Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Chimichurri
Grilled chicken is likely on rotation in your summer grilling routine. It’s quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing. But it can definitely get boring after a while if you’re tossing the meat in the same ol’ marinade week after week. Here’s how to spice it up.
Make a Fast Chimichurri
Chimichurri, a sauce from Argentina, is made up of a mix of herbs like parsley, cilantro, and mint that are blended with garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. The result is herby with just the right amount of tang to cut through rich meat. Traditionally served with grilled skirt steak, it also makes a great companion to grilled chicken thighs.
Pack Extra Flavor into Chicken
Sure, you can grill the chicken plain and just serve the chimichurri sauce alongside the cooked meat, but tossing the meat with some of the sauce before it’s grilled ensures that the flavorful sauce will soak into every corner of the chicken. And of course, you should also spoon the remaining sauce over the cooked meat — it’s too delicious not to.
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Chimichurri
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup
packed fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup
packed fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons
lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons
red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
Place the parsley, cilantro, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times until blended but still a little chunky.
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the chimichurri and toss to combine. Transfer the remaining chimichurri to a serving bowl.
Heat an outdoor gas grill or grill pan to medium-high heat, or heat an outdoor charcoal grill for indirect grilling. Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill (direct heat if grilling on charcoal) and cook undisturbed and uncovered until the skin is crisp and golden-brown, about 5 minutes. (Discard any leftover chimichurri marinade.) Flip the chicken and grill until the second side is browned, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Reduce the heat to medium-low or move the chicken to indirect heat if using a charcoal grill. Cover the grill (or loosely cover with foil if using a grill pan) and grill until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and let rest for a few minutes. Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The chimichurri can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator with some plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to keep it from browning.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.