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    The 45 BEST Chicken Thigh Recipes

    Juicy, tender chicken thighs… Our favorite cut of chicken. This dark meat is loved and preferred by many. Chicken thighs are extremely versatile and inexpensive. When you buy tons of them, there is always that question about what to cook with chicken thighs? Well you can do a gazillion different things with these humble little things.

    From baking to braising to grilling to slow cooking, you will end up in one delicious meal every single time. We decided to create this list with some of our most favorite Chicken Thigh Recipes just for you.

    This Chicken Thigh Recipes list covers classics like coq au vin and stews, some great Asian flavors, delicious baking dishes like chicken Provençal and some recipes that cooks slow and low. Any which way you decide to make chicken thighs tonight, get ready for some fabulous flavors.

    45 BEST Chicken Thigh Recipes

    The Best Chicken Thigh Recipes

    1. Chicken Provençal 

    We are starting this list with a chicken thigh recipe all the way from the South of France. Beautiful golden brown chicken thighs braised in white wine, nestled between eye catching olives, plump cherry tomatoes, oh-so French shallots, tangy capers and plenty of garlic and herbs. Life can’t be more beautiful!

    Get the Recipe


    2. Crockpot Tuscan Chicken

    This crock pot Tuscan chicken is drenched in a creamy sauce loaded with great Mediterranean flavors. It’s one easy and delicious make ahead weeknight dinner! Treat your friends and family to these amazing flavors.

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    3. Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

    This Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is absolutely Irresist-A-Bowl! Tender juicy chicken thighs, glistening in tasty sauce, alongside Asian coleslaw and creamy avocado. All atop a bed of hot rice. Yum!

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    4. Pollo Asado

    This Pollo Asado recipe is a must try. Chicken thighs are marinated in a blend of citrus juices and plenty of great Latin flavors, giving you tender, juicy, delicious results.

    It can be cooked on the grill, roasted, or pan seared. Whatever cooking method you choose, you’re in for a treat.

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    5. Coq au Vin

    If you’ve never tried Coq au Vin, one bite is all it’s going to take for you to realize why it’s one of the most famous dishes out of France!

    Chicken is braised into tender submission in an herb infused red wine gravy, along with veggies and aromatics for good measure.

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    6. Country Captain Chicken

    Country Captain Chicken… Indian curry meets Lowcountry cooking. Simply known as Country Captain, this is a Southern Icon you may have never tasted.

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    7. Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

    Chicken Paprikash… Out-of-this-world Delicious! Paprika basks in the limelight here, in a rich, comforting Hungarian Chicken Stew, Paprikas Csirke, as it’s known belovedly in Hungary.

    This silky, smooth stew is cold weather comfort food at its finest!! Chicken thighs are braised in a paprika laced gravy and finished off with a dollop of sour cream.

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    8. Mediterranean Braised Chicken with Apricots

    This gorgeous Mediterranean braised chicken is your coq au vin taken to the next level! So many layers of flavor, yet so easy. Impress your guests or save it for yourself, the choice is yours!

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    9. General Tso’s Chicken

    This General Tso’s Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner idea with chicken thighs, and tastes so much better than takeout!

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    10. Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet

    This creamy pesto chicken skillet is a great weeknight dinner recipe. It happens super fast, 3O minutes fast! Tender chicken thighs and loads of veggies in a delicious creamy pesto sauce. YUM!

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    11. Thai Cashew Chicken

    Give your stir fry night a new twist with this Thai Cashew Chicken. It’s an easy dish that’s bursting with layers of flavor and texture.

    Just a little chopping, mix up a sauce, and a quick stir fry is all the effort needed to put this tasty and nutritious dinner on the table.

    Get the recipe


    12. Smothered Chicken

    This Smothered Chicken is the ultimate Southern comfort food. Generously seasoned seared chicken thighs smothered in an amazing gravy. YUM!

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    13. Kung Pao Chicken

    It’s savory, it’s sweet, it’s tangy, and those dried chilis give it just a bit of kick! This quick stir fry is one of those super easy chicken thigh recipes. Perfect week-night meal! Make this favorite Asian restaurant dish right in your kitchen.

