Sweet, sticky, and flavorful, these grilled sweet chili chicken thighs are perfect for your next BBQ. Marinated in a mouthwatering sauce and then brushed with sweet Thai chili sauce as it grills, this recipe will take your grilled chicken up a notch.

There’s nothing I love better than grilled chicken thighs, but you’re going to want to take them to the next level with this delicious sweet Thai chili glaze. They’re so delightfully juicy, flavorful, and tender.

Overhead view of a platter of sweet thai chili grilled chicken thighs garnished with lemon wedges and green onions.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I love grilled chicken and this is such an easy to to really change it up. You don’t need a ton of ingredients either.
Grilling chicken thighs doesn’t take that long, so you can quickly get dinner on your table.
It tastes amazing. I love the sweetness with a hint of heat of the sweet Thai chili sauce mixed with the savory soy sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make grilled sweet thai chili chicken thighs.

chicken thighs — I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs but you can also use chicken breasts. You just have to adjust the cooking time so the chicken breasts cook through.
seasoning — I season the chicken thighs with a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
soy sauce — some soy sauce to give the chicken a more savory note. I always use low sodium soy sauce.
rice vinegar — make sure you are using unseasoned rice vinegar. This helps cut through the sweetness and adds a bit of tang.
sweet Thai chili sauce — a portion is used for the marinade and the rest is used to brush the chicken as it grills. You might find this under a few different names such as Thai Sweet Chili Sauce or Asian Sweet Chili Sauce. It’s sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy all at once. This is the sauce I like.

How to Make Grilled Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs

Set of two photos showing chicken thighs seasoned and marinated in a bowl.

Add the chicken thighs to a mixing bowl and toss with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Once coated, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ½ cup of sweet chili sauce. Toss well to combine and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Set of two photos showing chicken thighs on a grill.

Heat the grill to 400F.
Place the chicken thighs onto the grill, smooth side down.
Grill the chicken thighs on direct heat for 3 minutes, depending on their size. Keep the grill lid closed.
Open the lid and flip the chicken thighs.

Set of two photos showing grilled chicken thighs brushed with sweet thai chili sauce.

Brush the chicken thighs generously with the sweet Thai chili sauce and close the lid, letting them cook for 3 minutes.
Open the lid and flip the chicken thighs again. Brush the other side, and cook for another minute with the lid closed.
Flip the chicken one last time to let the just-brushed side sear for a minute. Remove the chicken from the grill and rest for at least five minutes before serving. If possible, cover with foil.

Overhead view of a bowl of rice with grilled sweet thai chili chicken thighs, edamame, and carrots with two lemon slices.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Make sure to pat the chicken dry before adding to the seasoning, so it will stick better.
Always let the chicken rest before slicing. This gives the chicken thighs time to redistribute the juices and remain moist. If you slice too early, all the juices will run out of the chicken.
You can make this on a grill pan as well. Cook over medium-high heat.
The internal temperature of the chicken thighs should reach 165°F (74°C) before taking them off the grill. If you are using chicken breasts instead, make sure they also reach the same internal temperature. It usually takes me a total of 15 to 16 minutes to grill chicken breasts.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

Get it Now!

When you grill the chicken thighs, keep the lid on. This will trap the heat so the chicken will cook evenly.
If the chicken is getting too dark too quickly, you can move it to indirect heat. My grill has a second set of grates on the lid to pop the chicken onto, so it still cooks but not directly over the flames.
If the chicken thighs are stuck to the grill, give it a few more extra minutes. Similar to pan-searing chicken, the chicken should release once it’s ready to be flipped. If you try to flip the chicken thighs too early, the exterior will tear as it sticks to the grate.
I don’t add oil to my grill before placing the chicken thighs onto the grill. However, if you’re using a grill pan, you might need to add some oil to the pan and heat it up before adding the chicken.

A meal prep container with rice, carrots, edamame, and grilled sweet thai chili chicken thighs.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the sweet chili glazed grilled chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: allow the grilled chicken thighs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.

Grilled Sweet Thai Chili Chicken Thighs

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Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 48

Servings: servings

Ingredients

8 to 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1½ cups sweet thai chili sauce, divided into 1 (brushing) and ½ cup (marinating)

Instructions

Add the chicken thighs to a mixing bowl and toss with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Once coated, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ½ cup of sweet chili sauce. Toss well to combine and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat the grill to 400F.
Place the chicken thighs onto the grill, smooth side down.
Grill the chicken thighs on direct heat for 3 minutes, depending on their size. Keep the grill lid closed.
Open the lid and flip the chicken thighs. Brush the chicken thighs generously with the sweet Thai chili sauce and close the lid, letting them cook for 3 minutes.
Open the lid and flip the chicken thighs again. Brush and cook for another minute with the lid closed.
Flip the chicken one last time to let the just-brushed side sear for a minute. Remove the chicken from the grill and rest for at least five minutes before serving. If possible, cover with foil.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian

Nutrition Disclaimer

More Grilled Chicken Recipes to Try

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