Affordable Chicken Thigh Recipes Made Easy

Affordable chicken thigh recipes made easy are not only money-saving but time-saving as well! Chicken thigh recipes may be enhanced by purchasing spices, or marinades already made or make them yourself with the many options provided.

Keeping the thigh skins on during grilling, pan-frying, or baking has more fat in the final product but ensures the meat is kept moist. You can opt to not eat the chicken skin once it is cooked for less fat in your diet. Adapt your chicken thigh recipes to your taste and get creative in the process!

Are Chicken Thigh Recipes Good for Losing Weight?

If you are thinking of using the chicken to lose weight, white breast without the skins would have less fat. My son is on a keto, low-carb diet and prefers chicken thighs over chicken breast for this very fact.

Chicken thigh recipes are in the higher calorie portion of the chicken which means it is best to eat if you are gaining muscle, or even trying to gain more weight. Chicken is one of the healthiest meats for you to eat. It is 53% protein and 47% fat.

How to Cook Chicken Thighs in a Pan or Oven

It is always best to use a cast iron whenever possible, especially for cooking any type of chicken. A cast-iron lid offers a bonus to let the juices drip back into the pan and prevents the meat from drying out during frying and or baking.

Directions for Cooking Thighs on the Stove in a Pan

1. Heat 1 tablespoon Ghee in a cast pan on medium heat
2. With skin side down, place the thighs in the hot Ghee
3. Cook 5 minutes on one side, you may have to lower the heat to a low-med setting
4. Flip the chicken thighs over and place a lid on the pan
5. Cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees
6. Cooking time depends on the weight of the thigh
7. Place thighs on a plate for 5 minutes to let the juices flow through the thighs

Directions for Cooking Thighs in a Pan and in an Oven

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of Ghee in a cast iron pan on medium heat
2. With skin side down, place the thighs in the hot Ghee
3. Cook 5 minutes on one side, you may have to lower the heat to a low-medium setting
4. Flip the chicken thighs over and place a lid on the pan
5. Cook for 5 minutes
6. Place in a 350-degree oven with the lid on
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes (check the internal temperature after 25 minutes for 165 degrees)

How to Cook Chicken Thighs Video Tutorial

Air Frying Chicken Thighs

There are many questions when cooking raw chicken in an air fryer. Using an air fryer is healthier since no oils are used to cook the chicken. Cooking with the skin on keeps the chicken thighs juicier since it acts as a layer of the inside meat.

See below the most asked and answered questions for using an electric air fryer a cooking chicken thigh.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Chicken Thighs in an Air Fryer?

Chicken thighs that weigh 4-5 ounces with the skin and bone-in will usually take approximately 10-12 minutes in the air fryer. This is based on a temperature of 400*F. If not preheating the air fryer, expect to cook an additional 5-7 minutes. The internal temperature is still 165 degrees no matter what method you use to cook the chicken thighs.

Pros of Using an Air Fryer

• Easy to use
• Healthier since you do not use oil or only a little to coat meats
• Crispy foods without frying
• Great for smaller families or empty nesters

Cons of Using an Air Fryer

• Can be a pain to clean
• Take up valuable counter real estate
• Not large enough to handle the larger families
• It may require longer cooking than a deep fryer (but it is healthier for you)

Chicken Thighs on the Grill

Chicken thigh recipes that include the grill, are one of my favorite meals to eat! When cooking chicken thighs on the grill, you’ll want to start with skin down to make sure the skin gets nice and crispy or “grill-marked”.

This step takes roughly 4-8 minutes depending on how hot your temperature is. It is important to leave the skin on the chicken as it acts as an insulator causing the chicken to cook equally through. 

After grill-marking the skin side of your chicken thigh, turn it over and move the thighs to the side of the grill that is flameless but still receiving heat. This allows the chicken to still cook but won’t give it that burnt-charred look.

After about 7-10 minutes, you will want to check the internal temperature of your chicken thigh. According to the USDA on their Safe Minimum Temperature Chart, chicken thighs minimum consumption temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally.

If the chicken thighs aren’t registering 165 degrees or higher, be sure to cook them longer, but checking them every 5-10 minutes.  You can cook chicken on the grill with marinade (it may stick to the grill) for flavor or without marinade for a more natural smoked flavor. 

