27 Quick and Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes for Weeknight Dinners (2024)

FAQs

What to eat with chicken thighs for dinner? ›

The best side dishes to serve with chicken thighs are green beans, French fries, Spanish rice, carrots and potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, onion rings, cannellini beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, couscous salad, buttermilk biscuits, creamed spinach, quinoa, roasted beet salad, cornbread, and grilled zucchini.

One chicken thigh will yield about 3 ounces of meat (without skin or bone), so for big meat eaters, count on two thighs per person. For kids and lighter eaters, one chicken thigh per person should be enough.

While chicken thighs only need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a meat thermometer, I recommend you bake them until they reach 180 – 190 degrees. This takes 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees. We swear by this Thermapen for taking accurate internal temperature readings.

Ultimately, chicken thighs can be a healthy addition to your diet as long as they're prepared in a good-for-you way. If you are trying to limit your fat intake, prepare chicken thighs in ways that don't use much added oil, like grilling, baking or stir-frying. Also be mindful of the sodium that you add during cooking.

First, hold on to the bone that protrudes out from the triangular-shaped meat. Second, twist and pull upwards to remove the thigh bone. The remaining meat can then be eaten as a whole.

Spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and thyme will make the most flavorful spice rub for your chicken, so make sure to always have your pantry stocked with some spices. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil.

But I know you are wondering– should you cover chicken thighs when they are baking? The simple answer is, no.

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.

Between their protein and the boatload of nutrients that they provide, including chicken thighs in an overall healthy diet is A-OK. Just focus on trying to prepare the thighs in a healthy way and pairing them with vegetables and whole grains for extra staying power.

The size can vary dramatically, so for menu planning purposes, plan about 1/2 lb of chicken per person. Depending on the size and menu, a serving would typically be one or two chicken thighs per person.

How many people does 1 pound of chicken thighs feed? ›

As a rule of thumb, for a main course, plan on about 1/2 pound of boneless chicken thighs per person, or 3/4 to one pound of bone-in chicken thighs per person.

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.

Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Spray with the EVOO cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 °F.

Recipes like roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted potatoes are great picks. For fried or oven-fried chicken, cozy classics like mashed potatoes or garlic butter crescents are always winners. That too goes for saucy chicken casseroles (because who doesn't like some extra sauce and gravy with their taters and crescents?).