To bone, or not to bone? Brined and fried,
or braised and dried? What chicken thigh mistakes have experienced chefs crying foul?
You may be tempted to peruse the freezer aisle for frozen chicken thighs to save yourself time
at the meat counter, but this almost always leads to dry chicken. Store-frozen chicken
just isn't as juicy as the fresh options, even if you end up freezing it yourself.
Chicken that's frozen for commercial purposes is often subjected to saline injections before
freezing, making the meat extra salty. If you decide to purchase fresh chicken and then freeze
it, it's important to remember that although chicken can technically last indefinitely in
the freezer, a whole chicken is best consumed within a year of freezing, according to the USDA.
Smaller parts of a chicken, such as giblets, can last up to several months
after freezing. It's important to plan your meals and defrost accordingly and safely.
If you want to make your chicken experience as enjoyable as possible,
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the only way to go.
If you leave chicken skin on, it's perfect for crisping up and adding texture to the meal. Even
if chicken skin isn't your thing,it serves a practical purpose: protecting the meat from
burning. The result? The thighs cook completely, stay tender, and the meat falls off the bone.
Bone-in chicken is also cheaper. Less processing time goes into removing the bone,
which affects the overall price. The bones might add slight weight to the total, but a pack of
bone-in chicken thighs will be a fraction of whatever you're paying for breast meat.
The bones add flavor to the meat that can't be replicated with marinades and seasoning.
When cooked, the delicious bone marrow and fat from in and around the bone melts inside and
makes the chicken extra juicy. If serving chicken with the bone isn't your thing,
it's also very easy to debone the thigh yourself before cooking.
If you're buying chicken parts with the bones, fat, and gristle,
you may be tempted to rinse the meat before really starting your recipe,
but washing your chicken actually puts you more at risk for food poisoning, according to the CDC.
Washing chicken can result in the raw meat liquids spreading to other parts of the kitchen:
the sink basin, countertops, and cutting boards, all of which are at risk for cross-contamination.
It's better to skip the rinse altogether, especially with skin-on chicken thighs,
as it can separate the meat from that protective outer casing.
When your chicken is cooked to the correct temperature, it will eliminate any bacteria
in the meat, giving you a finished meal that is safe to consume, completely unwashed.
There's a key step to making sure that your chicken skin is a crispy treat rather than a
rubbery mess: drying out the skin. At the very least, you want to pat the skin of your chicken
thighs totally dry with a paper towel before seasoning them or putting them in the pan.
Brining the thighs in salt draws moisture to the skin and it's an even better way of
drying out the skin, according to Bon Appétit. You can also let your salted
chicken thighs sit uncovered in your fridge for at least an hour before cooking to ensure
that the chicken stays juicy inside and keeps a crisp exterior upon cooking.
There are other ways of ensuring that chicken skin turns out crisp, such as Alton Brown's
technique of steaming chicken first so that the fat is rendered to the surface. Baking
powder can go a long way in giving your chicken the crispiest skin also, regardless of the cut.
One major transformative tip that will improve the way that you cook meat is
letting it rest at room temperature before applying the heat. Putting cold meat on a
hot pan might be great for searing, but cooking with cold meat can make
the outside of your protein more prone to burning before the inside is cooked all
the way through. Room temperature means more evenly-cooked meat, with fewer leaking juices.
Unlike a thick steak, you don't want to leave chicken thighs on the counter for
45 minutes before cooking. A quick 15 minutes is long enough to get the meat
to room temperature without taking any unnecessary food safety risks.
It might seem like a time-saver to cook an entire batch of chicken thighs in
one massive pan at the same time, but it almost always leads to negative outcomes.
Why? Adding more things to a pan tends to bring down the temperature of the oil. Water
which would usually evaporate can stick around for a bit to steam your chicken,
which becomes compounded with the more chicken you add – the pan temperature gets lower,
and more water is expelled. The solution is to cook chicken in batches so that the liquid can
evaporate more evenly, and to ensure that the pan is able to reach peak heat in between each batch.
Chicken thighs are so versatile that they work with several different seasonings, from spicy,
to sweet, to savory. Chicken thighs are also suited to numerous cuisines;
so whether you follow a recipe, use a ready-made spice blend,
or create your own combination of spices, the result is likely to be delicious.
