Juicy Blackstone Chicken Thighs

Tender, juicy chicken thighs that have been marinated, seasoned, and seared on a hot griddle for big flavor and fast, no-fuss cooking.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Marinate up to 10

Total Time 10 40

Servings

Calories 340kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

2 lb chicken thighs skinless, boneless
24 oz Italian salad dressing
2 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp table salt
1 tbsp black pepper ground fine
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp MSG optional

Instructions

Lay your chicken thighs out on a prep tub or cutting board and trim off any excess fat or skin hanging off the sides.
Transfer the trimmed thighs to a bowl or container and add the Italian dressing until the chicken is fully submerged. Cover the container and store it in the fridge for eight to ten hours.
Pull the marinated chicken out of the container. Let the excess dressing drip off, but don’t pat dry; it acts as a binder for the seasoning and helps with browning. Lay the chicken out onto a cutting board.
Apply the seasoning liberally all over the thighs.
Preheat your griddle to medium heat, about 350°F surface temp.
Once the griddle is preheated, add 1–2 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering before adding the chicken.
Place the thighs on the griddle and leave them alone until they build up a nice char. This should take five to seven minutes per side, no longer than 20 minutes in total.
Your chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of around 175-185°F.

Seasoning

In a small bowl or seasoning shaker, combine the ingredients and mix to combine well.

Notes

I recommend using Italian salad dressing. The vinegar in the dressing helps break down the muscle fibers in the chicken, resulting in a more tender bite. Additionally, the flavors of garlic, onion, and pepper enhance the overall taste.

If you're short on time, you can get away with just marinating them for two to three hours, but I’ve found that eight to ten hours yields the best flavor.

If using a store-bought seasoning, avoid those with sugar. Sugar tends to burn easily on the griddle's surface, especially when mixed with the marinade. You can use any griddle you like for this recipe.

Any griddle with a flat surface will work for this recipe. I used my Traeger Flatrock, but I’ve made chicken thighs on my Blackstone griddle, my Camp Chef Gridiron, and even on my gas grill with a griddle plate on the top.

Don't overcrowd the chicken on the griddle. Give each thigh enough room to breathe; overcrowding traps steam and kills your crust. Work in batches if necessary.

Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 165°F internally, I’ve found that dark chicken meat (thighs and legs) tends to taste a lot better and have a better overall texture when it’s brought up to a higher internal temperature.

Nutrition