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Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sloppy Joe Sauce is a quick and easy dinner idea for meal prep or any backyard BBQ. Slather chicken thighs with sloppy joe sauce for a great meal anytime!

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sloppy Joe Sauce is up next in Sloppy Joe Fest! ((Side note: after typing sloppy joe so many times, it’s beginning to look like slippy joe, sloopy joe, and sluppy joe.))

If you’ve been following along during Sloppy Joe Fest, we’re on our fourth recipe:

The BEST Sloppy Joe Sauce Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
Sloppy Dogs
Sloppy Joe Sauced Grilled Chicken Thighs
Sloppy Joe Tot-chos

When coming up with this recipe it was a major afterthought. I had made all the other recipes, but still had a bit of sauce left. So, I dumped the sauce over some chicken thighs, covered them overnight in the fridge, and grilled the next day. What a winning combo!

Chicken Thighs vs. Chicken Breasts

What is the difference and why are chicken thighs so much better? Obviously, they are a different cut of meat. Chicken thighs are dark meat, chicken breasts are white meat. Chicken thighs have a higher fat count than the breasts do, and we all know fat = flavor.

Today, I’ve used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can definitely use skin-on bone-in too – they’ll cook longer on the grill, but still be delicious!

How long do you grill chicken thighs?

All chicken needs to be cooked to 165˚ – these took about 12 minutes total. It is REALLY hard to overcook chicken thighs, especially if it’s on the bone. Using an instant-read thermometer will help you feel confident in cooking chicken better! This is the exact instant-read thermometer I use. I’ve been using it since cooking class college! It’s CHEAP, too! You can clip it on your shirt, or I just keep one in my utensil caddy.

Need some quick grilling tips?

A clean grill. Y’all I can’t stress this enough! Make sure your grill is clean. Which means you’ll want to turn your grill on SUPER high heat and let it burn off all the gunk from the previous time!
Put your meat down and let it be. Do not touch it! When it’s ready to flip, it will release from the grates. If you feel any pull, let it hang out for a bit more.
Don’t close your grill lid until you flip the meat. When you close the grill, it begins to steam, and you want the nice caramelized grill marks before you close the lid.

What can you serve with Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sloppy Joe Sauce?

Let’s chat about one addition…

Mike’s Hot Honey. This is not a sponsored post, they have no idea who I am. But, let me tell you how much I LOVE this honey! This honey is slightly spicy, deliciously sweet, and that extra flavor you didn’t know you were missing! You some today on anything that sits still – you’ll become addicted like I am.

Here are a few more Backyard BBQ Side Dish Ideas to complete your menu: