Healthy BBQ Chicken Thighs have never tasted so good. Made with loads of spices, coconut sugar, and your favorite BBQ sauce, this is the perfect meal for dinner or meal prep!
An easy, at home grilled chicken thigh recipe
Have you ever craved a tasty BBQ chicken meal but wanted a healthier alternative? I'm about to make your day! This easy recipe only requires 10 minutes of prep time and about 12 minutes of cooking time (after refrigerating for a few hours).
With only a few ingredients (chicken, BBQ sauce, sugar, and spices), it's easy to whip together, and if prepped ahead of time, is a perfect weeknight meal! This recipe makes 8-10 servings, making it great for a crowd or for your weekly meal prep.
Ingredients in this healthy chicken thigh recipe
Healthy BBQ chicken thighs require a very minimal amount of ingredients, most of which you probably already have. Don't you love when that happens?! Here's what you'll need:
- Chicken Thighs: When it comes to the chicken, you'll need boneless and skinless thighs. I recommend a pack of 8-10 to go with the amount of flavorings we'll be using.
- Spices: For spices, you'll need 1 teaspoon of each of the following: chili powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar adds a subtly sweet flavor that pairs wonderfully with the spices. I recommend 2 tbsp. You can also use brown sugar if preferred!
- BBQ Sauce: Finally, add the signature tangy flavor with ½ cup of BBQ sauce.
Tools you need for this recipe
You will only need a few cooking tools to make BBQ chicken thighs. Grab a large Ziploc bag, a small bowl, oil or nonstick spray, and something to flip the chicken on the grill.
For measuring, make sure you have 1 tsp, 2 tbsp, and ½ cup sized measuring cups.
How to make healthy BBQ chicken thighs
Making these chicken thighs is a pretty simple process that begins with marinating the chicken. Let's begin!
Start by trimming the chicken thighs as needed and then placing them in the large Ziploc bag.
In your small bowl, combine all the spices and coconut sugar.
Pour the mixture into the bag and shake it until the chicken is completely coated. Refrigerate everything together for 4-24 hours. The longer, the better!
When the chicken is ready to grill, take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Heat the grill to 400°F and wipe it down with oil or nonstick spray.
Cook the chicken on direct heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Then, flip and cook again on the first side for another 4 minutes.
Move the thighs off of the direct heat and baste each side with BBQ sauce. Return to the heat and cook for another 1 minute on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This will depend on the thickness of the chicken, so cook longer if needed.
Storing the leftover chicken
BBQ chicken leftovers can be stored in airtight containers and kept in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 4 days.
If meal prepping, I recommend keeping it portioned out in ready-to-go containers!
Recipe Tips
I'm all about making recipes your own, so I encourage you to have fun with the spices and flavorings! If you love a certain spice, use a little extra to enhance its flavor in the chicken. You can also use other cuts of chicken, turkey, or Maui BBQ sauce for extra zing!
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!
This recipe is an amazing and healthy alternative to regular BBQ chicken. If you liked it, try these chicken dishes for more yummy ideas!
- One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Caprese Chicken Quinoa Bake
- Cranberry Chicken Casserole
- Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Healthy BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Method
- Trim chicken thighs as needed. Place in large ziploc bag.
- In a small bowl, combine all spices and coconut sugar.
- Pour into ziplock bag and shake until chicken is completely coated. Refrigerate 4-24 hours.
- When ready to grill, let chicken sit on counter for 15 minutes.
- Heat grill to 400F and wipe down with oil or nonstick spray.
- Cook on direct heat for about 4 minutes each side. Flip and cook on the same side another 4 minutes.
- Move thighs off direct heat and baste each side with BBQ sauce, let cook another 1 minute on each side or until internal temp reaches 165F. This will depend on thickness of chicken. Cook longer if needed.
- Serve!
Laura says
These were so good! Perfect blend of sweet and tangy - happy to have grilling weather again
Erin says
Hi Laura, so glad you loved them!!
Tova Hershman says
We made these for a game night/barbecue this weekend and they were so easy, delicious, and a crowd pleaser! I’m typically not into chicken thighs but this recipe made me want to make them more often! We will definitely be using this recipe many times 🙂
Erin says
Hi Tova, so glad you enjoyed them!!
Paul says
Flavor was great. Touting this as "healthy" when you have people adding store-bought BBQ sauce (which notoriously has high amounts of sugar) and greatly affects the listed "nutritional info" is a disservice to your readers that are struggling with trying to be healthy and don't actually know any better.
Erin says
Hi Paul, I'm sorry that you did not like the recipe! We've heard tons of good things about this one, bummed it didn't work out for you!
Kelly says
Another amazing meal prep recipe!! So flavorful and can pair well with so many different sides throughout the week.
Erin says
Hi Kelly, I am thrilled you loved them!! 🙂
Joann says
If you made these in the oven what would be the temperature and how long to bake ? Thanks.
Erin says
Hi Joann, I'd bake them at 400 for 20-30 minutes and use a meat thermometer until they reach 165F. Let me know how it works for you!
Jenifer Braciszewski says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! I subbed the coconut sugar with date sugar and I have to say it was delicious! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes! Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Jenifer, so happy you loved them!!
Kayla says
This recipe was delicious! Made a double batch for a family bbq. Everyone raved about it. I marinated in dry rub overnight and then just lightly brushed with bbq sauce while on the grill. Will definitely be making again. So yummy and so easy!
Erin says
Hi Kayla, so happy you loved them so much!! 🙂
Dana S. says
I was looking for an easy ingredient (something we already had), flavorful recipe for chicken we wanted to grill. This fit the bill 100%. I let the chicken sit all day (in a ziplock/fridge) and grilled in the evening. We didn't even use BBQ sauce because the dry rub was so good! Would highly recommend and use this again!
Erin says
Hi Dana, so happy you loved them so much and great idea!!
Katie says
Second meal I have made from ELW this week and it’s another great one! Not to mention, it was quick and simple, will definitely be making it again.
Erin says
Hi Katie, so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks for your support!
Rosemary Stamm says
So happy I tried this recipe! I've used barbeque sauce on chicken before, but the flavor added by using the dry rub made a huge difference!
I made barbequed chicken quesadillas with the leftovers and they were also delicious! Thank you...this recipe is a definite keeper!!
Erin says
Hi Rosemary, so glad you liked them and great idea!! 🙂
Dana Graham says
This recipe is amazing! My husband and kids loved it so much, even my daughter who isn’t much of a meat eater. This is definitely going into our rotation of chicken recipes.
Erin says
Hi Dana, so glad everyone enjoyed them!!
Rachel says
Spices were just perfect! I made this with chicken breast and everyone loved it! Thank you
Erin says
Hi Rachel, so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Amanda says
Wow these were SO flavorful!! We did both thighs and breasts and they were a huge hit! Already passed this recipe onto 2 family members 🙂
Erin says
Hi Amanda, so glad you loved them!!
Nicole Cramer says
These were SO delicious and SO easy!!! My husband and I loved them!! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
Erin says
Hi Nicole, so happy you both loved them! 🙂