• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kitchen Laughter logo

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipe Index
  • Resources
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Poultry » Chicken

    Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs {35 Minutes}

    Published: May 25, 2021 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Share
    Pin39
    39 Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs are so incredibly juicy, tender and healthy they will quickly become a family favorite! 

    four chicken thighs over direct heat on the grill grate with flames underneath.
    Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs for a Simple BBQ Recipe
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    2 🐔 Ingredients
    3 🔥 Instructions
    4 🍴 Substitutions
    5 🍽️ Stovetop Instructions
    6 🧑‍🍳 Baking Instructions
    7 💡 Recipe Tips
    8 Recipe FAQs
    9 Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

    This recipe has robust flavors and gives you a tender piece of meat perfect for all occasions. Plus, it’s easy enough for someone who is just starting out in the kitchen…or the grill!

    🍽️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    Versatile | This is an incredibly versatile recipe and can be customized depending on preferences.

    Fast | You can prep and cook the chicken in just 35 minutes.

    Easy to Double/Triple the Recipe | It makes four servings, and you can easily make a larger batch.

    Healthy | Each serving is around 140 calories, so if you are watching what you eat, this is for you!

    🐔 Ingredients

    ingredient photo showing the chicken covered in the seasoning on the grill with labels.
    Simple Ingredients

    I don’t think you’ll find an easier and more delicious recipe! Let’s take a look at what you will need to make it.

    Whole Peppercorns | They are flavorful and will add that extra pizzazz we all love to the chicken.

    Salt | Make sure to use kosher salt because it keeps the chicken nice and tender.

    Lemon Peel | For best results, use a dried lemon peel. It’s going to give you the most flavor.

    🔥 Instructions

    process photos showing how to make the seasoning in a food processor and then adding it to chicken and grilling.
    Simple Instructions! Make the Seasoning Ahead of Time

    There are two distinct phases to this recipe: making the seasoning and then grilling the chicken.

    🍋 Lemon Pepper Seasoning

    To make the seasoning, you will need dried lemons peels. You can buy them at your local grocery store in the spice section or you can easily make your own in no time! 

    Step One: Wash lemons. I like to scrub them to make sure all excess chemical residue is off and tend to try to get organic for this reason, if available. 

    Step Two: Use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife and peel away the skin onto a sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper. Spread out the lemon peels evenly so they aren’t bunched up in areas or they will be hard to dry. 

    Step Three: Using the oven is the fastest method and you can dry these at 200 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. You know they are done when they SNAP easily. Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator that is turned on to 95 degrees for 8-10 hours. Again, make sure they SNAP when you try to break them. 

    Store in an airtight container. 

    Step Four: Grind whole peppercorns and the dried lemon peels in a Mini Food Processor. 

    Step Five: Combine dried lemon peel, ground peppercorns and kosher salt into a bowl and mix thoroughly. 

    Note: This recipe makes about ½ a cup of seasoning. 

    🔥 Grilling the Chicken

    Step One: Rub bone in/skin on chicken thighs with olive oil.  Sprinkle the lemon pepper dry rub on the thighs. I ended up using almost two tablespoons. 

    Step Two: Grill the chicken at 350 degrees for eight minutes on each side. I kept grilling until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees. 

    Step Three: Remove and serve!

    🍴 Substitutions

    You can use this seasoning on:

    • Chicken breasts 
    • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 
    • Whole Turkey 
    • Cornish Hen 
    • Turkey Legs 
    • Turkey Breast 
    • Asparagus 
    • Brussels Sprouts 
    • Grilled Carrots 

    🍽️ Stovetop Instructions

    If you don’t feel like heating up the grill, you can cook these indoors on a cast iron skillet with no problem.

    Step One: Heat up the cast iron skillet to medium to medium high heat. Allow it to heat up for 5-6 minutes before placing the chicken on the hot skillet. You want that initial sear to lock in the juices.

    Step Two: Cook the chicken in the skillet for about eight minutes per side side. Once you turn it over, turn the skillet down to low to allow it to finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. This is critical for cooking the bone in chicken as it takes more time to cook. 

    🧑‍🍳 Baking Instructions

    You can cook these in the oven as well with great results! 

    Step One: Heat oven up to 400 degrees and place chicken thighs on a cast iron skillet. 

    Step Two: Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. 

    💡 Recipe Tips

    Meal prepping these is simple! Make the seasoning ahead of time. That’s it. This is the only thing that takes any amount of time for this recipe. The rest is sprinkle, sprinkle and you’re putting them on the grill. 

