40+ Chicken Thigh Recipes That Prove It’s the Best Part of the Bird

These roasted thighs are a true weeknight meal. You can come in the door with a package of meat, throw off your coat, and pop these right in the oven. You’ll have just enough time to open a bottle of wine and toss together a salad before they’re done.

This is a classic example of South Indian Chinese cooking, with a soy sauce marinade adding the “Chinese” element, and bursts of hot green chilies and tangy vinegar making it uniquely South Indian.

Spicy, piquant chicken thighs coated with a mix of miso, ginger, and chili paste have a tangy, slightly sweet and salty flavor with a pleasant kick of heat from the chili sauce.

Inspired by the Zuni Cookbook warm bread salad, this recipe adds chicken to create a weeknight-friendly meal.

Panko breadcrumbs are the secret to these crispy oven-roasted "fried" chicken thighs.

Gorgeous spring vegetables work beautifully in a quicker, lighter braise — one where you can still taste the unique flavors of each vegetable.

There is nothing revolutionary about this easy, breezy braise. It’s just good, classic comfort food. And comfort food, as well all know, is always in season.

Glazed with an addictive mixture of apricot jam and miso paste, these thighs are a foolproof win for first-time grillers or a tasty addition to the repertoire of veteran grill-masters.

On the grill these little morsels of chicken, cloaked in a mixture of ginger, peppers, and other piquant ingredient, stay juicy and tender; they practically melt apart in your mouth.

The flavors of the drink — bitter, sweet, and sour — are a perfect match for roast chicken. Here the drink is transformed into a brine for the thights; then they’re pan-roasted along with lemon slices that release their juices and caramelize while the chicken skin gets dangerously crispy.

Roasting chicken thighs in a light bath of lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic, with thick wedges of fennel bulb, lets them crisp up around the edges and become infused with flavor.

Hot off the grill, this spicy Korean chicken will not disappoint. Using chicken drumsticks and chicken thigh meat doused in a spicy, flavorful marinade, this grilled chicken needs to make an appearance on your dinner table soon.

What do you get when a Southern staple like dipped fried chicken and a Chinese American takeout favorite like orange chicken join forces? The best of both poultry worlds: extra-crispy skin and a sticky, citrusy glaze.

Pair fresh figs with rich, extra-crispy-skinned chicken thighs and you’ve got a seasonal dinner that’s just a little sweet but exceptionally savory, thanks to zippy Dijon, plenty of garlic, and fresh sage.

With just five ingredients and about half an hour, you can be feasting on crispy-skinned, tender chicken piled high with beautiful tomatoes and herbs. This is a simple summer dinner, the best kind.

Drumsticks and thighs are baked until crispy, then they get brushed with the pantry-friendly glaze. It’s a simple mixture of tamari, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar that you can customize to make as sweet or savory as you like.

Warming thighs in hot oil in a skillet turns the skin spectacularly crispy — just the way it should be. Paired with rice and garlicky, lemony sautéed spinach, it’s a simple meal that never fails to satisfy my family.

If you want to get a head start on this simple but rich dish, you can mix the sauce together up to a day ahead. If that’s your plan, I also recommend mixing it together with the chicken to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.