Chicken thighs are a wonderful option. Not only are they cheap and easy to find, but they are also very tasty, boating plenty of flavor. You can make all kinds of delicious boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes and you are sure to adore the taste. Unlike chicken breast, which can dry out quickly, the higher fat content in chicken thighs keeps them succulent and moist. They are forgiving even if you overcook them a bit.
If you spot some on sale in the grocery store, grab them because there are plenty of wonderful boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes you can rustle up using chicken thighs. You can expect a great flavor from a good chicken thigh recipe and anyone can cook this juicy cut of poultry to perfection.
Chicken Thighs vs. Chicken Breast
Chicken thighs are dark meat which means a lot of people assume they are less healthy than chicken breasts, although actually these 2 cuts of chicken don’t differ much in nutritional content. Any kind of meat from an animal is high in protein, which is important for muscle building, cell regrowth and immune function – yet another reason to make boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes.
There are no carbs in chicken, although using a sweet marinating liquid might change that. Chicken thighs do have more fat than chicken breast (almost double) but remove the skin from chicken thighs to reduce it. Chicken thigh recipes easy as they are, are worth making because of the wonderful flavor, plus you can get all that for a fraction of the cost of buying chicken breast.
Calories in Chicken Thighs and Health Benefits
Both chicken breast and chicken thighs have moderate amounts of cholesterol and both have similar amounts of sodium. A 3 ounce (85g) serving of chicken breast gives you 170 calories, while the same amount of chicken thigh gives you 210 calories, so you can see there isn’t that much difference. Chicken breast and thigh have similar amounts of iron, which is important for transporting oxygen through the body.
As far as health benefits go when making boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes, you can see both these types of chicken are good for you, but as for texture and flavor, it depends if you want a leaner cut or a cut with a little more fat content, a dryer cut or a more moist one. There are great recipes for both types of chicken but here we are focusing on chicken thighs and the wonderful dishes you can make with this economical cut of meat.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh recipes are so Versatile
There are boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes for the oven, stove, crockpot, grill, and barbecue, using herbs and spices from various cuisines. You can cook chicken thighs plain or spice them up. They don’t have to be fiery hot – you might like to use aromatic seasonings instead. You can serve them cold with salads, add them to soup recipes, or use them in tacos, stews, in sandwiches, or in other recipes. Chicken thighs are really versatile and there are boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes for every palate and occasion.
PrintTable of Contents
Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
With garlic, mustard, honey, rosemary and lemon, this chicken thigh recipe is really delicious. If the weather is suitable for grilling, this is the number one chicken recipe to make.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 27 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1½ pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Put the garlic, olive oil, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and rosemary in a Ziploc bag and squeeze to combine.
- Add the chicken and then chill it for up to 24 hours (minimum 1 hour).
- Get the grill medium-high, or at least 350 to 400 degrees F (180 to 200 degrees C).
- Discard the marinade from the chicken.
- Grill the chicken for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through, with the grill lid down.
- Put it on aluminum foil and squeeze the lemon juice over it, then fold the foil all around the chicken.
- Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- As boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes go, this one seems to appeal to just about everyone.
Photo by Ernesto Andrado, on Flickr
PrintDeep Fried Chicken Thighs Recipe
The chicken thighs are coated in a tasty seasoning mixture before being deep-fried. If you want a real comfort food meal, this is one of the best boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes to make.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 27 mins
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk
- Oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- Preheat oil to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) in a deep fryer.
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper over both sides of the chicken.
- Combine the milk, eggs and Tabasco in a bowl.
- Put the flour in another bowl.
- Dredge a piece of chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.
- Next dredge it through the egg, and then back through the flour mixture again.
- Shake off any excess.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Fry the chicken for 7 minutes, then pierce each piece with a knife tip and flip them over.
- Cook for 5 minutes on the other side and pierce the largest one in the middle.
- If the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
- Drain and then serve hot.
Photo by Foodie Buddha, on Flickr
PrintSticky Sweet Crockpot Chicken Thighs
Slow cooker chicken thighs are sure to come out juicy and delicious, and this recipe uses honey, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and basic, to make an aromatic, sticky sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup (80ml) honey
- ½ cup (125ml) ketchup
- ½ cup (125ml) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 minced garlic cloves
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a 4-quart crockpot.
- Whisk the other ingredients together.
- Pour this mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook for 6 hours on low, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, and add some steamed veggies too.
Photo by JeffreyW, on Flickr
PrintEasy Chicken Thigh Tacos
These pulled chicken thigh tacos are full of flavor with ancho chili, cumin and cilantro. Add avocado and sour cream to serve, and perhaps offer Mexican rice on the side.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 lb (225g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup water
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 thinly sliced avocado
- 8 small flour tortillas
- Cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Sour cream, to serve
- Olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pot and add the chicken thighs.
- Cook them for 2 minutes per side or until browned.
- Add the chili powder, cumin and water.
- Add salt to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for an hour or until you can shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- Shred all the chicken then put it back in the cooking liquid.
- At this point you may refrigerate the chicken for 3 days before using, if you want.
- Microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds or until soft.
- Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas.
- Top with avocado slices and cilantro.
- Serve right away with sour cream.
Photo by Chris Goldberg, on Flickr
PrintSimple Chicken Thighs Baked in the Oven
You just need chicken thighs, oil, salt and pepper. This is a basic recipe for baked chicken thighs. Anyone can master this recipe and you will love the succulent results.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil (or similar), as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Put the chicken in a bowl and rub olive oil over it.
- Grind some salt and pepper over the chicken.
- Put it in an un-greased baking dish.
- Cook for 20 minutes or until it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
- Let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then serve.
- With chicken thigh recipes in the oven, leaving the chicken to sit before serving it means it will be extra moist and tender.
Photo by Max, on Flickr
PrintSteamed Chicken Thighs with Ginger
Steaming preserves not only the delicious taste of chicken but also locks in the moisture. This recipe has ginger, Mirin, soy sauce and green onions to offer a delicate Chinese flavor to the finished dish.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 sliced green onions
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons Mirin or white wine
- 8 slices fresh ginger
- Water, as needed
Instructions
- Put an inch of water in a large pot and put it over a medium-high heat on the stove.
- Put a steaming rack inside.
- Put the chicken in a heat-proof dish and pour the soy sauce and Mirin on top.
- Top with ginger slices and the white part of the green onion.
- When the water reaches a boil, put the dish of chicken on the steaming rack and put a lid on the pan.
- Turn the temperature down.
- You want the water gently simmering, not boiling.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.
- Serve topped with the green part of the green onion.
Photo by Wendy, on Flickr
PrintBraised Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are flavored with chili, garlic, ginger and more to make this wonderful recipe, and Greek yogurt also goes into the mix to add a lovely creamy finish. Serve this over fluffy white rice.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60ml) canola oil
- 1½ lbs (680g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 thinly sliced serrano chili pepper
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
- 1 lb (450g) cored, chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup (125ml) water
- ½ cup (90g) fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear of corn)
- ¼ cup (60ml) Greek plain yogurt
- Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet.
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Dust it with flour and tap off any excess.
- Put the chicken in the skillet.
- Cook it until brown over a high heat, flipping once.
- This will take about 6 minutes.
- Put the chicken on a plate.
- Add the chili, garlic, bell pepper, and ginger to the skillet.
- Cook for 2 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the curry powder.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, water and yogurt and stir well.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Put the chicken back in the skillet along with any juices from it.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Serve with cilantro sprinkled over it.
- This is one of the best boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes to serve over white rice.
Photo by Wendy, on Flickr