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    14. Thai Green Curry with Chicken

    Your Thai Restaurant favorite is so easy to cook in your own kitchen. Big, bold Thai flavors, beautifully fragrant, the creamy red curry sauce is so good you can put anything in it and it will be amazing! This is IT when you crave Asian flavors.

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    15. Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

    Dinner ready in 20 minutes? Honey Garlic Chicken Bites… Music to the ears… And when you look into the pan, the sticky delicious honey garlic sauce laced chicken bites, they look so tempting to dig in to. 

    This is your perfect weeknight dinner idea that happens with regular every day pantry ingredients. Nothing fancy… nothing difficult… just simple good old flavors.

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    16. Jamaican Curry Chicken

    This Jamaican Curry Chicken is a MUST for all you fellow curry lovers. It’s super easy and absolutely loaded with great flavors! Great curry idea for your chicken thighs.

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    17. Crock Pot (or Instant Pot) Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

    This Hawaiian Pineapple chicken is a fall off the bone hit. Just a few minutes of hands on time and your trusty crock pot or instant pot does the rest! This is one of the easiest chicken thigh recipes you’ll ever find!

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    18. Trinidadian Curry Chicken

    This curry chicken from the Caribbean island country of Trinidad is one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes. Curry powder and fresh herbs and aromatics in their green seasoning form the base of this super simple chicken affair.

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    19. Chicken Cacciatore

    This classic rustic Italian dish is extremely flavorful. Chicken thighs are cooked to fall off the bone tender low and slow along with onions, tomatoes, Italian fresh herbs, vegetables, and wine. Your whole family is going to love this delicious Italian meal.

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    20. Southern Braised Chicken with Black Eyed Peas

    Southern Braised Chicken is the newest addition to your comfort food repertoire. It’s hearty and full of cozy flavors. With just a few humble ingredients and a few minutes of hands on time, you’ll have a dish the whole family is going to love.

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    21. Hawaiian Chicken Salad

    Hawaiian Chicken Salad – Take a look at this colorful platter. It’s full of tropical flavors, a variety of textures, and it happens to be healthy.

    This is a great summertime dish, when you want something light, yet satisfying.

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    22. Jambalaya Pasta (Pastalaya)

    Jambalaya Pasta, aka Pastalaya, is a super tasty dish featuring shrimp, chicken and sausage smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce full of Louisiana flavors.

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    23. Creamy Lemon Chicken

    Easy and delicious! This chicken can make for a relatively easy week night meal, but looks and tastes so good it will impress guests as well. I love it with orzo, pearled couscous or bread! On it’s own, great for the keto crowd!

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    24. Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce)

    This mega giant salad is how it’s eaten at any time of the day in Indonesia, treated not as just a side dish, but a whole meal. Well, your bowl of salad never looked that inviting right? Thanks to that perfect sweet, savory and spicy peanut sauce that get drizzled generously all over the crunchy veggies and perfectly cooked chicken thighs.

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    25. Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

    This creamy, luscious and rich curry happens when chicken thighs are braised and smothered in an onion-tomato based gravy with coconut milk. It has all the earthy, exotic and warm spices to make it an extra special and finger licking delicious treat.

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    26. Sesame Chicken Bowls

    These Sesame Chicken Bowls are the answer to your weeknight Chinese food cravings. In 25 minutes, you can cook a better-than-takeout meal.

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    27. Harissa Chicken

    Harissa Chicken is a hugely flavorful dish using my new favorite flavor bomb, North African harissa.

    This recipe is a one pot wonder with chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and chickpeas, and it takes only a few minutes of your hands on time.

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    28. Kedjenou Chicken (Ivory Coast Stew)

    Kedjenou is a beloved stew in the Ivory Coast. It’s so simple, yet so spectacularly tasty. Do you want it spicy? Oh, I will show you how to make it spicy!

