What is it?

Chicken thighs are the top part of the chicken leg where it connects to the body (as opposed to the drumstick, which is the bottom half).

Because they are dark meat, chicken thighs cook up moist and tender. They offer all the benefits of chicken breasts—convenience and fast cooking—without the tendency to turn tasteless and dry, thanks to their slightly higher fat content.

Bone-in and skin-on, they’re great for roasting and braising. More markets are also featuring boneless, skinless thighs, which cook up quickly making them great the for grill or the saute pan.

How to choose:

Thighs from mass-produced chickens tend to be larger than those from their free-range kin, so be sure to check the weight on the package so you buy the right amount; you may need more of the smaller thighs.

How to prep:

Remove any large pockets of fat, but don’t worry about getting every bit, as it’s the fat that will help keep the thigh moist during cooking. Even if you’re leaving the skin on, trim any skin that extends farther than the edges of the chicken thigh.

If you’re used to cooking chicken breast, bear in mind that thighs cook darker. Breast meat clearly changes color (from pink to white) when fully cooked, but thighs look pinkish-brown even when thoroughly cooked.

How to store:

Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.

Cross Reference

chicken legs; chicken leg quarters

Recipes

• 
  Recipe

  Chicken Couscous with Dried Fruit

  Dried fruit and nuts are found in many North African dishes. What I love about this simple yet flavorful dish is that the naturally sweet dried fruits take center stage…

• 
  Recipe

  Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

  Short on ingredients but long on flavor, this one-pan meal needs only a side salad to be complete.

• 
  Recipe

  Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

  Skewered thigh meat is much more likely to turn out juicy than skewered breast meat. Its inherent richness can handle the dry heat of the grill without losing too much…

• 
  Recipe

  Barbecued Chicken Adobo

  This chicken gets a double dose of potent pantry ingredients. First, the meat absorbs a vinegar-soy mixture seasoned with garlic, ginger, and peppercorns. Then, after the mixture has been boiled…

• 
  Recipe

  Parsley Pesto-Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs

  When time is short but expectations are high, I turn to this speedy weeknight marinade. To elicit big smoky flavor from grilled boneless thighs, be sure to expose as much…

• 
  Recipe

  Grilled Chicken Thighs with Mustard and Dill

  I like that you can smear this mustard paste on the thighs and marinate for a few hours to create deep flavor or go right to the grill if you're…

• 
  Recipe

  Multicooker Chicken Scarpariello with Rigatoni

  A classic of both Italian-American restaurants and home cooking, this sweet-and-sour dish cooks up quickly in an Instant Pot or other multicooker. The dried pasta cooks in the sauce, adding…

• 
  Recipe

  Grilled Chicken and Charred-Onion Tacos

  Chicken breast might be everyone’s poultry go-to, but thighs are arguably more delicious: meaty, sturdy, and perfect for grilling. The rich, tender meat is fabulous with grilled onions and spicy…

• 
  Recipe

  Crispy and Garlicky Chicken Thighs

  At The Purple Pig in Chicago, they skewer squares of skin-on boneless chicken thighs and pan-fry them to perfect crispness. Though a delight to eat, it’s not so fun boning…

• 
  Recipe

  Spicy and Sweet Chicken Thighs with Seared Scallion

  Deeply flavored chicken thighs are a perfect match with this gingery, chile-spiked soy marinade. If you like things really spicy, add another teaspoon of sambal oelek to the marinade.