These Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs with Creamy Green Sauce are a delicious meal that are healthy and quick to make!
I love cooking with chicken thighs because they are quick and easy and go with almost everything. They grill up really well and cook much faster and more evenly than chicken breast. Thanks to simple a marinade of salt, pepper and Oléico
This post is sponsored by Oléico. All opinions and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that keep this free blog going!
Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs with Creamy Green Sauce
I love this quick and easy meal for a weeknight dinner. This recipe lends itself especially well to meal planning and leftovers. The sauce makes everything taste great — dip it with veggies, schmear it on a sandwich or wrap, toss it with grains! I like to use chicken thighs because they grill up quickly. You can use whatever protein like beef, chicken breast, shrimp or tofu.
For the sauce, I use Greek yogurt as the base for the extra protein but it can be swapped out for mayo or vegan mayo. I make this in my Vitamix
If you don’t want to use rice, swap in quinoa, farro or any other grain really. I like to use lots of fresh herbs when serving, so a salad of mixed greens, spinach, butter lettuce or something similar would be great too.
Oléico High Oleic Safflower Oil
For this recipe I used Oléico oil. It’s a great all-natural safflower seed oil that is odorless and has a very neutral taste. It’s smoke point is 450F so it’s great for grilling, sautéing, frying and baking. I’ve found that most high smoke point oils, like coconut or avocado, have a strong flavor. I prefer Oléico for cooking because it allows my flavors shine through and not be over powered.
Oléico is also expeller pressed meaning that no chemicals are used during the extraction process. This gives the oil a clean finish and no traces chemicals left. Not to mention, this oil is high in Omega-9 fatty acids that can help lower bad cholesterol and raise the good. Win-win!
Oléico is now available in many stores including H-E-B and Amazon.
Tips for Getting Good Grill Marks
I love a good grill mark for presentation when serving foods! A key to getting those good grill marks to make sure your grill grates are clean. Scrape any bits off. This will ensure nothing gets stuck.
The next tip is to make sure your grill is nice and hot. That will give that sear on the meat or vegetables when you put them on the grates. Brush with a high heat oil, like Oléico, before placing onto the grill.
Then be sure and wait. Don’t move the meat or veggie around. Let it sit for a few minutes, as appropriate depending on your grilling time, to get those good marks. If you move the piece around, the marks won’t be as clean looking.
I love how the grilled avocado turned out! I simply brushed it with a little bit of Oléico then placed it onto the grates for about 2-3 minutes at high heat. This also works with peppers, carrots and even romaine!
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Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs with Creamy Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp Oléico oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt reduce by half if using table salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup dry rice *optional can substitute quinoa, leafy greens, lentils, etc
- 2 english cucumbers *optional for serving
Creamy Green Sauce
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt can substitute mayo
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 4-5 sprigs mint thick stems removed
- 1/2 jalapeño seeds removed
- 4-5 green onions white and green parts
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt reduce by half if using table salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lime zest
Instructions
- In a bowl or container, mix Oléico oil with salt and pepper. Toss chicken thighs in mixture and let marinate in the fridge for 30min up to overnight.
- To make the green sauce, combine yogurt with mint, cilantro, jalapeño, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper and lime zest in a blender or food processor until smooth. About 30-60 seconds on medium speed. Place into container and let flavors meld in the fridge until ready to serve. Up to five days ahead of time.
- Make the rice according to package directions. This recipe also works great with quinoa, leafy green salad, lentils, etc.
- Grill the chicken thighs over a hot grill, about 400F, for five minutes on each side or until the thickest part reaches 165F.
- Serve chicken thighs with rice or salad and Creamy Green Sauce. Add additional fresh herbs, green onions and cucumbers if desired. Enjoy!
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