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    29. Dominican Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)

    Pollo Guisado, the beloved chicken dish that everybody from Latin Caribbean islands grew up on. Its dynamics and taste changes from Dominican to Puerto Rican to Cuban. 

    This colorful, fall off the bone chicken thighs are caramelized first and then braised in a beautiful sauce. Atop a bed of rice, this is ultimate bliss for many people! Try it, you will love the simplicity of this most flavorful and yum chicken stew.

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    30. Chicken Caldereta

    Chicken Caldereta… Try this mild yet tasty coconut based Filipino stew. It’s packed with loads of veggies and tons of flavor!

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    31. Greek Chicken Souvlaki

    Super juicy, tender kabobs made with the best marinade ever! Serve it with grilled pita bread, English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cubed feta, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce and you are all set for a great Greek night.

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    32.Jamaican Jerk Chicken

    This Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe is dedicated to all of my fellow spice lovers. Marinated in an amazing concoction of ingredients, it’s a total flavor bomb with a customizable level of kick.

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    33. Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup

    This creamy lemon chicken soup is going to win your hearts… BIG time! Some magic happens with just a little bit of lemon, a little bit of butter and little bit of cheese and cream. Not to forget tons of spinach.

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    34. South African Chicken Curry

    A milder and sweeter alternative to Indian and Caribbean curries, this South African Chicken Curry is still jam packed with flavor!

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    35. Chicken Jollof Rice

    This colorful and tasty one pot meal is a West African classic. Simple preparation, then in the oven it goes. Impress your guests with this easy and exotic treat!

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    36. Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

    Juicy, tender chicken thighs infused with fresh Med flavors coming from olives and artichokes, lemons and burst cherry tomatoes. This is a one skillet meal from stovetop-to oven-to table. You can’t beat the ease and convenience of this one pot meal, as you literally throw everything in a skillet and let the oven do the work for most of the cook time.

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    37. Chicken Masala

    Homestyle Indian Masala. Simple, yet crowd pleasing. Impress your friends and neighbors… Guess what? Indian doesn’t have to mean spicy! But it sure means flavorful!

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    38. Filipino Chicken Asado (Kapampangan Style)

    This Filipino Chicken Asado is simple in nature, yet there are so many flavors going on at the same time. It’s a brilliant combination of tangy, sweet, sour and savory.

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    39. Chicken Korma

    Creamy, rich and finger licking, Korma is cooked slow and low with flavors created to suit the King’s palate. Korma is an iconic dish from India, with deep roots in Moghlai cuisine. Serve it with freshly cooked basmati rice or naan bread and the compliments will abound at the dinner table.

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    40. Cajun Chicken Pasta

    This Cajun Chicken Pasta is a super easy and super tasty meal that combines the comfort of pasta and the bold flavors of New Orleans.

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    41. Spanish Chicken

    One bite into this Spanish Chicken with Chorizo, and you are going to fall in love! Bursting with great flavors and textures, it’s a perfect meal for company or special occasion.

    Tender chicken thighs are oven braised with chorizo sausage, tomatoes, peppers, olives, chick peas, and plenty of flavor enhancers.

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    42. Chicken Shawarma

    This easy Chicken Shawarma brings the flavors, big time! Marinated with vibrant and aromatic spices, it can be your easy weeknight dinner, or a big crowd pleaser for company nights.

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    43. Chicken Stir Fry

    This easy Chicken Stir Fry recipe is a quick weeknight dinner with tons of great flavor and plenty of veggie power!

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    44. Easy Chicken Tacos

    These easy authentic Mexican Street Style Chicken Tacos are packed with flavor from a great marinade, and can be your easy weeknight dinner, meal prep, or feed a crowd!

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    45. Pinchos (Puerto Rican Chicken Skewers)

    Pinchos are just your simple meat-on-a-stick meal, but these tender bites are super delicious. Get ready to grill one of the most popular street foods out of Puerto Rico… Pinchos De Pollo!! 

    The snuggly threaded chicken cubes are marinated in amazing island flavors and grilled to perfection, then slathered with BBQ sauce. Yes, very unique chicken kebabs!

