this recipe for bone-in thighs with skin on?
victor says
I would do the same way. It may take a touch longer to cook but essentially no difference. I broil chicken wings (skin on obviously) and they cook and brown very well.
Dee-Dee says
Perhaps i don't get it, I have no idea how a tablespoon of olive oil with seasonings is going to coat six whole chicken thighs. Ended up having to add more olive oil halfway through.
victor says
You drizzle the olive oil over the chicken thighs then rub with your hands. This creates a nice thin layer. No need to add more but either way it will be fine.
Philip says
Such as simple and delicious recipe. I served the thighs with steamed vegetables and they were delicious!!!
Sven says
My broiled chicken thighs turned out amazing and liked how they were crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside. Great recipe!