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Chicken Thigh Marinade

Chicken thigh marinade that delivers a golden, caramelized exterior with lemon, garlic, and Dijon. Marinate for 2–24 hours, then grill 5–6 minutes per side until 165°F and grill marks appear.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Marinade
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 fresh herbs for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes together until emulsified.
  2. Toss the boneless skinless chicken thighs in the marinade until completely coated.
Marinate
  1. Transfer the thighs to the refrigerator and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Grill or pan-sear
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grill the chicken thighs 5–6 minutes per side until caramelized char marks appear.
  2. Or heat a hot oiled skillet over medium-high heat and pan-sear the chicken thighs 5–6 minutes per side until caramelized char marks appear.
  3. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Finish and serve
  1. Rest the chicken thighs for 5 minutes before serving.
  2. Top with fresh herbs for serving.

Notes

For the best browning, remove the chicken from the fridge while you preheat the grill and let it sit about 10 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken thighs up to 2 months. For a gluten-free option, confirm Dijon mustard is gluten-free (many brands are, but labels vary).