The drying step matters more than it seems like it should - skin that goes onto the grill wet will steam before it crisps, and you lose the texture that makes this worth making. If you're working over an open fire, keep your grate a little higher off the coals than you would for a quick sear; thighs want steady medium heat for a while, not a blast of direct flame.
What you need
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp RiverKingz All Purpose Rub
- 3/4 cup Mobile Bay Mustard BBQ, divided
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
How it goes
- Pat the thighs dry, rub all over with RiverKingz, and set them uncovered on a rack in the fridge for at least an hour - overnight is better. This is what gets the skin to crisp instead of steam.
- Heat a grill or oven-safe skillet to medium, aiming for a grate temp around 375-400F. Oil the skin and lay the thighs skin side down.
- Cook skin side down until deeply golden and mostly rendered, about 15 to 18 minutes, resisting the urge to move them. If the skin is darkening too fast, slide the thighs to a cooler part of the grill rather than pulling them off entirely.
- Flip and cook another 10 minutes, until the internal temp is close to 165F at the thickest part.
- In the last 5 minutes, brush both sides with half the Mobile Bay Mustard BBQ, then close the lid for one final turn to set the glaze without burning the sugar in the sauce.
- Rest 5 minutes, then serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
Worth knowing
- Don't skip the fridge-drying step - it's the difference between crisp skin and rubbery skin, and it costs nothing but time.
- If flare-ups happen from the rendering fat, move the thighs to indirect heat rather than closing the lid tight and hoping - a scorched glaze is hard to walk back.
- This sauce also works brushed onto grilled pork chops if you've got extra.
Pit note. The mustard sauce wants fat to hang onto - that's why it's thighs, not breasts, in this one.
