Grilled chicken thighs paired with balsamic-coated grilled peaches is a sweet, salty, savory match that's unexpected but exciting and elegant enough for guests. The simply sauced grilled chicken thighs add a toothsome texture and umami contrast to the yielding, honeyed peaches. Dollop organic whipped cream or sour cream into the pit holes of the peaches, and serve the grilled chicken thighs and peaches on a platter with small bunches of fresh mint. If you're doing a Whole30, omit the whipped cream or sour cream, or substitute whipped coconut cream. 

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Peaches and Balsamic Vinegar

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes*

Servings: 4

*Total time may be longer, depending on how long you marinade the chicken.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
• 2 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 peaches
• Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray 
• 2 large bunches mint, for serving
• 1/2 cup organic whipped cream, sour cream, or whipped coconut cream

Instructions

• Place uncooked chicken thighs in glass containers with lids (you may need 2) or resealable bags. Add balsamic vinegar, avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
• If using a glass container, secure lid tightly, then shake the container to ensure the chicken thighs are evenly coated.  
• If using a resealable bag, seal the bag shut, then massage the marinade into the chicken thighs.
• Place the marinating chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. 
• When ready to grill, remove the marinated chicken thighs from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature on the kitchen counter for about 20 minutes.
• Spray or brush your grill grates with avocado oil. Heat your grill (turn gas grill to just a tad above medium). 
• Remove chicken thighs from the marinade and place on the grill. Discard the chicken marinade. Cook the chicken thighs for about 8–10 minutes per side, taking care to move the chicken to another part of the grill if a flare up happens. 
• The chicken thighs are safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, but we prefer our chicken thighs to cook a little bit more until the temperature is 175ºF.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5–10 minutes before eating.
• Prepare the peaches by cutting each peach in half and removing and discarding the pits. Brush each peach half with Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. 
• Place the peaches on the grill grates, cut-side down. Grill for 3–4 minutes per side, then remove to a plate. 
• Plate the grilled chicken thighs and grilled peaches on a large platter with mint leaves. Dollop organic whipped cream or sour cream onto each peach, if desired.

4 Tips for Grilling Chicken Thighs

Grilling chicken thighs imparts a lightly charred and smoky exterior and, as long as you don't overcook, a moist and tender interior that's hard to come by with indoor cooking methods. If you're so inclined, you can also turn your chicken thighs 45 degrees twice while cooking on each side to get cross-hatch marks. Even grill marks in one direction provides attractive branding that the chicken thigh was smoked and charred over a hot flame.

Check out our tips for grilling chicken thighs:

1. Marinate your meat. Bathe the chicken thighs in a flavor-packed bath. Any Primal Kitchen Vinaigrette, Dressing & Marinade or sauce will work wonders for imparting interesting flavor, and adding moisture. Try our No-Soy Teriyaki or Island No-Soy Teriyaki, our Cilantro Lime Dressing, or Sesame Ginger Dressing when you're craving some fusion flavor. Add the chicken and marinade to a glass container with a lid (or a resealable bag), pour on the marinade, and stash in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at least and up to 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow to warm up on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes before placing it on the grill. Note: Discard the marinade; don't try to boil it and reuse as a sauce. 
2. Oil your grill grates... carefully. Bust out the Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray for this job. In a pinch, you can also oil a kitchen towel or use a heat-safe brush to paint a bit of oil on the grill grates. If you do this after the grill grates are hot, be really careful to use a small amount of oil so you don't have a flare up. It's safer to lubricate the grill gates before you heat up the grill. Oiling the grill grates can help ensure your food doesn't stick to them.
3. Heat the grill to 400ºF (boneless) to 450ºF (bone-in). Turn the dial to a hair above medium on a gas grill. Give the chicken plenty of real estate on the grill to cook; if any flare ups happen, you want to be able to move the chicken out of that spot quickly. 
4. Your chicken thighs are safe to eat when their internal temperature reaches 165ºF. You may want to cook them a little while longer, though, as chicken thigh meat can be a little more fibrous—175ºF is about right. Allow the chicken to rest for 5–10 minutes after you take it off the grill before eating to ensure juiciness. 

Nutrition info (per serving)*:

Calories: 348

Carbs: 31 grams

Fat: 16 grams

Protein: 21 grams

Nutrition information calculated using Cronometer. 

*Nutrition info calculated per serving for 1 chicken thigh, 1 whole peach (2 halves) with 2 tablespoons of organic whipped cream.

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• Whole30 BBQ Chicken with Coffee Dry Rub
• Grilled BBQ Pork Chops with Hawaiian-Style BBQ Sauce
• Grilled Broccoli
• Our Best Grill Recipes
• Mexican Grilled Corn
• Grilled Portobello Mushrooms