These Ninja Foodi Grill chicken thighs are coated in a spicy and smoky homemade Cajun seasoning, so there's lots of bold and delicious flavor in every bite! This easy blackened chicken recipe takes less than 30 minutes and makes the most juicy and tender thighs with perfectly crispy skin.
Ninja Foodi grill ribs is another great recipe for your Ninja Foodi Grill!
It's easy to bring some BIG flavors to the table any night of the week with these Cajun-style Ninja Foodi Grill chicken thighs!
Tasty and (economical!) skin-on and bone-in pieces of dark meat chicken are ideal for pairing with simple but vibrant pantry staple spices. The blend we're using here is commonly called Cajun or blackening seasoning. And you won't believe how a combo of basics like garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper can be SO flavorful!
You don't even need to marinade the chicken to infuse it with all of this tastiness... Simply coat the thighs with a blend of oil and the seasonings before placing right in the Ninja Foodi to grill.
In under 30 minutes you are ready to enjoy moist, fork-tender, and utterly delicious blackened chicken thighs with irresistibly crispy skin! They are great to serve with classic down-home southern comfort foods, or any of your favorite side dishes.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken thighs. Bone-in and skin-on thighs are slightly fattier than breasts. So even when cooked at high heat they melt in your mouth. Leaving the skin on the chicken protects the meaty thighs from drying out - and, of course, crispy chicken skin tastes amazing!
Spices. The star of this Ninja Foodi Grill chicken thighs recipe is my homemade blackening seasoning. It's a simple but vibrant blend of dry spices that includes garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, basil and thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Oil. Use your choice of avocado or canola oil. But do NOT attempt to use olive oil in this recipe. It has too low of a smoke point for cooking in the high-temp Ninja Foodi.
Frequently asked questions
Bone-in thighs should reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees for the best taste and texture. Pieces of meat with bone can have a slight pink color on the inside, but this does not necessarily mean it is undercooked. I recommend using a meat thermometer to be 100% sure the chicken is safe to eat.
Yes, they do! The fattiness of chicken thighs makes them perfect to cook for longer periods. There is of course a limit to this, and yes, it is also possible to overcook the chicken... Too long in the Ninja Foodi and the thighs will shrink significantly in size and the meat will become chewy.
Follow my easy recipe steps are you are practically guaranteed to have chicken pieces that are cooked just right, every time!
Not by very much. But yes, bone-in chicken does usually take a few minutes longer than boneless chicken to cook.
It is not necessarily to flip chicken for it to properly cook. However, in this Ninja Foodi Grill chicken thighs recipe I do suggest flipping them once, about midway through grilling. This helps the meat cook evenly on all sides and gets the skin nice and crispy.
I always recommend lining the Ninja Foodi basket with a piece of parchment paper or liner to make cleanup easier. Add the parchment after the appliance has preheated, right when you are ready to place the chicken thighs in the basket.
Yes, you can. Coat the frozen thighs in the oil and blackening seasoning combination, just as you would thawed chicken. Cook in the Ninja Foodi Grill for 5-10 minutes more than the regular recommended cook time in the recipe card below.
What to do with leftovers
I prefer to store chicken thighs leftovers in the air tight glass (or plastic) container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Reheating is easy- just microwave them for 1 minute or so or place them in the air fryer and heat at 400 degrees for 2 minutes. Of course you can pop them back on the grill for reheating but prefer not to since it too much cleaning after.
More Ninja Foodi Grill recipes
Hope you will like this Ninja Foodi Grill chicken thighs recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Ninja Foodi Grill blackened chicken thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone in skin on
- 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
- 2 tablespoon avocado or canola oil (do not use olive oil)
Instructions
- Mix spices with oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and cover it with the mixture
- Set Grill to High. Place thighs thighs in to the grill and set cooking time for 17 minutes. Close the lid.
- Cook longer if needed! Make sure that the internal temperature is at least at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Terri lynn Ayotte
17 minutes is too long