Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs with Fresh Herbs

Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs with Fresh Herbs is a favorite grilled chicken dish! Marinated in olive oil and Limoncello with fresh herbs before heading to the grill, they are absolutely divine.

When I moved to Castle Rock, Colorado 10 years ago I willingly chose to move 30 minutes south of Greenwood Village, an already southern suburb of Denver I had lived in for 20+ years. What I had not put much thought into was how far I would be from favorite restaurants and dishes like these Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs that were a mere five minutes away.

It’s not like I chose Castle Rock, it’s more that the house I wanted was here and I’ve always thought the area was pretty so the choice was made; it’s hedging on rural so we’ve got lots of wildlife and a herd of cows along the route to shopping that get loose sometimes. So country!

I do have those days when I scratch my head at the commute I’ve created. If invited downtown; it’s now an hour long trip minimum with perfect traffic. Which never happens. So, I say no to a lot of opportunities that I might have been up for in the past; starting an event at 5:30pm guarantees me a rush hour drive of ninety minutes one way…not my cup of tea.

As a result, I’m more interested in finding restaurants that are closer to home and that is a challenge; downtown is where it’s usually at. If I’m lucky enough to find a place I enjoy within a 30 minute radius of my new location I’m a happy camper.

With some irony; one of my favorite places is close to my old home but I had only frequented it once when I lived there. I recently met a friend there for Happy Hour and was reminded of how much I loved their flavorful chicken wings. Yes, I posted this recipe a decade ago and yes, it was time to do it again.

It’s always about the photos; if I can make a dish look more inviting now with the skills I’ve gained over the years, then I can hope more people will make it. And these are so worthy of being made!

Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizza is obviously known for their pizza so we did order a small Marguerite Pizza to share and it was great but it was their Limoncello Chicken Wings that left the biggest impression; enough so that they are all I wanted, again. I love all things lemon and I especially love Limoncello and these did not disappoint.

I knew as soon as I tasted them the first time that I would be working in the kitchen to re-create the dish…but with a bit of a twist. I wanted a meal, not an appetizer so my version has taken on chicken thighs. While I actually like bone-in chicken thighs, I made these with boneless thighs and they could not have been easier.

I remember all those years ago that I would have had no problem asking the owner, Mark Dym, for his recipe so that I could replicate his wings as Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs, hoping against hope that he would comply. He was not available during our visit but I was told to give him a call and that he would be willing to share.

Then I did a Google search…no need, seems I’ve been beaten to the punch multiple times. Search results listed a couple of local sites with the wings recipe so I got started right away.

Beyond making chicken thighs and not chicken wings, I did char them slightly; not having a HOT coal fired oven, I would be using the grill and it delivered a nice smoky attribute to the delicious flavor from a lemony, herbaceous marinade and these disappeared quickly. The combination of lemon, Limoncello and fresh herbs was as perfect as it sounds and the marinating served up tender juicy morsels.

The original recipe called for 3 whole lemons. My fridge only had two, so I used two lemons and one lime and it was great. Ever since I started making this Margarita years ago that used both lemons and limes, I ‘ll interchange them depending on what I have available so I’ve modified the recipe to reflect that, but use all lemons if that’s what you have available.

I did cut the thighs in half; I’ll normally sort of fold them back into a thigh shape so the meat is actually doubled but decided if wanted the outside slightly charred that the inside would cook quickly in smaller portions. It worked too…if you prefer the larger pieces of a whole thigh or one with bone in, adjust your time according. Dark meat can actually be grilled closer to 170 degrees so a good meat thermometer (affiliate link) is your friend.

When I grill bone-in thighs, I usually shoot for about 25 minutes, doing increments of 5 minutes on each side. After 20 minutes, check the internal temp; you’ll want to see 170-175 degrees for dark chicken meat on the bone.

Marco’s serves their appetizer chicken wings with a side of grilled Vidalia Onions and Focaccia; I decided to forgo the onions with my Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs even though I love them and served homemade Focaccia with a fresh garden salad on the side; I had some nice grape tomatoes and wanted to use them.

This is easy which is always a plus but more importantly; they are so good. I think better than the wings. I like the meatier with thighs but then I’ve loved chicken thighs since I was a girl…I’m completely hooked!

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Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs

Barb

Barbecue Chicken Thighs with Limoncello and Fresh Herbs might be my all time favorite grilled chicken dish! Marinated in olive oil and Limoncello with fresh herbs before heading to the grill, they are absolutely divine.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Additional Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Chicken and Turkey

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 919 kcal

For the Marinade

• 2 lemons quartered
• 1 lime quartered
• ½ cup limoncello
• ¼ cup loosely packed fresh thyme stems and leaves as long as stems are green and tender
• 3 stems fresh rosemary with stems removed
• ¼ ounce fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil

To Make the Dish

• 4 lbs boneless chicken thighs

• Blend all of the ingredients but chicken in a food processor and process only until roughly chopped

• Combine the marinade and chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

• Remove from marinade. Grill thighs on medium high heat until browned and cooked through; 10-15 minutes to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.

If you use this recipe for bone in thighs, plan about 20-25 minutes total time on the grill. Check internal temperature for doneness; dark chicken meat should read from 170-175 degrees.
Please note that nutritional value is computer generated and is including the marinade ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

Barbecued Limoncello Chicken Thighs

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword barbecue, chicken thighs, grilled, herbs, limoncello