How to make roasted chicken thigh

Community General Discussion
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So, it’s quite easy, get some chicken thighs, preferably the entire thigh with the flat and the drum, cover with aromatic salt, i would recommend at least garlic and pepper, but you can add rosemary, thyme, sage, etc… or even buy at the grocery store if you want, remember to be quite generous and to cover the whole thing.

You can cook it immediately, but for even better results, salt the day before and dry brine it.

Preheat the oven to about 220 to max 250 degrees C to static, get a grill tray, and put it quite close to the heating element, below the grill tray, get an oven tray to collect the oil that will drip from the thigh, you can put some water so it won’t splash as much but it will somewhat change the final result, you are gonna have to choose between a more clean oven and an overall better result, your choice.

But absolutely do not forget to put at least an over trail below, otherwise the oil will hit the heating element below, and make a lot of smoke.

Cook at high temperature to crisp up the skin, generally it takes from 30 to 45 minutes, then lower the temperature, to about 100 to 120 degrees C, and cook for at least 2 hours.

And there you go, now you know how to make roasted chicken thigh.

1: edit added a second recipe.

Ill add another recipe, you don’t need to be super precise with the measurements.

Wine braised beef cheeks:

1kg beef cheeks
300 grams of diced onions
300 grams of diced carrots
300 grams of diced celery
At least 15 grams of salt, you can also use granulated stock, it will lead to an even more flavorful result.

At least 1 lt of red wine.

Aromatics, these are highly recommended, but you can decide how much you want yourself or not at all: Garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, bay, pepper, juniper, cloves, tomato paste.

Preparation:

Dice the vegetables, not too thinly, i would recommend dices of about 0.5 cm per side, you don’t need to be super precise though, but do not chop them finely.

Lay the beef cheeks in a casserole, add the vegetables and the aromatics, cover the whole thing in red wine, i would recommend at least 1 liter, but until it’s covered is generally a good measure. Let it brine for at least 12 hours.

Drain the vegetables and put them aside, sear the cheeks and the vegetables separately, when they are both well seared, put them back together in the same casserole, add the salt or the granulated stock, and the tomato paste, and braise for at least 5 hours at a simmer, when the cheeks are completely cooked, take them out, drain the vegetables and squeeze them to take out as many juices as possible, i would recommend using a cloth for this.

Now you should have beef cheeks and a stock made of wine, with no vegetables, put the beef cheeks back together with the stock, and reduce the stock until it’s very thick and has the consistency of syrup, while paying attention that the beef does not stick to the bottom of the casserole.

And that’s about it.

This is probably a masterclass recipe, no joke, it’s super good. You can use the reduced stock and add it to a side or even the meat itself, and it’s gonna be one of the most flavorful things you have ever tried.

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Thank you for this :slight_smile:

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No problem.

I decided to post this because i was eating some chicken, and i thought, why not.

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No, I prefer using honey and mustard.

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Try it and find out.

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I’m hungry now :relaxed:

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The real question is why you would buy thighs instead of the good old’ Chicken Fillet which you can easily cook however you want.

Do you have any idea how hard it is when you have a chicken curry planned, can only find thighs and have to strip the bones of meat so that you can finally prepare your meal ?

Heretics like you deserve to burn in an oven, covered in aromatic salt and garlic.

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I sometimes do the extra effort of removing the bone from the thigh. I find it more pleasant to eat. The mass being thinner makes it also nicer to throw on the grill.

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Thighs are cheaper than breast , tender and you get that nice crisp skin … also grey meat is healthier than white meat.

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This is generally odd because at least here, sometimes an entire chicken is cheaper than the two breast pieces, while it takes less than 15 minutes to take the chicken apart… It’s demand/supply: breast is expensive because that’s what most people prefer.

Other parts like chicken hearts are nearly free because nobody wants them. Chicken hearts marinated in olive oil, honey and vinegar on a stick = amazing

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I’d be surprised if there were no guild named Chicc Tighs Save Lives

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i really love chicken thigh pitas.

i debone the chicken thighs, open it so its a flat surface, i ll make little cuts in the thicker parts so it cooks more evenly and its flatter. you can leave the skin on or off, your choice, i usually leave it on. salt and pepper it on both sides, heat a tiny bit of oil in a pan (the fat usually renders fat/oil so you dont need much), then fry it on both sides until its cooked through. then when you are done you put the chicken on the side to let it rest.

preheat the oven for the pita breads while you are preparing the rest of the filling. (alternatively, if you want you can prepare all the vegetables before you start frying and preheat the oven while you are frying)

in the meantime cut tomatos, onions, feta, cucumber, salad, bell pepper (or whatever you want to have in your pita). put it in a bowl, cut the chicken carefully in cubes, put it into the bowl with the other vegetables, mix it, add salt and pepper to taste, let it sit for a minute while you are putting the pitas into the oven (shouldnt take long, max a minute or so). all you have to do now is to fill the pitas and you are ready to go.

sometimes i like to salt and pepper the deboned chicken thighs (marinating is optional), dip them in flour, eggwash and then panko and fry them. they are great as a side dish for rice.

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tbh i prefer thighs over breast. they tend to be juicier than the breast pieces which usually turn out more on the dry side.

sometimes when i cook curry, i leave the chicken thigh as is, sufficiently sear it on both sides and then plonk it into the curry and let it simmer for quite a while. the chicken will be so tender it falls apart/from the bone.

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It’s easier to cook, so people tend to prefer it.

Thigh requires more time, i bet that most people who don’t like it is because they haven’t cooked it long enough.

Sure technically cooking it to at least 75/80 degrees will make it edible, but thigh requires more time to break down the connective tissue and become super tender.

So if you know how to cook thigh it will be more flavorful and tender. A thigh that hasn’t been cooked enough will be tough and disgusting.

Breast is better for frying though.

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I agree that cooking the breast is the easiest but I don’t think that’s the only reason. Just from what I perceive of people around me, I think a lot are grosses out by visible chunks of fat in a piece of meat. The breast has none.

In most of Europe we’ve grown a little spoiled in regard of meat consumption: people don’t like to eat stuff that doesn’t look perfect. I think liking the breast more is cause of that. Most people around me wouldn’t eat a tongue, a brain or even a liver. Those things have consistency, smell and taste. A liver is something very specific but a chicken breast is a near tasteless mass. The thigh has veins, bones, fat - the breast doesn’t. I think that’s the reason.

Veal liver with onions and apples. My favorite dish

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Could be a significant part of it, but i am not 100 % sure.

Anyway i got like 2.4 kg of thigh for 5 euros, which is really low compared to breast. So in terms of cost effectiveness, thigh is way better.

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Nothing beats breast.

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Fun fact, pandas’ digestive system is better geared to meat than it is to plant matter.

Look, I have these big teefs!

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