I like my grilled boneless chicken thighs one way and one way only - juicy and flavorful inside and out with a semi-crunchy exterior. These thighs are flavored with one of my favorite Caribbean seasonings - Haitian Epis.
These delicious chicken thighs come together easily. Dinner is as simple as marinating the chicken and grilling on high heat for a few minutes per side. The epic tenderizes and flavors.
What is Epis Seasoning?
Epis is a base seasoning unique to Haitian cooking. It’s similar to a soffits or even French mirepoix. Haitians used it in soups and stews and everything else in between. It adds depth and subtlety to a dish.
Ingredients Needed To Make Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Haitian Epis
- Yellow Onion
- Bell Pepper
- Scotch Bonnet Peppers
- Celery
- Green Onions
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How To Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs
You don’t really need a recipe for this but I’ll humor you anyway.
Simply puree all the Epis ingredients in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
Wash chicken and then place in a plastic ziplock bag. Add the epis and massage the epis seasoning into the chicken so that each piece is fully covered by the seasoning. Marinate refrigerated for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer if you have time.
Allow chicken to reach room temperature. Prepare grill for high heat indirect grilling with an additional cool zone. Basically you want to set up dual zone grilling, i.e. the hot side should be hot coals directly below the chicken. The cooler zone should be opposite with no coals beneath.
Once coals are ready, wipe them with an olive oil soaked napkin. Grill the chicken on each side 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and allow to cool.
Cooking Considerations and Tips for Grilling Thighs
Don’t fret if you don’t have all the epis ingredients. You can free wheel things a bit.
Habanero chili peppers are good substitutes for scotch bonnet peppers and they’re also much easier to find.
Use any color bell pepper you have access to. The color of your peppers will drive the color of the finished product so don’t worry if yours doesn’t look like what you see in the photo.
Boneless chicken thighs are easier to handle, but you can definitely make this with bone-in thighs. If you go this route make sure you season below the skin of the chicken.
Serve these grilled thighs with collard greens, potato salad, braised cabbage, or cucumber salad.
More Chicken Based Recipes
Garam Masala Spiced Chicken Thighs
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 1 cup Haitian Epis Seasoning
Instructions
- Simply puree all the Epis ingredients in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
- Wash chicken and then place in a plastic ziplock bag. Add the epis and massage the epis seasoning into the chicken so that each piece is fully covered by the seasoning. Marinate refrigerated for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer if you have time.
- Allow chicken to reach room temperature. Prepare grill for high heat indirect grilling with an additional cool zone. Basically you want to set up dual zone grilling, i.e. the hot side should be hot coals directly below the chicken. The cooler zone should be opposite with no coals beneath.
- Once coals are ready, wipe them with an olive oil soaked napkin. Grill the chicken on each side 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and allow to cool.
Video
