Say Hello to the Hardest Chicken Cut to Overcook

Come to the dark side. If you want to bring deeply flavorful, succulent chicken to the table, then look to chicken thighs — probably one of the most forgiving meat cuts around. Beginner and expert cooks alike will have success, partly because chicken thighs give you a lot of leeway. If you cook them past the food-safe temperature for chicken — 165°F — chicken thighs still come out juicy and tender. Part of the reason for this is because dark meat contains fat (two and a half times that of white meat) that renders and moisturizes and flavors the meat as it cooks. And chicken thighs have year-round appeal: You can grill and broil them to serve them with a summery cucumber salad; deep-fry them for Rowdy Rooster Fried Chicken Sandwiches; cook them in the air fryer for Air Fryer Fried Chicken with Hot Honey; or make super crispy Pan-Fried Chicken by shallow-frying them. As well, chicken thighs braise beautifully for comforting dishes like Braised Chicken Thighs with Endive and Slow-Cooker Burnt Honey Barbecue Chicken.

How to select chicken thighs

If you have whole chicken legs, remove the chicken thighs by cutting through the joint between the drumstick and thigh. Or, buy a package of chicken thighs; they are usually sold either skin-on with the bone, or boneless and skinless. Air-chilled thighs are preferable; the skin-on chicken thighs cooled in water won’t crisp up as well because of the added moisture during processing. Air-chilled chicken also absorbs the seasoning in marinades and spice rubs better.

The thighs’ raw flesh should be rosy-hued and retain its shape when pressed. And with any chicken, a mild, clean aroma is a must.

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll encounter a few styles of chicken thighs at the market: thighs with both the bone and skin attached, boneless and skinless thighs, and thighs with a bone but no skin. And while thighs are very forgiving and versatile, to coax them to a level of excellence, you need to match-up the best cooking method with the right style of chicken thigh.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Easy to find at the grocery store, these thighs prepped with the bone and the skin intact deliver the deepest flavor. Take advantage of the rich fat rendered from the skin to moisten the meat and help establish crispy skin. The bone transmits deeper flavor to the meat as well, and helps keep the chicken from becoming dry. Almost any cooking method works with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, but they are exceptional for grilling or searing in a skillet. 1990 F&W Best New Chef Nancy Silverton leans on this type of chicken thighs for her Golden Chicken Thighs with Charred Lemon Salsa Verde. To make the skin extra crispy as it cooks in the skillet, Silverton weighs down the meat with heavy cans. Use skin-on bone-in thighs for grilling, baking, and frying and searing on the griddle or cast-iron skillet.
- Boneless, skin-on chicken thighs: If you want crisp skin but chicken thighs that cook more quickly, this option is your best bet. You can season the meat or let it brine or soak in a marinade to tenderize and infuse the meat with flavor. Lean on shallow frying, broiling, grilling, and braised dishes for chicken thighs prepped this way. Try these Grilled Chicken Thighs with Spicy Miso Mayo to see the versatility of this cut.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: The quickest cooking of the bunch, this chicken thigh style offers a lighter approach to the rich meat and a way to prepare easy chicken thigh recipes including 2010 F&W Best New Chef Roy Choi’s Chicken Katsu.

How to grill chicken thighs

Chicken thighs are right at home on the grill; they retain their moistness throughout this high heat cooking method. Set up your grill with two zones — one for direct heat where you can sear and char and crisp up the exterior and the other zone for indirect (medium to medium-low) heat to allow thighs to finish cooking. You can also cook over one medium high zone for the entire time and flip the thighs frequently — which is a good approach for quick-cooking skinless boneless thighs. Brushing oil over the chicken before grilling them, as in these Honey Butter Chicken Thighs, helps the thighs retain their moisture.

How to fry chicken thighs

Chicken thighs also love to be fried, whether you are shallow-frying, deep-frying, or air-frying them. When shallow-frying chicken, first dredge it using the standard breading procedure. Heat the oil; you just need enough in the pan so the oil reaches halfway up the sides of the chicken. We love this technique when we want to fry chicken thighs for crispy chicken sandwiches. Make sure the oil is at the right temperature — 350°F; if it’s not hot enough, the breading will absorb too much oil and become greasy; if it’s too hot, the exterior will burn before the chicken cooks through. Use a deep-fry or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature and adjust the heat as needed while cooking.

Deep-fried chicken thighs

Deep-frying, in which the chicken thighs are cooked submerged in oil, is a fast cooking method that will deliver a crisp and crunchy coating. The key is to coat each piece correctly, whether it is a simple seasoned flouring like Lemon Brined Fried Chicken or a breaded crust like the one used to make The Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken for an extra crunchy crust from cornstarch that’s included in the dry ingredient dredging step.

Air-fried chicken thighs

If you want the crispy benefits of frying but don’t feel like handling the disposal of the oil, opt for air-fried chicken thighs. You can use a small amount of oil or cooking spray to coat chicken to promote a crispy finish like with this Air Fryer Fried Chicken with Hot Honey or weeknight-friendly Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.

Pan-fried, sautéed, and stir-fried chicken thighs

Chicken Scarpariello starts with pan-frying (also called shallow-frying) chicken thighs, using only just enough oil to reach halfway up the sides of the breaded thigh. After the chicken cooks on both sides and develops a delicious crisp crust, you create a sauce from the flavorful bits left behind in the pan. Let the thighs sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before frying them; if added to the pan while still cold, the thighs will rapidly bring the temperature of the oil down and the chicken could become oily. Avoid crowding the pan to prevent steam from prevent a crisp crust from developing.

Sautéeing involves a very small amount of oil in the pan and high heat. It’s great for getting a golden brown finish on boneless chicken thighs before finishing them in a luscious sauce, such as in this Chicken in Tarragon-Mustard Cream Sauce.

Want a super-quick stir-fried dinner? Cut up boneless, skinless thighs and stir-fry them with lemongrass and scallions. The action of stir-frying, tossing the bite-sized pieces or strips of chicken thighs in a hot wok or skillet with oil lightly sears the meat.

How to bake chicken thighs

Baking is an easy, mostly hands-free approach to preparing chicken thighs Any type of thigh — with or without the bone or skin — works for this method. The cooking times will vary depending on which type of thigh you use: longer for bone-in and less time is needed for thighs without the bone. You can develop a golden crust on the chicken, as is done for Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Cherry Tomatoes, by searing the thighs first on the stove top and then transferring them to the oven to bake and finish cooking. Or you can start everything right in the oven as is done for this sheet pan chicken thigh dinner.

How to broil chicken thighs

Think of your broiler as an upside-down grill. Boneless chicken thighs, like these sweet and sour chicken thighs, don’t need a lot of cooking time, and are ideal for the broiler. Keep the skin on or remove it. Marinate or and simply season the meat well with salt and pepper before broiling, being sure to position the oven racks about six to eight inches under the broiler. Set up the chicken on a broiler pan or on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Apply any sugary sauces or glazes only during the last few minutes to prevent the sauces from burning.

The best temperature to cook chicken thighs

Chicken thighs should be cooked to at least 165°F, as recommended by the USDA. Check the temperature using an instant-read thermometer and let the meat rest for five to 10 minutes before cutting to allow the juices to settle rather than drain out onto the cutting board. Chicken thighs can handle being cooked past 165°F, but make certain to watch the exterior to ensure they don’t overcook and form a dry, tough, crust.

Daily News