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    46. Chicken Burrito Bowl

    Skip the Chipotle, our Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe is going to satisfy all your cravings! 

    Just combine perfectly marinated chicken with rice and the fixings of your choice, and you have a hearty and nutritious one-bowl meal. Delicious and quick boneless chicken thigh recipe!!

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    47. Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

    Chicken on a stick… They are fun and family friendly meals, get together meals and BBQ party meals. 

    These Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are the ultimate Umami BOMB, thanks to the easy homemade marinade, of course. If you’re looking for a super easy, super quick and super economical meal to feed a large crowd and make them happy, these Asian chicken skewers are your answer.

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    48. Chicken Stroganoff

    Our easy Chicken Stroganoff recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner, where tender chicken cooks with mushrooms in a creamy, tangy sauce.

    A lightened up twist on the classic beef stroganoff, it’s a 30-minute dish you’ll want to put on repeat.

    Get the Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff


    49. Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

    This easy Cashew Chicken recipe is the perfect under-30-minute weeknight dinner, and it tastes so much better than takeout.

    Featuring tender chicken bites, an array of colorful veggies, crunchy cashews, and our signature Stir Fry Sauce, it’s a family-friendly meal you’ll want to put on repeat.

    Get the Recipe: Cashew Chicken Stir Fry


    50. Chicken Marbella

    Chicken Marbella is a signature dish from the famous Silver Palate cookbook, and features tender chicken baked with an out of this world delicious sauce. It’s a great company meal that will always impress.

    Get the Recipe: Chicken Marbella


    51. Karaage Chicken (Japanese Fried Chicken)

    Picture this: Crispy, bite-sized golden nuggets of chicken bursting with an umami-rich marinade, delicately flavored with hints of garlic, ginger, and authentic Japanese seasonings. Now imagine that deliciousness encased in a feather-light, ultra-crispy shell. 

    There my friends is Japan’s beloved fried chicken! Karaage Chicken!! Perfectly balanced, sinfully crispy, and unforgettably delicious. Trust me, once you try it, there’s no going back!

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    There you have it, so many choices and ideas about what to do with chicken thighs. You can make a very quick, yet delicious cracking meal or something that simmers slow and low resulting in mouthwatering fall off the bones results.

    Pin or book mark this collection of varied chicken thigh recipes so you have all these wonderful dishes on one page. Try any or all and let us know which one you liked the most. Have fun…

    45 BEST Chicken Thigh Recipes

    The 45 BEST Chicken Thigh Recipes

    Yield: 6 servings
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes

    This great collection of Chicken Thigh Recipes will give you plenty of easy weeknight dinner ideas! For a super quick one, try this Kung Pao Chicken:

    Ingredients

    Chicken

    • 1 &1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
    • 1 Tbsp cooking oil
    • 2 Tbsp cooking sherry
    • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp corn starch

    Sauce

    • 1/2 cup chicken stock
    • 6 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp cooking sherry
    • 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
    • 2 Tbsp sugar
    • 1 Tbsp corn starch

    Stir Fry

    • 4 Tbsp cooking oil divided
    • 2 1/2 Tbsp garlic (6-8 cloves)
    • 3 Tbsp ginger
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 1 green bell pepper
    • 8-10 dried chilies
    • 4 green onion cut to 1 inch pieces
    • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
    • 2 tsp sesame oil

    Instructions

      1. First, mix all chicken ingredients, set aside.
      2. While chicken marinates, mix sauce and dice vegetables.
      3. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 tb cooking oil, then fry chicken for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to brown, remove from pan and set aside.
      4. Add remaining cooking oil, ginger, garlic, chili peppers and bell peppers. Fry for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
      5. Add sauce, bring to boil. Once it begins to thicken, add chicken mix everything nicely for about 2 minutes.
      6. Add peanuts, green onions and sesame oil, simmer for about 2 minutes.
      7. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

    Notes

    1. Let me know which recipes you try, I love hearing from you!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Picture of Alpana, blogger and recipe developer at GypsyPlate

    Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.

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