| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | about 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on, trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- Few dashes cayenne pepper
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. In a non-reactive baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken to marinate, whisk together the vegetable oil, citrus zests and juices, cayenne pepper and the thyme. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to a couple hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the grill. Remove the chicken from marinade and let excess drip back into dish. Place chicken on the hot grill, without overcrowding the pieces. Grill until fully cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes total, depending on how hot your grill is. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 579 |
| Total Fat | 46 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 204 mg |
| Sodium | 622 mg |
Reviews
This is delicious and a go to when I’m low on pantry supplies.
Awesome flavor and really easy to do!
This chicken is as good as my favorite Mexican fast food take out. Now I can make my own, at home. I’ve been searching for this recipe for years. Thank you, Dave. I was a fan of your program.
I have made this recipe over and over again, it is perfect during the summer but so good that I crave it during the winter and don’t mind the cold weather to go to our to the grill.
I am not sure why some reviews rate it as bland… one thing I suggest is going a little heavier on the salt, it needs the extra salt for the flavors to come together. I use the fine grater and marinade at least 6 hours but the best result is when I marinade it over night. I do love the citrus flavors, I actually see that as a plus rather than a minus for this recipe.
Very nice recipe and it worked like a charm. i agree with some of the reviews that it was lacking just a bit in complexity. i also liked the lemon in it, the lime …not so much, the orange is ok.. i now replace the lime and orange with a second lemon and 2 tangerines, i tried the recipe i added chopped ginger, garlic and coarsely crushed pepper corns. 3rd one i did with 2 tsp of sambal oelek, chopped cilantro and a dash of soy sauce. i use the bone removed thighs, so 5 mins on each side at good heat is more than enough. a great idea turns phenomenal. both additions really added extra sparkle and i ended up the grilling hero of the evening. thanks for the basic bones of this.
These were delicious! Now, I did use boneless, skinless thigh fillets, and I marinated them all day, and I used an on the stove top grill pan, and I used canola oil rather than vegetable as I always do for health reasons, all of which worked beautifully. Easy to do (use a microplaner for the citrus peel and most of the work can be done way ahead. I’d add a third or even fourth dash of cayenne next time — and we don’t like our food hot. It just could use another little boost. And if you like garlic, why not add a minced clove or two to the marinade? But it’s an excellent citrus marinade just as it is, and whether you eat poultry skin or not or choose canola oil or not or like more cayenne or garlic is all a very personal choice, right? If you marinate all day with skinless, I can assure you, there’s lots of wonderful citrus flavor!
I love this recipe.. I marinate over night and inject the excess liquid right to the bone to get a little extra flavor.
This was a hit with the family. I think the next time I’ll marinate it longer and maybe even add a little more taragon!
iam addicted to this recipe ,i make the best chicken ive ever tasted! add a dash of hot sauce! yum!!!
this is one of my favorite things to grill. i usually use chicken thighs because i like dark meat.