What can I make with chicken thighs?
Chicken Thighs is endlessly flexible - it takes on whatever seasoning you give it, which is exactly why it gets boring when cooked the same way every week. Here are recipes using chicken thighs from across our library, plus the handful of habits that keep it juicy.
12 recipes with chicken thighs
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Glazed chicken over steamed rice with sesame and scallions.
Japanese25m4
Chicken Tacos
Weeknight tacos with seasoned chicken and lime crema.
Mexican25m3
Thai Green Curry
Coconut-rich green curry with chicken, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil.
Thai30m4
Chicken Tikka Masala
Tender yogurt-marinated chicken in a creamy spiced tomato sauce.
Indian45m4Harissa Chicken
Sheet-pan chicken glazed with fiery harissa.
North African45m4
Butter Chicken
Mild, creamy North Indian curry with rich tomato sauce.
Indian45m4
Shawarma
Spice-marinated chicken shaved off a vertical spit into flatbread.
Middle Eastern50m6Chicken Tagine
Slow-braised chicken with preserved lemon and olives.
Moroccan75m4
Chicken Biryani
Layered basmati and spiced chicken cooked with saffron.
Indian85m6
Chinese Orange Chicken
Make the orange sauce: Whisk together sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
Chinese4
Tom kha gai
step 1 Pour the chicken stock and coconut milk into a large saucepan set over a medium heat.
Thai4
Roasted chicken with creamy walnut sauce
step 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Turkish4
How to cook chicken thighs without drying it out
- 1Bring the chicken thighs close to room temperature and season it well; a 20-minute dry brine keeps the inside juicy.
- 2Sear over medium-high heat until deep golden, then lower the heat to finish. High heat the whole way tightens the outside before the middle is done.
- 3Pull it at 165F internal (breast) or 175F (thigh). Thighs forgive an extra few minutes; breast does not.
- 4Rest 5 minutes under foil, then slice against the grain and spoon the pan juices back over the top.
What goes well with chicken thighs
Chicken Thighs is at its best with lemon, garlic, butter, rice, thyme and yogurt. Any two or three of those, plus chicken thighs, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing chicken thighs
Keep raw chicken thighs on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1-2 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to three months. Cooked leftovers keep 3-4 days and reheat best with a splash of stock in a covered pan rather than in the microwave.
Substituting chicken thighs
If you are out of chicken thighs, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Chicken Thighs recipes: common questions
- What can I make with chicken thighs and not much else?
- Plenty. With chicken thighs plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest chicken thighs recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute chicken thighs?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover chicken thighs?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover chicken thighs without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- What temperature should chicken thighs be cooked to?
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.