73 Chicken Thigh Recipes for Delicious, Easy Dinners
We’ll just go ahead and say it: The best chicken recipes are chicken thigh recipes. Chicken thighs are juicy and rich—much less prone to drying out than (sorry, not sorry) chicken breasts. Whether you’re starting with bone-in or boneless skinless chicken thighs—or boneless skin-on chicken thighs—this cut of meat is undoubtedly the most flavorful part of the bird.
So buy this weeknight-ready staple with abandon and then grill it, crisp it in a skillet, braise it with greens, or pile it in a bun—no matter which cooking method you choose, you’re in for a delicious meal. Scroll on for 73 options that make the most of the tasty dark meat.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani1/73Grilled Chicken Skewers With Toum (Shish Taouk)
This is one of our favorite chicken thigh recipes for grilling season—the lemony, garlic-loaded marinade packs in tons of flavor. Serve with pita (bonus points if you make it fresh) and pickled turnips.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson2/73Spring Salad With Crispy Chicken and Bacony Croutons
Here's a hearty dinner salad that has a little bit of everything: richness from bacon and the crispy skin of the chicken, brightness from fresh mint and fennel, and a touch of balancing bitterness from escarole or frisée.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/73Crispy Chicken Over Turmeric-Lemon Cabbage and Peas
For an easy, one-pan weeknight dinner, cumin and turmeric-rubbed chicken thighs go on top of a pile of silky cabbage to finish in the oven, then get topped with sweet peas and a flurry of fresh cilantro.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich7/73Instant Pot Chicken Rendang
Rendang is a slow-cooked dish that usually requires hours of stovetop nursing. The Instant Pot makes it more hands-off and it cooks in a fraction of the time.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich8/73Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad With Grilled Chicken Thighs
Here's the perfect summer chicken dinner: Marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs in garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and cilantro roots or stems, cook them swiftly on the grill, then nestle them on top of a springy ramen salad. Who doesn’t love garlic chicken?!
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott10/73Braised Chicken Thighs With Squash and Mustard Greens
No acorn squash? Use butternut. Not into mustard greens? Use kale, Swiss chard, or spinach. Substitute whatever hard squash and hearty greens you’ve got and you can’t go wrong!
Photo by James Ransom11/73Chicken Spiedies (Marinated Chicken on a Bun)
For this juicy grilled chicken hero, you’ll marinate bite-size pieces of meat in, essentially, Italian dressing (with a bit of fresh flavor from mint, dill, and cardamom).
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/73Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream
In this comforting recipe from Epi contributor Christian Reynoso, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks cook along with little potatoes in a sage- and thyme-infused combination of brown butter and cream, then get topped with crunchy breadcrumbs—toasted in the pan drippings.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou13/73Chicken and Rice With Leeks and Salsa Verde
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich15/73Spicy Grilled Chicken with Crunchy Fennel Salad
Photo by Noah Fecks and Paul Wagtouicz16/73Ultimate Green Curry (Gaeng Khiaw Wan Gai)
This Thai green curry starts with a cup of homemade or store-bought green curry paste, which gets even more fragrant as you warm it on the stove. Once the boneless chicken thighs and eggplant are in the saucepan, the cook time is quick. It's an ideal weeknight meal served with jasmine rice.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou17/73Chicken-Lentil Soup With Jammy Onions
This is one of those valuable dinner recipes that coaxes big flavors out of just a few ingredients. Patiently browning the onions and garlic on your stovetop is essential for adding depth to the finished dish. You'll shred the tender chicken that has simmered in the soup and add it back to the pot with fresh parsley and lemon juice.
Photo by Peden + Munk18/73Charred Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Oranges
Char blood oranges in the drippings of crispy chicken thighs. Then spill everything from the cast-iron skillet onto a platter with torn, roasted sweet potatoes and a chickpea, olive, and feta salad.
Jonathan Lovekin19/73Fried Chicken Sandwich With Spicy Mayonnaise
Juicy fried chicken gets layered in a bun with kimchi (or your favorite pickles) and ribbons of crunchy iceberg lettuce, plus a garlicky mayo mixed with chili crisp and honey in this Nigella Lawson recipe.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich20/73Lemon Chicken Thighs
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones21/73Buckwheat Crepes With Spiced-Chicken Filling
Photo by Christopher Testani22/73Instant Pot Lemon Chicken With Garlic and Olives
Use the Instant Pot’s sauté function to brown chicken thighs for maximum flavor before allowing them to finish cooking in the briny, lemony, garlicky stock. Total time: Just 45 minutes.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/73Crispy Chicken Thighs With Spring Vegetables
This is the perfect recipe to showcase juicy chicken thighs and spring veggies (asparagus! baby potatoes! radishes!), in a single main dish. The rich and zesty pan sauce makes this simple, seasonal supper something you’ll want to eat again and again.
Photo by Chelsie Craig25/73Chicken Thighs With Crunchy Summer Veg
Cooking chicken thighs skin-side down for the majority of the cooking time allows the skin to get extra crispy. But why stop the texture train there? Pair the chicken with a crunchy salad of radishes and cumbers, or opt for one with green beans and snap peas.
