Name: Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1-2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp each salt and pepper; 2 tsp each cumin, dried cilantro, garlic powder, and onion powder; 4 tsp chili powder; 1 lime (juiced); Fresh cilantro

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Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs are an easy and delicious summer recipe that can be cooked on a grill or an outdoor griddle. The Taco Thighs are perfect for making tacos, fajitas, rice bowls, and even quesadillas.

When it comes to summer cooking, I want maximum flavor, minimal prep work, and all the fresh flavors. This recipe delivers all of the above and the possibilities on what to create with them are endless.

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This is a simple summer recipe that acts as the backbone of some of our favorite warm weather dinners.

This recipe is made with simple ingredients like boneless skinless chicken thighs, oil, lime, and cilantro! You don’t have to make a trip to the fancy seasoning store either, because it gets basic seasonings that you probably already have in the pantry!

If you are looking for a similar recipe you can cook inside, check out my Sheet Pan Chicken Thigh Fajitas.

If you love burrito bowls, check out my Spicy Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls. This recipe includes the chicken, a quick cilantro lime rice, and a fresh corn salsa!

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Olive oil (or any cooking oil you have)
Salt, pepper, cumin, dried cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder
Fresh lime, juiced
Fresh cilantro

Make Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs

To start making the chicken thighs, add about 2 1/2 lbs of boneless skinlesss chicken thighs to a bowl.

Next, add about 1-2 tbsp of oil.

Season with salt, pepper, cumin, dried cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.

Add the juice of one lime and stir everything together well until the chicken is well coated in seasoning.

I like to let this sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes or up to a couple of hours in the refrigerator, but if you have more time it’s only going to add more flavor!

Preheat your grill or griddle to medium-high heat and cook the seasoned chicken for 6-7 minutes per side.

Once they have a nice char and temp at around 185 degrees F, top with fresh cilantro and a spritz of fresh lime juice for added freshness.

Grill the Chicken Thighs

One of the best ways to cook the Taco Chicken Thighs is on a gas grill.

Preheat your grill to about medium-high heat.

Grill the chicken for about 6-7 minutes per side.

I like cooking chicken thighs until they have a nice char and reach an internal temperature of at least 185 degrees F.

While chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees F, chicken thighs may still be a little tough at that temperature.

Cooking them to 185-190 degrees F helps them be more tender, juicy, and easier to pull apart.

Once the thighs are fully cooked, I like to top them with some fresh cilantro and extra lime juice for freshness.

Cook the Taco Chicken Thighs on a Griddle

Another way to cook the chicken thighs is making them on an outdoor griddle.

Get your griddle to medium-high heat.

Add the chicken thighs to the griddle and let them cook for about 6-7 minutes per side.

When making this recipe on the griddle its super easy to add some peppers and onions as the chicken cooks!

To make the fajita veggies, I start by slicing 3-4 bell peppers and an onion into long strips.

The veggies are then tossed in a couple tbsp of olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Chicken thighs, rice, peppers, and onion cooking on a griddle

The veggies should be added to one side of the griddle over medium heat about 5 minutes before you start cooking the chicken thighs so they have a chance to cook down.

The microwavable packs of white rice also cook really well on the griddle if you’re looking for a super easy no-prep side for the chicken thighs.

Once the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F, top them with some fresh cilantro and extra lime juice if desired.

Plated Chicken Thighs, peppers, onions, and rice

Serve Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs

Once your Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs are fully cooked, it’s time to eat!

I served the chicken sliced over some white rice with the peppers and onions I cooked on the griddle. I topped it with some more cilantro and some Taco Bell Chipotle sauce.

Plated Chicken Thighs, rice, peppers, onions, chipotle sauce

This recipe is versatile and can be as quick as you need it to be! The chicken is great for making tacos, rice bowls, or even quesadillas.

These Taco Chicken Thighs also make great tacos!

I like making the tacos on white corn tortillas with homemade Pico de Gallo, cheese, and fresh Corn Salsa.

You can top the chicken with any of your favorite taco toppings!

You will love this recipe because it’s super easy, made with simple ingredients, and is a versatile recipe.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

I cook chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of at least 185 degrees F. This helps the fat render, but they are technically fully cooked at 165 degrees F.
I like using my homemade blend for taco seasoning, but you could use some taco seasoning packets if you are short on time.
These Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs are perfect for making rice bowls, tacos, or quesadillas.
If you want a similar recipe that is cooked inside in your oven check out my Sheet Pan Chicken Thigh Fajitas.
When making rice bowls or tacos I like topping them with homemade Pico de Gallo and fresh Corn Salsa.

Chicken Thigh Tacos with plated Chicken, tortillas, corn salsa, and Pico de gallo

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If you make these Grilled Taco Chicken Thighs I hope they are a hit! If you like the recipe, please leave me a comment or save this recipe to your Pinterest account for later.