How to Make One-Pot Chicken Thighs | Budget-Friendly Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should chicken thighs be cooked fast or slow? ›

If you get impatient and heat up your chicken thighs by cranking the temperature all the way up, your chicken will be too dry, which is the last thing you want. Instead, you want to keep your chicken thighs slowly cooking on a low temperature, thus allowing the meat to marinate in its juices and gradually tenderize.

Chicken thighs can be baked anywhere between 350 and 425 degrees, but at 400 or 425 degrees, they have enough time to get super tender while still having the heat they need to crisp up the skin. Should you cover chicken thighs in the oven? For baking, it is not necessary to cover chicken thighs.

Keep in mind that bone-in chicken thighs will take longer to cook than boneless chicken thighs.

First loosen the chicken skin — this can be done by carefully sliding a paring knife underneath the skin, or by hand — and then thoroughly incorporate both your seasoning and a layer of fat under the skin. Next coat the chicken generously with salt, pepper, spices, or a dry rub.

How I Boil Chicken. My method is very simple and straightforward: Just cover the chicken with about an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat until the water is simmering, cover the pot, and let the chicken cook. That's it!

There is no need to rotate the pan or flip the chicken thighs at any point during the baking process. Let the chicken thighs rest in the baking pan for at least 10 minutes then serve 'em on up!

Since they have a higher fat content and retain moisture during cooking, it's more difficult to overcook chicken thighs than it is to overcook chicken breasts. Particularly if you buy bone-in chicken thighs, they mostly just fall off of the bone if you leave them in the oven too long!

While leg and thigh meat are still safe at 165 degrees F, it is recommended to cook your chicken until the internal temperature reaches about 170-175 degrees F. Chicken legs consist of actively worked muscles and the meat is tougher because of it. The higher temperature helps break down muscles.

Get Them Bone-In, Skin-On

Keeping the skin on protects your chicken thighs from drying out while they cook, plus it allows for the additional textural treat of crispy, perfectly seasoned skin. Bone-in can be tricky to cut, but the bones help prevent the chicken from drying out.

Cooking times are different for each cut: whole legs take longer than thighs, drumsticks cook the fastest, and boneless chicken cooks more quickly than bone-in cuts. If you're substituting different chicken pieces than a recipe calls for, you'll need to adjust the time and use a thermometer.

How do you know when boneless skinless chicken thighs are done? ›

In our basic meal prep boneless chicken thighs recipe, they take about 25 to 30 minutes baked at 425 degrees F. You'll know the chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

After briefly rinsing off the chicken, add a generous amount of salt, a splash of vinegar, and several limes cut in half. Use the lime and its juices to scrub the surface of each individual piece of chicken. This helps to remove the slime and film off the chicken.

Let chicken come to room temperature by sitting out 15-45 minutes depending on the size. Season chicken with salt (if not using a marinade or brine). If using marinade, remove and pat dry. Oil the grates where you will cook your chicken using a paper towel rubbed with olive oil.