    If you make the seasoning ahead of time, you will have enough for 3-4 batches of chicken thighs so you won’t have to make this every time. 

    decorative jar with the lemon pepper seasoning inside.
    Make Your Own Homemade Seasoning

    Recipe FAQs

    Should I use Store Bought or Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning 

    I was asked why I would make lemon pepper seasoning when I could just run to the store to buy my own. True. I get that but look at the ingredients on the back of the jars. I was not happy to see that many included ingredients that I didn’t want to serve my family.

    One of the popular store-bought varieties includes Calcium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Silicate, and FD&C Yellow 5 Lake. So, I had never heard of some of these additives and looked them up. It turns out that Yellow 5 is made from coal tar! Yeah, that is not being served in this house. 
     
    My homemade lemon pepper seasoning has three easy ingredients. It smells incredibly fresh, and once you get a taste of it, it’s hard to go back to prepackaged varieties. Once you taste this, it will blow your socks off! 
    Now, if you only have the option to buy a jarred lemon pepper seasoning – by all means, buy it and make this chicken. Just at some point, try making your own and taste the difference! 

    How long does cooked chicken last?

    If stored in the refrigerator in an a sealed container, it will last up to four days.

    How do you reheat chicken?

    There are a couple of options for reheating the chicken. The fastest way is going to be the microwave. Cover it with a damp paper towel and heat for a minute or so until it’s hot.

    But, you can also warm it in the oven as well. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly brush the chicken with olive oil. Warm it for 15-20 minutes or until it’s hot.

    Related Recipes

    • Grilled Chipotle Lime Chicken {15 Minutes}
    • Grilled Chicken with Pico de Gallo {50 Minutes}
    • Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Recipe {15 Minutes}
    • Grilled Huli Huli Chicken {15 Minutes}

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    grilled chicken thigh with lemon and pepper seasoning over the grill.

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

    Amazing All Natural Lemon Pepper Dry Rub and Chicken Thighs on the Grill
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 140kcal
    Author: Jason

    Ingredients

    Lemon Pepper Dry Rub

    • ½ cup Whole Peppercorns
    • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
    • ½ cup Lemon Peel dried

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

    • 4 each Chicken Thighs bone in / skin on
    • 1 tsp Olive Oil

    Instructions

    Lemon Pepper Dry Rub

    • Grind the whole peppercorns and dried lemon peels in a food processor
    • Combine salt, pepper and lemon peel in a bowl and mix well

    Prepare the Lemon Pepper Chicken

    • Trim the excess fat and skin from the chicken thighs.
    • Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
    • Rub the thighs with olive oil. This will help the skins get crispy on the grill, and will help the dry rub stick to the thighs.
    • Sprinkle the thighs with the Lemon Pepper Dry Rub.

    Grilling

    • Set up your grill for direct heat at 350 degrees.
    • After the grill is at temperature, put the chicken thighs on the grating, skin side up and grill for eight minutes.
    • Turn the thighs over and grill for an additional eight minutes.
    • Check that the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Continue to grill until they are completely cooked.
    • Remove from the grill and serve!

    Notes

    Cooked Through: Chicken Thighs are notoriously difficult to tell when they are completely cooked through.  The most reliable way to measure is using a wireless meat thermometer.  It is too hard to judge if the chicken is under- or over-cooked otherwise. Cooking chicken should be done to 165 degrees. 
    Lemon Pepper Seasoning Amount: This recipe makes about ½ a cup of seasoning. Store in a sealed container for up to 1 year. 
    Chicken Storage: If stored in the refrigerator in an a sealed container, it will last up to four days.
    Reheating: If stored in the refrigerator in an a sealed container, it will last up to four days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1752mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs {35 Minutes}Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs {35 Minutes}
    Share
    Pin39
    39 Shares
    « Smoked Salmon Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms {30 Minutes}
    Grilled Jamaican Jerk Swordfish {10 Minutes} »

    Primary Sidebar

    family photo
    Welcome!  We love to grill and have a blast trying new recipes!  Join us and explore our favorite grilling recipes.

    Join the Kitchen Laughter Crew!

    Subscribe to get exclusive deals, tips, and the lastest info you need to step up your grilling game!

      We won't send you spam, but you can unsubscribe at any time. :-)

      Powered By ConvertKit
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest

      Most Popular Posts

      How to Home Cure and Smoke Bacon

      Smoking Bacon on the Big Green Egg

      Smoked Cauliflower {45 Minutes}

      whole head of cauliflower in a cast iron skillet in front of the big green egg.

      Grilled Pork Shoulder

      Grilled Pork Shoulder is Almost Ready after more than 11 hours
      graphic showing publications that kitchen laughter was featured in.
      • Home
      • About Us
      • Recipe Index
      • Resources

      Footer

      About

      • Privacy Policy
      • Disclaimer
      • Accessibility Policy

      Contact

      • Contact

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.