Chicken thighs: Recipes to take advantage of this low cost meat

Do you like dark meat? If you can answer yes to that question, then you should be buying those packages of chicken thighs at the grocery store. They usually come in small packages of 4 to 6 thighs or large packages with 10 to 12 thighs. As is expected, the large packages come with the best price. You can often get chicken thighs for about $1 a pound, give or take, and that’s a good price for a tender, flavorful, and versatile source of meat. You might even end up buying it as often as ground beef once you master the uses of chicken thighs.

Because all the meat on the thighs is tender and easy to get to, you will find them to be a much better choice than leg quarters which are the thighs with the drumsticks. Leg quarters are all right, but the drumstick meat is just not as nice, so for maximum quality, go for the packages of just thighs.

Here are some basic recipes for preparing chicken thighs.

On the barbeque

Chicken thighs can just be heaven on the barbeque. Whether using a gas or charcoal grill, you will need to use the INDIRECT method of barbequing. This means that the heat source will be off to one or two sides and the thighs will be placed on the portion of the grill that does not have a heat source directly below it. With the indirect method, you will need to cover the grill to hold in the heat. The indirect method is so crucial to barbequing chicken because chicken has fatty skin that drips and can actually catch on fire. Also chicken pieces need to cook for a long time on a grill, usually about 1 hour, and direct fire heat on the grill would burn the chicken up. Therefore you must use indirect heat.

Using the indirect method on the grill, start the chicken thighs with the skin sides up. Check the thighs after about 20 or 30 minutes and turn them. After about 10 to 20 minutes, turn the thighs again because you won’t want to leave the skin sides down too long. Now let the thighs finish in the covered grill until juices run clear. You can apply barbecue sauce during the last 5 or 10 minutes if you wish.

Note that on really hot summer days, especially in the triple digits, your chicken might cook on the barbeque more quickly, so keep an eye on it. Overcooking the thighs results in meat that is too dry. Conversely, on cooler days, like less than 85 degrees F, the chicken might need more time to cook all the way through. Never serve or eat chicken that is bloody or shows any sign of rareness in the meat.

In the oven:

Because firing up the barbeque is not always an option, you can cook the chicken thighs in the oven. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Your ideal pan for the thighs will have a rack and a cover. Neither feature is essential, but both are nice because the rack allows fat juices to drip away and the cover stops the fat from spattering in the oven, where it will make a mess and smoke.

Season the chicken thighs however you wish. Even if you just salt and pepper them and throw them in the oven, you’ll do fine. The result will be nicely roasted tender meat as long as you don’t over cook it. The thighs should be cooked in about one hour. Make sure juices are running clear and there is no blood in the juice. Leave the chicken in the oven longer if meat is not done.

These chicken thighs out of the oven are great to serve with sides like mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, rice, rice pilaf or pasta.

On the stove:

A very versatile way to prepare chicken thighs is to boil them. Place as many thighs as you wish in a large kettle and cover with water. Spice with salt and a couple bay leaves and then boil for a little over an hour or until meat is coming off bone. Allow the thighs to cool for a while until you are able to handle them. With a slotted spoon remove them from the hot water and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Make sure you get the cartilage chunks at the ends of the bones because they are gross to run into later.

What you have left is tender flakes and chunks of nicely cooked chicken that is ideal for use in casserole dishes or for stuffing tacos or burritos. The meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days until you are ready to use it.

Preparing the boiled chicken thigh meat for Mexican style dishes is very easy and delicious. Whether cold or still hot, put the thigh meat in a skillet or stock pot and sprinkle with taco seasoning, a little water, and add chopped green chilies. Heat the meat all the way through. You will find as you stir in the spices and heat up the chicken, it shreds into a mixture like shredded beef. Use it on nachos, or to fill tacos or burritos. If you don’t want to cook the meat Mexican style, then you can use it in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

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