Peruvian Inspired Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Goddess Dressing 

These Peruvian Inspired Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Goddess Dressing are perfect for cookouts, BBQ’s or any gathering. The chicken is marinated in olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice, honey, lightly crushed garlic, and the most delicious spice blend.

Grilled to perfection, these chicken thighs are juicy, tender and jam packed with flavor. Top with a zippy yogurt-based green goddess dressing, you’re going to love this recipe. If you love this recipe, give my Chimichurri Grilled Chicken Thighs a try!

About Smart Chicken 

For this recipe, I used Smart Chicken’s boneless skinless chicken thighs. Whether grilled, roasted or pan fried, their thighs come out juicy, tender and delicious every single time. Smart Chicken is the reason I started eating chicken again after 9 years without. Their products are superior in every way.

In fact, Smart Chicken’s chickens are fed a high-quality diet, humanely handled, and never given antibiotics, hormones, or animal by-products. Smart Chicken is USDA Process Verified as pure air chilled, without added water and are hand-trimmed for your convenience. The result is the best-tasting, highest-quality fresh chicken on the market!

This post is sponsored by Smart Chicken. I was compensated for my time, but all opinions are my own.

Ingredients Needed for Peruvian Inspired Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Goddess Dressing

Chicken – This recipe calls for two pounds of Smart Chicken’s chicken thighs. Two pounds is approximately 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. 

Chicken Marinade – Combine olive oil, honey, fresh squeezed lime juice, lightly crushed garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, cumin, paprika, chili powder, dried oregano, kosher salt and cracked black pepper in a mixing bowl. Once well combined, add the thighs to the marinade. Toss until the chicken is well coated. Cover the glass bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Do not marinate for over 4 hours. 

Green Goddess Dressing – Combine 0% Greek yogurt, fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh basil, fresh Italian parsley, garlic cloves, seeded jalapeno, water and kosher salt in a blender or food processor. Buzz until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. For thinner dressing use more water, for thicker dressing use less water.

Garnishes – Serve this dish with extra lime wedges and fresh parsley. 

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s

Why do you lightly crush the garlic? When grilling, diced garlic can easily burn, so it is best to use whole cloves or lightly crushed cloves of garlic in the marinade. That way the cloves can be easily removed before grilling.

Why do you use olive oil in the marinade? Olive oil has a slightly higher smoke point that extra virgin olive oil, which makes it better for grilling. However, avocado oil has an even higher smoke point than olive oil, which is why I use that to brush the grill grates before adding the protein.

Grill Chicken Thighs like a PRO, with these Tips and Tricks

• Preheat your grill to 400-450 degrees. Clean the grill grates and lubricate them with avocado oil right before you are ready to add the protein. Brushing the grill grates with avocado oil right before adding the meat will prevent the meat from sticking to the grates. Avocado oil has a high smoke point which will also promote a good sear.

• Another way to lubricate your grill grates with less flare up than the brushing method, is to tightly roll a clean kitchen towel. Dip the rolled towel in avocado oil until it is moistened. Use metal tongs to grab the towel and carefully rub the grill grates with the tightly rolled avocado oil-soaked towel. This method of lubricating the grill grates causes less flare up from the grill and is just as effective.

More Grilling Tips and Tricks

• When marinating any protein in an acid-based marinade (citrus or vinegar) be sure to use a non-reactive bowl. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel or Ziplock bags work best. Metal, aluminum or cast-iron bowls are considered “reactive” materials and will impart a metallic flavor into the food when they come in contact with acid. Leaving behind a very unpleasant flavor. Here are some of my favorite marinating essentials.

• Only marinate this chicken thigh recipe for 15-30 minutes. Do not marinate over four hours. This marinade has acid (lime juice) in it, so it will breakdown the protein overtime. If it sits too long your protein will get mushy and will be very difficult to grill. Make sure you cover the glass or nonreactive bowl with a lid or Saran wrap and place it in the refrigerator when marinating.

• Once the chicken has marinated, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before grilling.

• When grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs, you’ll want to grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken!

How to Make Peruvian-Inspired Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Goddess Dressing 

Marinate the Chicken 

Combine olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice, honey, lightly crushed garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, cumin, paprika, chili powder, dried oregano, kosher salt and cracked black pepper in a glass mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add the chicken thighs and toss until they are well coated in the marinade. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Do not marinate over 4 hours. 

Make the Green Goddess Dressing 

Combine 0% Greek yogurt, fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh basil, fresh Italian parsley, garlic cloves, jalapenos, kosher salt and water in a blender or food processor. Buzz until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

For thicker dressing use less water, for thinner dressing use more water. You can adjust based on your preferred thickness.

Grill the Chicken 

Preheat the gas grill to 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the grates with avocado oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Add the marinated chicken thighs to the grill grates. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Total cooking time will be 12-14 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and add it to a platter. Top it with a drizzle of green goddess dressing, serve and enjoy. 

Grilling time will vary based on the thickness of your boneless skinless chicken thighs.

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave. Store extra dressing in a separate airtight container for three to four days. 

Looking for more recipes? Try my Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Thighs.