50 Best Chicken Thigh Recipes

Take a break from breasts for a while.

lemongrass chicken
EMILY HLAVAC GREEN

We're making a case for bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. Ok we'll say it - we think they're all around better than boneless skinless chicken breasts. The reason? Just a little more fat! As we all know, fat = flavor. Plus, is there anything more delicious than crispy chicken skin? Want crazy good flavor? Cook with chicken thighs instead of breasts. You won't be sorry. And as long as you have dinner on the mind, check out our best easy weeknight dinners and pasta dinners that never disappoint.

braised chicken thighs
Emily Hlavac Green
1 of 50
Braised Chicken Thighs

These look amazing and taste even better.

Get the recipe from Delish.

basil balsamic chicken
Park Feierbach
2 of 50
Balsamic Basil Chicken

Ready in 30 minutes or less.

Get the recipe from Delish.

chicken and rice casserole  delishcom
Ethan Calabrese
3 of 50
Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Is there anything more comforting than a chicken & rice casserole? We actually don't think so. It's the type of recipe we turn to time after time again during the fall and winter, just like roast chicken or our tortellini soup.

Get the recipe from Delish.

sheet pan lemon butter chicken thighs
Emily Hlavac Green
4 of 50
Sheet-Pan Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs

Butter makes everything better—especially when it’s mixed with lemon zest, thyme, and oregano, then slathered on baked chicken.

Get the recipe from Delish.

chicken piccata
Ethan Calabrese
5 of 50
Skillet Chicken Piccata

This one-pan lemony chicken is a total winner.

Get the recipe from Delish.

air fryer chicken thighs
Parker Feierbach
6 of 50
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

You'll lose your mind over the sticky glaze.

Get the recipe from Delish.

baked chicken thighs
PARKER FEIERBACH
7 of 50
Baked Chicken Thighs

Follow our tips for juicy, tender chicken thighs every time.

Get the recipe from Delish.

chicken scarpariello
Andrew Bui
8 of 50
Chicken Scarpariello

Chicken Scarpariello is easy enough for a Tuesday night, but special enough to serve at a dinner party. Serve it over rice or alongside some roasted potatoes and sit down to your favorite meal.

Get the recipe from Delish.

chicken fricassee
Parker Feierbach
9 of 50
Chicken Fricassee

You'll want to pour the sauce over everything.

Get the recipe from Delish.

slow cooker tuscan chicken
Chelsea Lupkin
10 of 50
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

Sear the chicken first for crispy skin.

Get the recipe from Delish.

crispy balsamic chicken
Park Feierbach
11 of 50
Crispy Balsamic Chicken

Everything is crisp in the fall—chicken included.

Get the recipe from Delish.

slow cooker chicken thighs
Ethan Calabrese
12 of 50
Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs

Not mad at all about how easy these are.

Get the recipe from Delish.

instant pot chicken thighs
Park Feierbach
13 of 50
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Thanks to a little slurry of flour and hot chicken broth or water, the gravy that comes with these chicken thighs is luxuriously smooth and full of chicken flavor. It's the best thing you can do with those magical chicken fat drippings!

Get the recipe from Delish.

paprika chicken  rice  delishcom
Chelsea Lupkin
14 of 50
Creamy Paprika Chicken

Weeknight dinner all-star.

Get the recipe from Delish.

boneless chicken thighs
Brandon Bales
15 of 50
Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

Our secret? Baking the thighs at a high temp means less time spent in the oven with even better results. These thighs are great served with a big salad or some roasted potatoes.

Get the recipe from Delish.

instant pot butter chicken
Parker Feierbach
16 of 50
Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is your favorite Indian take-out dish that you can now make faster than delivery. Full of flavor, this dish will become a weekly staple. Chicken thighs become extremely tender under all the sauce that you'll want to soak up with plenty of naan.

Get the recipe from Delish.

grilled chicken thighs vertical
Parker Feierbach
17 of 50
Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken Thighs

Can't go wrong with honey balsamic.

Get the recipe from Delish.

slow cooker chicken cacciatore
Parker Feierbach
18 of 50
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

We love slow cookers because they do all of the work for us, meaning we can do literally anything else while the chicken cooks. Need dinner faster? Make our classic chicken cacciatore instead.

Get the recipe from Delish.

baked chicken thighs with arugula caesar salad
Lindsay Hunt
19 of 50
Baked Chicken Thighs With Arugula Caesar Salad

Once you discover the magic of juicy thighs, you might not go back to breasts. Serve it with a kicked-up Caesar for a light meal.

Get the recipe from Delish.

crispy chicken thighs with peppers and salsa verde
Romulo Yanes
20 of 50
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Peppers and Salsa Verde

Spice up your weeknight dinner with this quick and easy chicken recipe.

Get the recipe from Delish.

honey garlic chicken
Ethan Calabrese
21 of 50
Honey Garlic Chicken

A skillet chicken dinner so easy you'll be impressed with yourself.

Get the recipe from Delish.

chicken thighs w mushrooms
Anna Watson Carl
22 of 50
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Wild Mushrooms

It's about that thyme for chicken and mushrooms.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Cranberry Balsamic Chicken
Chelsea Lupkin
23 of 50
Cranberry Balsamic Chicken

A festive holiday dinner idea.

Get the recipe from Delish.

apple-cider-glazed-chicken
Alexa Payesko
24 of 50
Apple Cider Glazed Chicken

The perfect chicken recipe for fall.

Get the recipe from Delish.

garlicky greek chicken vertical
Chelsea Lupkin
25 of 50
Garlicky Greek Chicken

Garlic lovers, this chicken is for you.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Creamy Lemon Chicken with Wild Rice Recipe
Judy Kim
26 of 50
Creamy Lemon Chicken with Wild Rice

Warning: You will be addicted to this lemon sauce.

Get the recipe from Delish.

thai glazed chicken
Jonathan Boulton
27 of 50
Thai Glazed Chicken

This sauce is crack.

Get the recipe from Delish.

honey sriracha chicken with broccoli recipe
Judy Kim
28 of 50
Honey-Sriracha Chicken with Broccoli

Dig into juicy chicken thighs in a sweet-and-spicy sauce.

Get the recipe from Delish.

instant pot curry chicken
Laura Rege
29 of 50
Instant Pot Butternut Squash-Chicken Curry

This easy instant pot chicken and butternut squash curry is seasoned with cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cayenne. We like to serve it with a big dollop of whole milk yogurt and sliced almonds over rice.

Get the recipe from Delish.

skillet chicken cacciatore
Judy Kim
30 of 50
Skillet Chicken Cacciatore

This easy chicken dinner will become your weeknight go-to.

Get the recipe from Delish.

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