Sauce and Marinade for Chicken

Marinades for meat can really enhance the flavor while adding a protective coating to prevent the meat from drying out while cooking. I like to marinate most meats for several hours before baking or grilling.

Most marinades can be added after cooking and use as a dipping sauce. I prefer all my chicken thigh recipes to have some sort of marinade or sauce or at least spices and herbs.

I have a favorite sauce that I did not repeat in this post, you may find it at, “Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe“, yum is all I can say. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed, I also have a video tutorial showing you how to make it from scratch!

Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Ingredients for Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/4 cup of filtered water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot powder or rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons of a quality maple syrup (may use 2 tablespoons brown sugar instead)
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce (I use less sodium version)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (or grated fresh ginger)

Directions to Make Teriyaki Sauce

1. Mix the water and cornstarch with a whisk in a pan
2. Mix well until well combined
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to a saucepan
4. Heat slowly until thickened
5. Use as a marinade or a coating while baking, grilling, and as a dipping sauce
6. Add more water if too thick
7. Add as a marinade or as a dipping sauce

Print the Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

As I mentioned in my video, when I use sugar in the raw, I showed vanilla bean bits that were mixed inside the sugar to flavor it. Interested in making your own vanilla bean extract? Check out my post on Moonshine Extracts Made Easy, to learn how!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients for Barbecue Sauce

• 8 ounces tomato sauce (or 1 cup of ketchup)
• ¼ cup minced onion (or 1 tablespoon minced dehydrated onion)
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1/3 cup Sugar in the Raw (or brown sugar)
• ¼ cup spicy ketchup
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon local organic honey
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder or (2 tablespoons wet mustard)
• Optional: 1 tablespoon chili powder or Cheyenne pepper

Directions for Homemade Barbeque Sauce

1. In a small pot, add all ingredients
2. Heat to a slow boil, stirring constantly
3. Immediately, reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes
4. Leave uncovered and stir occasionally
5. Add as a marinade or as a dipping sauce

Use this homemade barbecue sauce as a marinade or a coating while baking, grilling, and as a dipping sauce. If you would like to make your own horseradish mustard? Check out the blog post on Best Creamy Moonshine Horseradish Mustard Recipe, I also include a how-to video!

Honey Glaze Recipe

Honey Glaze Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce
• 1/4-1/3 cup chicken broth (filtered water may be substituted)
• 1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Honey Glaze Sauce Directions

1. In a small pot, add all ingredients
2. Heat to a slow boil, stirring constantly
3. Immediately, reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes
4. Leave uncovered and stir occasionally
5. Add as a marinade or as a dipping sauce

Pan-Fry Chicken Thigh Recipes

• Dredge chicken thigh in flour
• Shake off the flour
• Beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water with salt and pepper and other spices
• Dip the chicken thigh in the egg mixture
• Shake off as much egg mixture as possible
• Dredge chicken thigh in flour
• Pat off the flour
• Continue below for cooking in a pan or oven method

Spices that Go Well with Chicken

I love spices on every meat I eat. Chicken especially benefits from a good old natural spice or marinade. For the video, I chose to use my all-time favorite, Garam Masala. Please stop by the blog post “How to Make and Use Garam Masla“, I think you will find it packed with a lot of interesting information.

In Conclusion

Chicken thighs are affordable and very easy to cook in many ways. Marinades and sauces help enhance the flavors even more. If you are on a low-carb, keto diet or even building muscle, chicken thighs are great for that. Many times the local stores will run sales on chicken thighs because of the preferred meat.

Have you ever tried using the leftover chicken in a salad? For further information visit the blog, “Smoke Steak and Chicken Salad” which goes well with this post I have just written.

Smoking any meat, especially chicken, is my favorite. I have a post on that too, “How to Smoke Meat Natually“, this is great if you would like to try smoking meats.

Related Articles to Cooking Chicken Thighs:

A good read from the USDA on Chicken from Farm to Table that is chock full of so much information you could possibly want on chicken cooking, the temperature of cooked chicken, a great cooking chart, and more.

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