Peden and Munk Taylor and Jen26/73Moroccan Chicken Brochettes
In this recipe from Anissa Helou, boneless thighs are flavored with garlic, cumin, and paprika and served with warm pita, labneh, chopped tomatoes, a garlicky yogurt sauce, and fragrant fresh mint.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton27/73Crispy Chicken and Potatoes With Cabbage Slaw
A zippy, jalapeño-spiked slaw balances these cumin-spiced chicken thighs and roasted potatoes. Looking for more slaw recipes? We've got 'em.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich28/73Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Deeply charred, mustard-rubbed chicken thighs are fantastic in a sandwich, especially when paired with crunchy fennel. Serve at your next cookout with a simple tomato salad and ice cream for dessert.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi29/73Garlic-Curry Chicken Thighs with Yogurt Sauce
Deploy yogurt two ways in this simple chicken dish: First, as a tenderizing marinade, and second, mixed with the pan juices to create a rich, creamy sauce for serving.
Photo by Christina Holmes.34/73Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches with Savoy Cabbage Slaw
A vinegary cabbage slaw with lots of black pepper is the ideal topping for a crispy chicken sandwich.
Photo by Gabriele Stabile35/73Caribbean Smothered Chicken With Coconut, Lime, and Chiles
Smothered pork chops may be an iconic soul food specialty, but this recipe proves you can smother anything. All it really means is coating slow-cooked meat with a blanket of saucy aromatics that end up as gravy too. Cream sauce and chicken never tasted so good.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks36/73Spanish-Style Fried Chicken with Grilled Avocado
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens39/73Hanukkah Chicken
One large potato pancake sliced into wedges is an easy large-format alternative to making individual latkes—which means you can pull off this special chicken and potato dinner any time of year.
Photo by Shea Evans40/73Instant-Pot Red Chicken Enchiladas
A homemade ancho chile sauce adds complex flavor to these pressure cooker enchiladas. How about paletas for dessert?
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton41/73"Nextover" Chicken Tacos with Quick Refried Beans
Make the chicken ahead of time, then rewarm it in tangy tomatillo salsa and top with a bright cabbage slaw. Round out your meal with super-fast, garlicky black beans.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich43/73Roast Chicken Thighs with Peas and Mint
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich44/73Slow-Cooked Chicken Stew With Kale
Photo by JP Bevins, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone46/73Slow-Cooker Green Chicken Chili
This easy, slow-cooker chicken chili is not your average bowl of red. With sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, and pinto beans, it's more of a cross between chile verde (usually made with pork) and white chicken chili.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell47/73Crispy Pan-Seared Chicken and Zucchini with Olives and Lemon
This recipe will amaze the zucchini-averse (and anyone who thinks they’ve had zukes every which way). A hard sear in the fat rendered from the chicken thighs keeps the veg crisp-tender.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell48/73Crispy Chicken Thighs With Kale, Apricots, and Olives
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi49/73Sheet-Pan Cumin Chicken Thighs With Squash, Fennel, and Grapes
Cumin-rubbed chicken juices season sweet roasted grapes, fennel, and squash in this simple yet flavorful one-pan chicken dinner.
Photo by David Malosh, Prop Styling by Cindy DiPrima, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich51/73One-Pot Gingery Chicken and Rice With Peanut Sauce
We took loose inspiration from Hainanese chicken rice to create this weeknight-friendly dish that retains the comforting and fragrant qualities of the beloved original.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop and food styling by Ali Nardi52/73Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs
The secret to this essential chicken recipe is all in the technique. Cook the thighs skin side down in a cast-iron skillet to render out the fat and make the skin as crisp as possible. Complete the meal with a side of mashed potatoes or a lemony white bean salad.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop and Food Styling by Ali Nardi54/73Braised Chicken With Asparagus, Peas, and Melted Leeks
Gently cooked in olive oil, leeks melt like butter over fennel-rubbed chicken thighs and snappy green spring vegetables.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks55/73Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili
For easy, hands-off dinner prep, throw chicken thighs, green chiles, white beans, and a flurry of spices into your slow cooker and come home to a hearty, flavorful meal.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz56/733-Ingredient Pesto Fried Chicken
We like Italian-style breadcrumbs here for an old-school cutlet feel, but panko (or a totally different breading) would work just fine in their place. Serve with some snappy green beans on the side.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone59/73Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Pita with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson60/73Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken
Freeze smaller portions of this versatile, flavorful shredded chicken and you'll be so glad you did. It's the perfect base to build any meal: tacos, fried rice, hearty soups, pastas, bbq chicken sandwiches, or anything else your heart desires.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Molly Baz61/73Chicken Teriyaki
Served with a bright, refreshing radish salad, these salty, sweet, and shatteringly crisp glazed thighs make for a delicious take on a teriyaki dinner.
Romulo Yanes63/73Spicy Chicken Thighs With Rhubarb-Cucumber Salsa
A fresh salsa balances out the spiciness of these chile-glazed chicken thighs. You might as well make it a rhubarb-themed night!
Ray Kachatorian65/73Cumin-Crusted Chicken Thighs With Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
Cumin, smoked paprika, and other bold spices in the rub come together with a chunky salsa of tomatillos, chile, lime, and cilantro to deliver an explosion of flavors that complement the chicken.
donna hay magazine, photography by Chris Court70/73Chicken and Caraway Schnitzel With Buttermilk Spaetzle
Photo by Peter Frank Edwards71/73Chicken Thigh Potpie
This twist on a classic chicken potpie is made with sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and tender kale leaves instead of the usual carrot and celery combo. The recipe also has a small amount of cornmeal in the crust, which provides a nutty, toasty flavor with an echo of sweetness to match the filling.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone72/73Spiced Coconut Chicken and Rice
Inspired by mulligatawny soup, this Instant Pot chicken-and-rice dish gets hit with vibrant spices, creamy coconut milk, bright ginger, and fresh lime juice.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell73/73Red Wine–Braised Chicken With Chorizo and Chickpeas
