Charred bone-in chicken thighs glazed with a glossy, tangy-sweet reduction of fresh blackberries, balsamic vinegar, and thyme that caramelizes on the grill.
Pat chicken skin dry before seasoning to promote crispness and char. If blackberries are tart, add 1 teaspoon honey or sugar to the glaze reduction.
Substitute fresh raspberries or blueberries if blackberries are unavailable; reduce cooking time by 1–2 minutes. Make the glaze up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate and rewarm gently before brushing on chicken.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ cups fresh blackberries
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 16 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (for oiling grates)
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 ½ cups fresh blackberries
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 16 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (for oiling grates)
Instructions
Prepare the glaze
Combine fresh blackberries (1 ½ cups), balsamic vinegar (⅓ cup), and fresh thyme (3 sprigs) in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Simmer until blackberries break down and liquid reduces by half, stirring occasionally.
Strain glaze through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing berries gently to extract all liquid; discard solids.
Return glaze to saucepan and simmer 2–3 minutes more until glossy and coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency.
Equipment: small saucepan
Season and prepare chicken
Pat bone-in chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
Season bone-in chicken thighs generously on both sides with kosher salt (1 teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper (½ teaspoon).
Preheat and set up grill
Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400°F); oil grates well with neutral oil (1 tablespoon).
Grill chicken skin-side down
Place bone-in chicken thighs skin-side down on grill over medium-high heat; do not move for 6–7 minutes until skin is golden and crispy.
Flip bone-in chicken thighs and move to medium heat or cooler zone of grill.
Cook 12–15 minutes more until internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part.
Glaze and finish
Brush blackberry-balsamic glaze generously over bone-in chicken thighs during the final 2–3 minutes of cooking, turning once to coat both sides.
Transfer bone-in chicken thighs to a serving platter and let rest 5 minutes.
Drizzle any remaining blackberry-balsamic glaze over bone-in chicken thighs and serve immediately.
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Pat chicken skin dry before seasoning to promote crispness and char.
- • Make the glaze up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate and rewarm gently before brushing on chicken.
- • If blackberries are tart, add 1 teaspoon honey or sugar to the glaze reduction.
- • Oil grill grates well to prevent sticking; chicken skin will release naturally once a crust forms.
- • Let cooked chicken rest 5 minutes before serving so juices redistribute.
- • Substitute fresh raspberries or blueberries if blackberries are unavailable; reduce cooking time by 1–2 minutes.
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