The one thing that chicken always needs is salt, but that can also be a problem.
While our cells need salt to function, sodium can also cause health issues,
so it's important to regulate your intake. However, if you look at labels on packaged food,
it quickly becomes apparent that the problem often comes from processed food, not home-cooked food.
Generally, the best way to ensure your food has enough salt is to taste as you go;
however, since it's not possible to taste raw chicken, the best thing
to do is season conservatively and adjust the flavors before serving.
Brining is a simple way to salt chicken thighs. Brining entails soaking the meat
in salted water or buttermilk, which tenderizes the meat while adding tons
of flavor. If you're short on time, a dry rub of salt will make chicken
thighs so flavorful and juicy that you'll forget about boneless breasts completely.
Braising, the classic technique of searing meat and simmering it gently in stock or wine,
isn't only for tough cuts of beef. It may seem complex,
but it's actually a relatively straightforward process. Chicken thighs are excellent for
braising because the fat emanates from the skin and adds tons of flavor to the dish;
however, if your recipe directs you to braise chicken with the lid on, beware.
On the surface, it makes sense to submerge the meat in liquid and to use a tight-fitting lid
during cooking; underdone chicken is definitely not ideal. But considering
that low and slow is the name of the braising game, nestling the chicken
atop the vegetables and keeping the skin side exposed is a better plan. The oven's heat and
the sauce bubbling around the meat results in fully cooked chicken with crispy skin,
which is far more appealing than flabby skin simmered in sauce.
For a Mediterranean twist, braise chicken thighs with garlic, lemon, and olives. If chicken curry
is on your mind and you have a can of coconut milk in the pantry, you're good to go. As long as
you ensure that you leave the lid off the pot, you can savor delicious chicken any night of the week.
Patience is pivotal to cooking, especially when it comes to chicken thighs. According to America's
Test Kitchen, overcooking chicken thighs leads to meat that is more tender. Dark meat is better when
overcooked, as the connective tissue breaks down and seeps into the thigh meat. It's best to remain
patient and let the chicken thighs cook slowly. Let them reach an internal temperature between 175
Fahrenheit and 195 Fahrenheit, and avoid a direct flame so that the skin doesn't get too burnt.
However, it's best not to let the internal temperature reach above 210 Fahrenheit as
the meat will become stringy, which is why it's crucial to keep a close eye on your thermometer.
One of the main reasons to choose bone-in chicken thighs is because the bones offer lots of
incredible flavors, and help lengthen the cooking process by conducting heat, which renders a juicy,
delectable flavor that boneless chicken lacks. If you toss the bones in the trash after eating,
you're missing out on the fantastic opportunity of turning chicken bones into stock.
Making homemade stock is an easy, money-saving project that repurposes scraps into a versatile
ingredient that's rich in nutrients. Stock can be used in soups, sauces, risottos,
and casseroles, and it can also be frozen for later use. Homemade stock is easy to whip up:
All you have to do is combine water, chicken bones, veggie scraps, herbs, and seasonings.
If you don't have enough bones from one meal, just keep a scrap bag in the freezer and add
bones and bits of assorted vegetables from your regular prep work. The skins and ends from onions,
carrots, or celery are also perfect for this bag. Once your scrap bag is full,
it's time to make stock. Whether it simmers on the stove all day or cooks in the crock pot,
homemade stock is an essential staple that's used in many recipes.
Chicken thighs stay succulent and flavorful because the fat they contain helps baste
the meat constantly. If you find yourself draining the fat away,
stop. Chicken fat is a natural fat, meaning it's much better for you than manufactured fats.
Industrialized fats and some cooking oils, like canola and grapeseed oils, are damaging to our
health. They become unstable at high temperatures, forming free radicals that cause cell damage and
disease. However, natural fats remain stable, which is why they're better for the body.
Instead of fearing the fat from chicken thighs, use it to enhance those delicious
sides. Imagine making garlic butter chicken thighs and using the sauce over veggies and brown rice,
or honey mustard chicken thighs served with quinoa and roasted vegetables. The limits for
maintaining healthy habits while enjoying delicious food only exist in the mind.