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Dijon Grilled Chicken Thighs
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Dijon Grilled Chicken Thighs

Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, tarragon and thyme and good, hot coals add up to smoky chicken thighs with a subtle European accent.
Course Main Course, Poultry
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 large cloves, roughly chopped
  • 4 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1/2 pound each
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Marinate the chicken. Combine all ingredients through the thyme in a bowl and whisk together. Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and put the thighs in a zippered plastic bag or glass baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken, making sure to coat all the pieces. Close the bag (or cover baking dish with plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Turn chicken occasionally to make sure it all remains coated with marinade.
  • Grill the chicken. Remove chicken from fridge about 1/2 hour before you're ready to grill. If you're using a charcoal grill, this can be about when you start the coals. Prepare your grill for indirect grilling. If you use charcoal, arrange hot coals on one side of the grill. (If you use a gas grill, do whatever you do for indirect grilling.) Lightly oil the grate.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess marinade (make sure to scrape off any garlic chunks). Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper.
  • Place chicken on the grill away from the coals, skin side up. Cover the grill and cook for about 10 minutes to cook off some of the fat under the skin. This will reduce flareups when you cook over the direct heat. Move chicken over the coals, skin side down, cover grill and cook until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chicken skin side up over coals, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Move chicken back away from coals, skin side up. Cover and cook until a quick-read thermometer registers 165ºF when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (being careful to avoid the bone). The timing here is anyone’s guess, which is why the thermometer is an invaluable tool. Start checking after 10 or so minutes, but don’t be surprised if it takes a good deal longer (see Kitchen Notes).
  • When chicken is done, transfer to a serving platter and tent with foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Kitchen Notes

Grilling and timing. I am purposely vague here because I'm having quite the learning curve with our new grill. It runs hot—I swear, I could probably use it as a kiln. If you know how your grill does, you can probably estimate your timing a little better.
What to serve alongside. We had this with a potato salad Marion made, using lots of dill from our garden, and a green salad. The idea is things that are make-ahead or come together quickly and don't require precision timing—no souffles, for instance. To drink, we had a crisp Chilean rosé. Beer would also be great, if you prefer, but something not crazy heavy.