50 Quick and Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes to Whip Up on Weeknights (2024)

FAQs

Is 40 minutes long enough to cook chicken thighs? ›

As a general guideline, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are often baked at around 375°F to 400°F (190°C to 200°C). Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs:Bake at 375°F (190°C): 35-45 minutes. Bake at 400°F (200°C): 30-40 minutes. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs:Bake at 375°F (190°C): 25-30 minutes.

For the ultimate juicy and tender chicken thigh experience, aim for an internal temp between 175 and 185 F. Any temperature higher than that can dry out or burn your meat, but the perfect 175° to 185° range will get you well above the minimum safe temperature and maximize the poultry's flavor potential.

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

It might look small, but there is often a huge amount of fat below the surface as well. After all the thighs are trimmed, do a onceover to see if you missed anything. This same method works for boneless, skinless chicken thighs too. All that fat is still on the underside and should be removed before cooking.

Cook the Thighs, Respectfully

Start by generously seasoning the meat with salt and searing the outside of the thigh (yes, the skin) in a cast-iron skillet with some oil.

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

The reaction of cysteine and sugar can lead to characteristic meat flavour specially for chicken and pork. Volatile compounds including 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, 2-furfurylthiol, methionol, 2,4,5-trimethyl-thiazole, nonanol, 2-trans-nonenal, and other compounds have been identified as important for the flavour of chicken.

Don't Cover the Chicken.

When baking chicken thighs with the skin on, you're trying to achieve crispy chicken thighs in the oven. Therefore, leaving them uncovered ensures a crispy skin that turns perfectly golden.

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, chicken thighs should be fully cooked after about half an hour. You'll know they're done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F.

If you're roasting the thighs in the oven it will take longer to cook, especially if the thighs aren't even in thickness. Bear in mind, that as a general rule, bone-in chicken thighs will add more flavour to your dish but they will take a little longer to cook because they are bigger and heavier.

What tenderizes chicken thighs? ›

Restaurants use marinades made from a combination of acidic ingredients (such as vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt) and flavorful herbs and spices. The acid in the marinade helps to break down the proteins in the chicken, making it more tender. Put it in a double boiler and steam it.

All three types of chicken thighs cook well in an oven. Boneless chicken thighs are the quickest-cooking option, and roasting skin-on thighs in an oven can yield a crispy surface even without the chicken skin. Thanks to the even heat of an oven, the bone-in variety can also cook evenly. 1.

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Spread out in a single layer in the roasting tray, and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Lovely served with a rocket salad dressed with some lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and a nice glass of white wine.

It easily overcooks, easily dries out, is relatively tasteless, and is more complicated to use than the legs or thighs. Any chef I know prefers the thighs because they have a higher fat content which helps prevent them from drying out and becoming sandpaper in your mouth. Thighs are much more versatile.