Our Best Chicken Thigh Recipes (2024)

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

So long, more expensive, bigger-than-they-should-be chicken breasts! Thighs are a naturally flavorful, less expensive, and perfectly portioned cut of chicken that are great for busy weeknights or for serving dinner to company—depending on the recipe and side dishes you choose.

ck- Chicken Thighs with Peperonata and Roasted Broccoli

Chicken Thighs with Peperonata and Roasted Broccoli Recipe

Anchovy paste lends depth without tasting fishy.

Harissa-Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas

Harissa-Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas Recipe

Tangy yogurt meets bold harissa in the topping for this gutsy chicken dish. Fletcher adapted the recipe from one by her friend Ed Blonz, author of the syndicated column On Nutrition.

ck-Crispy Chicken Thighs with Schmaltzy Vinaigrette

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Schmaltzy Vinaigrette Recipe

You'll get all the deliciousness of a roast chicken in a fraction of the time when you opt for bone-in thighs as opposed to a whole bird. Schmaltz, a Yiddish word for chicken fat, is the base for a bright pan sauce that's drizzled over the vegetables and crispy chicken thighs. A cast-iron skillet will maintain an even heat so the hot drippings don't smoke or scorch.

Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

The trick to extra-savory veggies is cooking the chicken atop the potatoes and carrots.

Sweet Mustard Chicken Thighs

Sweet Mustard Chicken Thighs Recipe

These Carolina-style barbecue chicken thighs are smothered with a tangy-sweet sauce that will please the whole family.

Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs Recipe

The tasty Asian-inspired glaze gives these chicken thighs a mahogany sheen. Rich thigh meat is higher in fat than lean white meat, so the thighs stay moist even when they're roasted without skin.

Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs

Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs Recipe

This crispy chicken can be on your table in less than 30 minutes! Pro tip: flip the thighs during the last few minutes in the oven. Hot air will wash over the skins, crisping them to perfection.

Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken

Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken Recipe

This vibrant chicken dish gets a sweetened upgrade from a honey and apricot glaze.

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Summer Squash

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Summer Squash Recipe

A metal cooling rack set in a rimmed baking sheet makes bi-level cooking possible--squash below, chicken above--so the meat's glaze stays nicely charred, while the juices drip into and moisten the squash.

Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs

Superfast Crispy Chicken Thighs Recipe

This crispy chicken can be on your table in less than 30 minutes! Pro tip: flip the thighs during the last few minutes in the oven. Hot air will wash over the skins, crisping them to perfection.

Spiced Chicken Thighs

Spiced Chicken Thighs Recipe

This spicy chicken dish is popular with online reviewers as a satisfying last-minute meal on busy weeknights. Serve over quick-cooking brown rice and with a steamed green veggie.

Apricot-Ginger Chicken Thighs

Apricot-Ginger Chicken Thighs Recipe

The combination of ingredients such as chili powder, ground ginger, barbecue sauce, apricot preserves and lime juice creates a perfect sweet-and-savory flavor for these baked chicken thighs.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Chicken Skin Gremolata

Braised Chicken Thighs with Chicken Skin Gremolata Recipe

You can roast the chicken skin till it's crisp, rendering out much of the fat and capturing lots of chickeny goodness for a wintry braised main dish. Start checking the skins after 30 minutes in 5-minute intervals; they can quickly go from perfectly crisp to burned.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs Recipe

One of the most popular Cooking Light chicken recipes, these sweet and spicy grilled chicken thighs are flavored with chili powder, cumin, garlic and cider vinegar.

Honey-Pecan Chicken Thighs

Honey-Pecan Chicken Thighs Recipe

Crispy, crunchy chicken drizzled with a spicy honey mustard sauce is soon to become a favorite chicken dish. Baking the chicken provides a satisfying crunch without the added fat from frying.

Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal

Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal Recipe

Aromatic rosemary and thyme transport your tastebuds straight to the hills of Provence, France in this succulent, one-pan chicken recipe. To shorten cooking time, cook chicken and vegetables at the same time in separate pans. Remove vegetables after 30 minutes and keep warm. Cook the chicken five minutes longer and serve.

Chicken with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Olives

Chicken with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Olives Recipe

This bright and earthy braise, adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco (Ecco, 2011; $45), is a regular on the cafe menu at Chez Panisse, in Berkeley. The restaurant cures its lemons the traditional way; for our shortcut, see "Speedy Preserved Meyer Lemons."

Chicken and Roasted Figs

Chicken and Roasted Figs Recipe

Figs get a nice jammy texture as they cook with chicken in the garlic-honey sauce. For crisp chicken skin, resist the urge to spoon sauce over it during baking.

Citrus-Braised Chicken Thighs Image

Citrus-Braised Chicken Thighs Recipe

Braising gives you tender, tasty results and a pan sauce to boot.

Honey-Pomegranate Roasted Chicken Thighs

Honey-Pomegranate Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

Online reviewers offer this easy cleanup tip: line your broiler pan with foil to keep the sugary sauce from sticking to the pan.