11 Chicken Thigh Recipes for a Perfect Dinner

From chicken stews to barbecue chicken, consider these dinner recipes to make for the whole family:

1. 1. Chicken stew: This chicken stew recipe calls for chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Simmer the chicken, carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, kidney beans, and aromatics in chicken broth in a Dutch oven or slow cooker.
2. 2. Doro wat: This Ethiopian chicken stew is spicy and flavorful, and it features chicken thighs simmered in a broth of tomatoes and spices. The spices include fenugreek, chiles, paprika, ginger, onion powder, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, garlic, cloves, and cinnamon. You can serve doro wat with bread or rice.
3. 3. Baked chicken thighs: This easy baked chicken thigh recipe calls for patting a bone-in chicken thigh dry with paper towels and then marinating it in a blend of olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Then, bake the chicken on a sheet pan or baking sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for forty to fifty minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For crispy skin, broil the chicken until the skin is dark brown, about five minutes. This recipe yields juicy chicken thighs you can serve with side dishes like mashed potatoes or salad.
4. 4. Teriyaki chicken: Teriyaki is a Japanese sauce made with soy sauce, mirin, and sake. To make teriyaki chicken, sear a boneless skinless chicken thigh in a pan. Then, make the teriyaki sauce in the same pan, creating a glazed chicken thigh in the process. You can serve teriyaki chicken with rice and steamed vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner for the whole family.
5. 5. Chicken stir-fry: This Asian-inspired recipe calls for chicken breasts, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs cut into small, uniform pieces. The chicken is cooked over high heat in a pan with veggies and a sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. You can serve chicken stir-fry with rice.
6. 6. Barbecue chicken: BBQ chicken refers to grilled or otherwise cooked chicken covered in barbecue sauce. Technically, barbecue refers to the specific method of cooking rather than the type of sauce. This easy recipe for BBQ chicken calls for bone-in chicken thighs. First, marinate the chicken thighs in buttermilk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper before grilling. Then cover the grilled chicken thighs in homemade BBQ sauce.
7. 7. Butter chicken: This Indian dish calls for marinating boneless skinless chicken thigh pieces in a mix of yogurt, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, chili powder, garlic paste, turmeric, butter, and oil in a medium bowl. Grill the chicken before adding a sauce made of butter, tomatoes, cream, and spices.
8. 8. Fried chicken: This fried chicken recipe calls for taking apart a whole chicken, but you can simply use bone-in chicken thighs. Just follow the instructions for brining the chicken and for seasoning the flour.
9. 9. Chicken gyro: This chicken gyro recipe calls for chicken breasts, but you can prepare it with boneless chicken thighs without a spit. Let the chicken marinate in paprika, cumin, oregano, lemon juice, and yogurt, then sear the chicken thighs in olive oil on the stove. Serve the chicken gyro with pita bread, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber.
10. 10. Chicken souvlaki: Souvlaki is a Greek meat skewer. This recipe for chicken souvlaki calls for chicken breasts, but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into one-inch pieces. Marinate the chicken thighs in lemon juice, pepper, salt, minced garlic cloves, oregano, paprika, and olive oil. Then arrange the chicken pieces on a wooden skewer and sear the chicken thighs on the stove in olive oil. Serve the souvlaki with tzatziki, pita, rice, and veggies.
11. 11. Tinga de pollo: This Mexican dish is made from chicken braised in a mild chipotle-tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and a bit of piloncillo, or raw cane sugar. Use this tinga de pollo recipe to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs. Shred the braised chicken thighs and serve the meat in a tortilla. Garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, and lime.

Generally, you can swap chicken thighs in recipes that call for chicken breasts. Dark and white meat chicken are both equally good sources of protein and B vitamins, however they differ in calories, fat content, and minerals. While white meat has less fat and fewer calories than dark meat, the majority of chicken fat lives in the skin rather than the meat, so the main source of fat and calories of dark meat chicken comes from the skin that covers pieces like the drumsticks and thighs. Dark meat chicken tends to be juicier and a better source of iron and zinc due to the increased oxygenation of those muscles.

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