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These crispy Old Bay grilled chicken thighs are our favorite way of grilling chicken! If you are a longtime reader, then you will know that Mike and I love using Old Bay seasoning; it is one of the tastiest and easiest seasonings around. This is an easy recipe that the whole family will love!
If you love Old Bay, then try my buttery Old Bay steamed shrimp recipe or use it in my air fryer chicken recipe!
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs with skin on are the best piece of chicken to grill, without a doubt. I tend also to use bone-in chicken thighs, there have been countless articles about why it’s so much better to cook bone-in chicken, the least of which is flavor!
For this grilled chicken recipe, use bone-in and SKIN ON chicken to get the BEST chicken you’ll ever place on the grill!
Only Two Ingredients!
I don’t lie when I tell you guys that a recipe is easy, this chicken recipe is TWO INGREDIENTS: chicken thighs and Old Bay seasoning!
How to Grill Chicken Thighs
I promised this is an easy recipe, and now I’ll prove it! All you have to do to make these is:
- Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Season the skin on the top AND bottom of the chicken thighs quite heavily with Old Bay. See my photos for an example of how much to use. A nice coat of seasoning is the best, as some will come off with the grease from the skin while cooking.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400 °F) and brush the grate lightly with oil if needed.
- Place the chicken on the grill, leaving room between them.
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 185°F. (see my rant below on this) You can turn the chicken as needed depending on if your barbecue has hot spots or not.
- Remove and plate the chicken.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Bake These Chicken Thighs
You can absolutely make these in the oven too!
- Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Season the skin on the top AND bottom of the chicken thighs heavily with Old Bay.
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F. Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet, leaving room between them.
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 185°F.
- Remove and plate the chicken.
- Serve and enjoy!
The REAL Proper Internal Temperature to Cook Chicken Thighs To
If I have said it once, I will say it again—you do not cook chicken thighs to only 165 °F. If you see that in a recipe, run the other way. Countless chefs and cooks far more talented than I am have explained why you need to cook chicken thighs to 185 °F and up.
Cooking them to 185°F yields the most tender, juicy meat you will ever eat. If you click that link above, Cooks Illustrated will tell you all the science behind it! And they aren’t the only ones; most restaurant chefs and cooks know this method; it’s not a secret.
It’s honestly my pet peeve when recipes tell you to cook them to 165°F; that’s a warning sign that they really haven’t created a recipe that is going to get YOU the best meal that you can for your family, and use your precious (expensive!) ingredients the best way possible! And I see it ALL THE TIME on recipes. Drives me bonkers! (ok, rant over)
Tips and Tricks for Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Cooking the chicken upside down on the grill is another Cooks Illustrated trick, but I have a grill that reduces flare-ups, so I don’t grill my skin side down. If you choose to try this, oil your grate really well so that the skin doesn’t stick.
- Always cook to 185 °F at the minimum!
- Overseason the chicken slightly so that you don’t lose the seasoning when the fat drips off.
- Try to use chicken thighs that are all the same size.
- Using skinless chicken thighs does not work as well when grilling, the outside meat becomes tough and dry. If it’s to reduce calories, simply remove the skin after cooking. But man, the skin in this recipe is the best part!
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
We love a good chicken thigh recipe in this house! Try my:
- Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs ( this one uses a homemade Shake and Bake recipe! so good!)
- Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs
Happy cooking, everyone! I hope you try this. It honestly is our ” don’t know what to make for dinner” recipe that we use all the time! Everyone loves it, it’s easy, and we always have the two ingredients on hand.
Love,
Karlynn
Crispy Old Bay Grilled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 medium chicken thighs bone in and skin on
- 1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Season the skin on the top AND bottom of the chicken thighs heavily with Old Bay.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400 °F) and brush the grate lightly with oil if needed.
- Place the chicken on the grill, leaving room between them. Turn the chicken as needed or move if your BBQ has hot posts. I don't cook mine skin side down, they crisp up perfectly without flipping them over.
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 185°F.
- Remove and plate the chicken.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Jackie Bryant says
Can these Old Bay chicken thighs be baked in the oven?
Cheri Ocander says
Can these be baked or cooked in a castor pan?
June Robbs says
Probably the best chicken thigh recipe I have ever made. I didn’t have any Old Bay so made it from scratch. That was the hardest part of making this! The scratch version is tastier than store bought in my opinion. Paired this dish with your retro macaroni salad. Also a very tasty dish. Did 1/2 recipe amount , which made plenty for us 4, and cut the sugar to 1/2 T and could have cut even more next time.
Also, made the strawberry bread…another delicious recipe…but the bottom stuck. I’ll use parchment on bottom next time. I’ll repeat this again using blueberries next time. I’m having the White Lady drink, Mr Magpie, tonight.
Thank you for such great recipes.
Karlynn J says
We had these two nights ago, they are my favourite!!! I’m glad you enjoyed everything!
Susan Banks says
Hi:
I tried Old Bay seasoning for the first time last night! My daughter used it to fry shrimp and it was absolutely delicious! Now I see this recipe for chicken thighs using it so I am going to try it ASAP! However, I am wondering if this would work as well with chicken drumsticks?
Thanks!
Susan
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
photo doesn’t look grilled. Looks baked. what temperature to bake in the oven to get the skin crisped?
D says
How do you adjust if using a cast iron grill pan?
Brad says
Stupid easy and delicious! Be sure to bake to 185*. A meat thermometer is essential.
Karlynn says
Glad you liked it! It’s so easy and a go-to when I don’t know what to make for dinner!