Calabrian Grilled Chicken Thighs

Craving the flavors of Chicken Calabrese, but don’t want to feel weighed down by the heaviness of melted mozzarella. Then try this recipe for Calabrese style Grilled Chicken Thighs. It has all the flavors of Chicken Calabrese but without any unhealthy frying or copious amounts of melted mozzarella cheese.

This recipe starts with grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs. My go to chicken cut because of the flavor and the juiciness. It does have more fat compared to chicken breasts but this is still a fairly health recipe because the chicken is not fried.

How long should you grill boneless chicken thighs?

Fire up your gas grill to 500 degrees. Make sure your grill grates are clean. Then slap down the chicken thighs.

Grill the chicken thighs over direct heat with the lid down. Grill for 8 minutes then flip. You should see some nice grill marks on the chicken after you flip. Grill for another 8 minutes. Bring the temperature of the grilled chicken up to 170 degrees F at the thickest part of the thigh.

Once you bring the chicken thighs up to temp take off the grill and let them rest.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Grilled

What flavors are part of Calabrese Chicken?

When I think of Calabrese Chicken I immediately think of Tomato and Basil. For this recipe, chop a small handful of fresh basil and flat leaf parsley. Also, quarter two cocktail tomatoes.

Fresh Basil and Flat Leaf Parsley and Tomatoes on a cutting board

While you are preparing the other ingredients let the grilled chicken thighs cool. Check out those Sear Marks!

Boneless Skinless Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sear Marks

How do you plate Calabrese style grilled chicken thighs?

This chicken dish is extremely easy to plate. It’s a quick mid week recipe idea that has a ton of flavor but healthy and quick to whip up.

First step is once the chicken is cooled chop the chicken thighs into small bite size pieces.

Second step is lay Queso fresco cheese crumbles and the tomato wedges over the chicken thighs. Wait back up, did you just say Queso Fresco in a Calabrese dish. Yep, sure did. Queso Fresco is similar to fresh mozzarella in that it has a very mild taste. However, I used it in this recipe since the cheese wasn’t going to be melted and the Queso Fresco crumbles nicely over the dish.

Last step now that we got the cheese concerns out of the way is throw some fresh chopped parsley and basil as well as drizzling some balsamic glaze over the dish.

This is where the flavor really kicks in. Its the difference between a so so dish and a refreshing summer recipe. Fresh summer tomatoes and fresh herbs make all the difference in the world.

Grilled Chicken Thigh Calabrese with Balsalmic Glaze by Sear Marks

Weeknight meals can sometimes turn into the same old same old. Chicken can get boring also. Give this recipe a try. It’s a quick meal and delicious.

Grilled Chicken Thigh Calabrese with Balsamic Glaze

Tips for making Calabrese Chicken.

• Start with a clean grill. Dirty grills equals dirty food.
• Use fresh ingredients. Fresh Herbs and Tomatoes are key to a tasty meal that brings in the compliments.
• Use Grill Tongs to flip the chicken not forks. The less you pierce the chicken the better. You want to keep those chicken thighs juicy.
• Experiment with different balsamic glazes. Find a quality glaze that compliments the chicken.

If you like this recipe for Calabrese style grilled chicken thighs check out other Italian inspired recipes from Sear Marks by clicking the link below!

Stromboli

The best grilled eggplant parmesan recipe

Print Recipe

Calabrese style grilled chicken thighs

By Drew – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 16

Looking for a Calabrian inspired chicken recipe without the heaviness of melted cheese or fried cutlets, then check out this recipe for Calabrese style grilled chicken thighs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Small bunch of basil
• Smaill bunch of parsley
• 2 Cocktail Tomatoes
• Basalmic Glaze
• Salt
• Queso Fresco crumbles

Instructions

1

Preheat gas grill to 500 degrees

2

Salt chicken thighs

3

Place thighs on a clean grill

4

Grill chicken over direct heat with grill lid down for 8 minutes then flip

5

Grill for an additional 8 minutes over direct heat with the lid down

6

Remove chicken and turn off the grill

7

Chop fresh parsley and basil

8

Cut cocktail tomatoes into quarters

9

Cut chicken into small pieces and plate

10

Then add parsley, basil, and tomatoes

11

Crumble cheese over plate

12

Finish with drizzling Balsamic Glaze over dish

13

Serve

Notes

-Bring the chicken thighs up to 170 degrees F before taking off the grill.