3 Best & Creative Chicken Thigh Recipes

Chicken thighs may not be the first cut of meat that comes to mind when you're craving chicken. But they're far less expensive than chicken breasts, and some say tastier, too. Even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay calls them "the tastiest part of the bird" when cooked right. What's more, you can feed several people with one package. And, if the package contains more than you need, they can go in the freezer until you're ready for them.

In this article, we'll share three creative chicken thigh recipes and some ideas for sides you can serve with them, most of which call for everyday ingredients you likely keep in your kitchen. Additionally, we'll go through how Martha Stewart and Gordon Ramsey prepare their chicken thighs.

1. Crispy garlic chicken thighs

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If you're looking for a quick, easy, and tasty recipe for boneless chicken thighs, try this one. It makes four servings, takes 10 minutes to prepare, and approximately 12 minutes to cook, with a total time of 22 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine or broth or water

• Finely chopped parsley, optional

Directions

1. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

3. Add the chicken to the skillet with the smooth side down.

4. Lightly flatten each thigh with a spatula and cook them for five minutes until they're crispy and golden.

5. Flip the pieces and flatten them with the spatula again, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

6. Add the butter and garlic and cook for one minute until the garlic is aromatic.

7. Pour the wine into the skillet and turn up the heat.

8. Bring it to a rapid simmer and let it cook for 90 seconds.

9. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the heat and garnish with the parsley before serving. 

Nutritional values per serving

• Calories: 334

• Total fat: 20 grams

• Saturated fat: 7.3 grams

• Trans fat: 0.1 grams

• Monounsaturated fat: 8.8 grams

• Cholesterol: 181 milligrams

• Sodium: 318 milligrams

• Potassium: 405 milligrams

• Total Carbohydrates: 1.9 grams

• Dietary Fiber: 0.1 gram

• Sugars: 0.3 grams‍

• Protein: 33 grams

Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

2. Baked chicken thighs

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If you're looking for a chicken thigh recipe for the oven, this one makes six servings, takes 10 minutes to prepare, and 40 minutes to cook, with a total time of 50 minutes.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup butter melted

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉ as you prepare your ingredients.

2. Place the chicken into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs evenly and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is deeply golden on the tops. The internal temperature should be 165℉ if checking with a thermometer.

Nutritional values per serving

• Calories: 470

• Carbohydrates: 5 grams

• Protein: 24 grams

• Fat: 40 grams

• Saturated fat: 16 grams

• Cholesterol: 182 milligrams

• Sodium: 276 milligrams

• Potassium: 320 milligrams

• Fiber: 1 gram

• Sugar: 3 grams

Original recipe: The Recipe Critic 

3. Chicken and rice casserole

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If you're looking for a chicken thigh casserole recipe, try this one. It makes eight servings, takes 10 minutes to prepare, and two hours to cook, with a total time of two hours and 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups milk

• 1 envelope onion soup mix

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

• 3 thick boneless skinless chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. 

2. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan or similar-sized casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Combine the rice, soup cans, water, milk, and onion soup mix in a large bowl.

4. Add the mixture to the greased baking dish and spread half of the shredded cheddar over the top.

5. Tuck the chicken thighs into the mixture and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Heads up, the pan will be full, so transport carefully.

6. Bake for 90 minutes to two hours. Adjust if needed. The rice should be tender and the chicken thoroughly cooked.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and spread the remaining cheddar over the top.

8. Cool the dish for 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional values

• Calories: 418 

• Carbohydrates: 46 grams

• Protein: 21 grams

• Fat: 15 grams

• Saturated Fat: 7 grams

• Cholesterol: 63 milligrams

• Sodium: 762 milligrams

• Potassium: 368 milligrams 

• Sugar: 4 grams ‍

Original recipe: Tastes Better From Scratch 

What goes best alongside chicken thighs?

A variety of foods pair wonderfully with chicken thighs, such as salads, rice dishes, roasted vegetables, potatoes of any kind, and macaroni and cheese. If you're eating your chicken thighs in a casserole, fresh vegetables and green salads are the way to go. If serving them on top of rice, a side of roasted green vegetables will complement the dish without leaving you feeling too full.

How do I cook Martha Stewart bone-in chicken thighs?

Martha Stewart's recipe for bone-in thighs is actually quite simple. 

Here's what you need:

8 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of one lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of grainy mustard 

1-2 tablespoons of honey

And here's how to cook it: 

1. Toss the chicken with everything but the mustard and honey. Let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 375℉.

3. Spray a coating pan with oil and add the chicken.

4. Place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

5. Flip the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Mix the mustard and honey in a small dish, adding salt and pepper. 

7. Brush the mixture onto the chicken and broil for five minutes.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook chicken thighs?

Here's a video that will show you how Gordon Ramsay cooks chicken thighs. Although he made the video without including a list of ingredients and measurements, here's what you need, according to food blogger Kwiatkowskicooking:

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• Sunflower or peanut oil for frying

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

• 1 piece of 1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, toasted and roughly ground

• Zest of 1/2 orange

• Pinch of sugar

For chicken thigh marinade

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons sherry wine

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve

• 3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

• Soy sauce

• Toasted sesame oil

Winner, winner chicken dinner

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