Grilled Chicken Thighs with Italian Marinade

The marinade works as well with grilled pork chops as chicken. This recipe makes more marinade than is needed for four chicken thighs. The balance can be stored in the refrigerator.

Step 1: Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl,then pour into a bottle or re-sealable container that can be stored in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and place in a bowl. Shake the marinade to ensure that all oil and vinegar are mixed then pour over the chicken thighs. Make sure they are thoroughly covered then put the thighs in a zip-lock bag, pour the excess marinade from the bowl over the thighs and seal. Refrigerate for at least several hours, preferably overnight. Turn the bag over to re-coat the thighs several times while marinating.

Step 3: Lightly brush grill or grill pan with oil and set to medium or medium high heat. When the grill is hot, grill the chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side or until opaque and cooked through.

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless chicken thights

Ingredients for Marinade:

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed and roughly chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
  • 1 tablespoon basil leaves, rolled and chopped into chiffonade
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes