If anyone asks me where to start with cooking, I always say "chicken thighs." They're foolproof, inexpensive, and I think FAR better than chicken breast, and here are 20 ideas for chicken thighs for any night of the week.
Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
A quick glaze is one of the best ways to flavor baked thighs. Bake most of the way there, spread on the glaze, and finish off to get just a bit of char.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F; lightly oil dish just large enough for thighs in one layer. Pat chicken dry; add salt and pepper.
- Brush with half glaze; bake 8 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze; return to oven.
- Bake 5 to 10 minutes more until browned in places and thickest part of every thigh at least 165°F.
- Rest 5 minutes; spoon hot pan sauce over each thigh and serve.
Oven Fried Chicken Thighs
Some foods are just so good and comforting and yet so simple.
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Recipe and photo credit: Living the Gourmet.
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Oven BBQ Chicken Thighs
With barbecue chicken, it's best to finish with just a touch of the sauce and save the rest for dipping. Feel free to sub out with the barbecue sauce of your preference.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Pat thighs dry; rub with oil, salt, paprika, and pepper. Arrange skin-side up on rack over rimmed sheet.
- Bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and water in small saucepan.
- Gently simmer 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until lightly thickened. Reserve half in clean serving bowl; use rest only for brushing during cooking.
- Lightly brush chicken with cooking sauce; bake 10 minutes. Brush again; bake 5 to 10 minutes until sticky and thickest meat 175 to 185°F. Discard cooking sauce left on brush or in bowl.
- Rest uncovered 5 minutes; serve with reserved clean sauce spooned over.
Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs
When you bake chicken thighs, a lot of juice and rendered chicken fat come out, which work wonders on vegetables cooked underneath. This recipe features fennel, which is seriously underappreciated in the States.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss fennel and lemon slices with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in shallow 9-by-13-inch dish; add broth.
- Pat thighs dry. Mix rosemary, thyme, garlic, and 1 teaspoon oil. Gently loosen skin; rub mixture on meat underneath.
- Set thighs skin-side up over fennel. Rub skin with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining salt, and pepper.
- Roast 40 to 50 minutes until fennel tender and thickest meat 175 to 185°F. Tuck exposed lemon beneath vegetables if edges become very dark.
- Rest 5 minutes. Squeeze remaining lemon half over fennel and juices; serve chicken with vegetables alongside.
Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs
Baked thighs take on a crust quite easily, perfect for when you don't want to whip out the deep fryer. These thighs use a ranch-adjacent seasoning, with a buttermilk-herb coating and a panko finish.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Set rack over rimmed sheet; brush with 1 teaspoon oil.
- Pat thighs dry; toss with buttermilk. Mix panko, Parmesan, herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in shallow dish.
- Lift thighs from buttermilk, dripping excess into bowl; press both sides into crumbs. Discard leftover buttermilk and crumbs touching raw chicken.
- Arrange unfolded thighs on rack. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until coating golden and thickest meat at least 165°F.
- Rest on rack 5 minutes; lift with thin spatula and serve.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Sheet pans are great for weeknight dinners, as long as you give the individual components room to breathe (and therefore brown). Be sure to give the potatoes a head start so that everything finishes at the same time.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on 18-by-13-inch rimmed pan. Roast cut-side down 15 minutes.
- Pat thighs dry; rub with remaining oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Separate onion wedges into thick pieces.
- Turn potatoes; tuck onions among them. Set thighs skin-side up in open spaces, all in one layer.
- Roast 35 to 40 minutes more, turning exposed potatoes once, until centers tender and thickest chicken 175 to 185°F.
- Rest 5 minutes; serve each thigh with one-quarter potatoes and onions.
Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
This is the kind of one-skillet dinner that makes weeknight cooking a snap. One by one, chicken, asparagus, and garlic butter all contribute their flavors.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs dry; add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high.
- Cook unfolded thighs 6 to 7 minutes on first side, 5 to 7 on second, until browned and thickest part at least 165°F. Plate.
- Reduce to medium. Add asparagus and remaining salt; cook 4 minutes, turning, until bright green and lightly browned.
- Add butter and garlic; stir 1 minute. Add broth; cover and cook 2 minutes until asparagus tender. Add lemon juice.
- Return chicken and juices; turn in garlic butter 1 minute. Serve thighs with asparagus and pan sauce.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thighs
One of the easiest ways to get the most out of chicken thighs is to cook and then build a pan sauce. This recipe uses a basic cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs dry; add salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high; brown chicken 5 minutes per side. Plate.
- Reduce to medium; cook garlic, tomatoes, and oregano 1 minute, stirring. Add broth; scrape browned bits.
- Add cream; return chicken and juices. Gently simmer 6 to 10 minutes until thickest meat at least 165°F.
- Stir Parmesan into sauce around chicken. Add spinach in two handfuls; cook 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted.
- Rest off heat 3 minutes; serve with sauce spooned around thighs.
Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
When I lived in Seattle, teriyaki takeout was an absolute staple, and it's pretty easy to recreate at home. The chicken gets first, then finished in the glaze.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs dry; add pepper. Whisk soy sauce, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, water, and cornstarch until starch dissolves.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Cook unfolded thighs 6 to 7 minutes per side until browned, reducing heat if pan smokes.
- Reduce to medium-low; add sauce. Turn chicken through sauce; simmer 3 to 4 minutes until glossy and thickest meat at least 165°F.
- Transfer chicken to board; rest 5 minutes. Stir sauce off heat to keep smooth.
- Slice thighs into thick strips; spoon warm teriyaki sauce over to serve.
Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Gravy
You don't need cream for a great mushroom sauce. Be sure to cook down the mushrooms. Otherwise, they have a way of releasing water at just the wrong time.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs dry; add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high; cook chicken 6 to 7 minutes per side until browned and at least 165°F. Plate.
- Add butter and mushrooms; cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and edges brown.
- Stir in shallot, remaining salt, and thyme 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; stir 1 minute.
- Gradually add sherry and broth, scraping skillet. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until gravy coats spoon.
- Return chicken and juices; warm over low 2 minutes. Spoon mushrooms and gravy around thighs to serve.
Crispy Cast-Iron Chicken Thighs
I don't often use my cast iron, but for a simple dish like this (meat plus oil), it does the job and does it right. Serve with the sauce of your choice.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs very dry; unfold. Season flesh with pepper and fennel; evenly salt both sides.
- Rub oil over cool 12-inch cast-iron skillet; arrange chicken skin-side down in one layer. Set over medium; gently spatula-press first minute to flatten skin.
- Cook 10 to 14 minutes until fat renders and skin releases with gentle lifting, reducing heat if darkening too fast. Spoon off fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
- Turn; cook 5 to 8 minutes more until thickest meat reaches 175°F. Check meat rather than skin color alone.
- Plate skin-side up; rest uncovered 5 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
Air fryers are great for thighs, as long as you don't crowd the basket. The spice mix here is just a suggestion — go nuts.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat a 6-quart or larger air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Pat thighs dry; unfold.
- Evenly coat chicken with oil, salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Space thighs in one layer; air fry 7 minutes.
- Turn; cook 5 to 8 minutes more until edges browned and thickest part of each at least 165°F.
- Rest 5 minutes; slice and serve one small thigh per person.
Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Thighs
I vastly prefer bone-in thighs, and while they take longer, they come out juicier and more flavorful. Give the chicken a quick rest to ensure crispy skin.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Pat thighs dry, especially skin and folds underneath.
- Rub with oil, salt, mustard, coriander, and pepper. Space skin-side down in basket.
- Air fry 10 minutes; turn skin-side up. Cook 12 to 17 minutes more until skin golden and thickest flesh 175 to 185°F, checking beside bone without touching it.
- Plate skin-side up; rest uncovered 5 minutes.
- Serve one thigh per person while skin stays crisp.
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
For air-fryer Buffalo chicken, save the sauce until right before the end of the cooking. Air-fry the thighs first, brush the sauce on, and quickly finish.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat an 8-quart air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Pat thighs dry; unfold and rub with oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Space in one layer; air fry 8 minutes. Turn; cook 6 to 8 minutes more until thickest meat at least 165°F.
- Meanwhile, warm hot sauce, butter, and vinegar in small saucepan over low just until butter melts. Whisk smooth.
- Brush cooked chicken with half Buffalo sauce; air fry 1 to 2 minutes to set coating.
- Rest 3 minutes; brush with remaining warm sauce and serve.
Korean-Style Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Fried chicken is very much the norm in Korea, but this baked/fried hybrid works well in the air fryer. The potato starch gives just a slight golden crust, and the thighs are dressed with a gochujang-based sauce right after cooking.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Pat chicken dry; add salt and pepper. Lightly coat with potato starch; shake off loose starch.
- Gently toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Space half in one layer; dab dry starch patches with some remaining oil.
- Air fry 15 to 18 minutes, turning halfway, until lightly crisp and largest pieces at least 165°F. Transfer to clean plate; repeat remaining chicken and oil.
- Meanwhile, simmer gochujang, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and ginger in small saucepan 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until smooth and lightly thickened.
- Toss both cooked batches with warm glaze in large bowl; serve immediately.
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Thighs
You probably don't have a tandoor oven at home, but that shouldn't stop you from making tandoori chicken. A spiced yogurt marinade and a grill gets you most of the way to restaurant quality.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, oil, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Cut two shallow slashes across each thigh; coat with marinade.
- Cover; refrigerate 2 hours, included in prep time. Heat outdoor grill to about 400°F with direct and indirect areas; clean grate.
- Lift chicken, letting excess drip; discard used marinade. Cover and grill over indirect heat 25 to 30 minutes, turning once.
- Grill over direct heat 3 to 5 minutes per side until patchily browned and thickest meat 175 to 185°F. Return to indirect heat if darkening before centers are ready.
- Rest 5 minutes; serve one thigh per person.
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Thighs
All over Thailand, you'll see street sellers hawking grilled chicken stuffed with lemongrass or even skewered on lemongrass stalks. But if a ticket to Bangkok is a bit dear, try this lemongrass marinade to up your grilled chicken game.
Ingredients
Method
- Finely mince tender lower 3 to 4 inches of lemongrass for about 3 tablespoons. Mix with garlic, shallot, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, oil, and pepper.
- Unfold thighs; coat with marinade. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes, included in prep time.
- Heat outdoor grill to about 400°F with cooler indirect area; clean grate. Lift chicken; discard used marinade.
- Grill 6 to 8 minutes per side until patchily browned and thickest meat at least 165°F. Move to cooler area if edges darken too quickly.
- Rest 5 minutes; slice across thick folds and serve.
Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs take on a spicy marinade beautifully, and a Portuguese by way of South Africa peri-peri is easy to whip up at home. Careful with the bird's eye chilis — their heat is stubbornly soap-proof.
Ingredients
Method
- Blend bell pepper, chiles, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, paprika, oregano, and salt smooth. Refrigerate 1/4 cup in clean covered container.
- Coat thighs with remaining sauce; cover and refrigerate 1 hour, included in prep time. Wash hands and utensils after handling chiles and raw chicken.
- Heat outdoor grill to about 400°F with direct and indirect areas; clean grate. Lift chicken; discard used marinade.
- Cover and grill skin-side up over indirect heat 30 to 35 minutes. Move to direct heat; grill 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned and thickest meat 175 to 185°F, avoiding flare-ups.
- Rest 5 minutes; serve with reserved clean sauce spooned over.
Coq au Vin-Style Chicken Thighs
A true coq au vin should be cooked in advance, but you can get a great red wine braise on a chicken in under an hour. This recipe uses pearl onions, but an equal amount of normal onions works fine too.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown bacon in wide heavy pot over medium 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cook mushrooms in drippings 5 minutes. Add to bacon.
- Pat chicken dry; add salt and pepper. Brown in same pot in two batches: skin-side down 6 minutes, second side 2 minutes. Plate; leave about 1 tablespoon fat.
- Cook onions and carrots 4 minutes; add garlic 30 seconds, then flour 1 minute. Gradually add wine and broth, scraping browned bits. Add thyme and bay.
- Return chicken skin-side up with juices; gently simmer and cover. Cook over low 30 to 35 minutes until tender and thickest meat 175 to 185°F.
- Return bacon and mushrooms; simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Remove thyme stems and bay. Platter chicken; spoon sauce and vegetables around it.
Braised Chicken Adobo
Vinegary and garlicky, chicken adobo is the ultimate home-cooked meal for Filipinos. Resist the temptation to reduce it to a glaze. Adobo is meant to be a bit brothy.
Ingredients
Method
- Pat thighs dry. Heat oil in wide heavy pot over medium; brown skin-side down 7 to 8 minutes. Turn; cook 3 minutes. Spoon off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
- Add garlic around thighs; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, vinegar, water, bay, pepper, and sugar.
- Gently simmer; cover and cook over low 30 to 35 minutes, turning once, until thickest meat 175 to 185°F and tender when pierced.
- Platter chicken. Simmer sauce uncovered 5 to 10 minutes until slightly reduced but pourable; remove bay.
- Return chicken 1 minute; turn to coat. Serve with softened garlic and small spoonful sauce per thigh.
