chicken thighs
Dark meat from the chicken's thigh; higher in fat than breast meat, which makes it more forgiving to cook and harder to dry out. Bone-in, skin-on thigh yields roughly 55% edible meat once the skin and bone are discarded.
Buying guidance
A family pack of bone-in, skin-on thighs is usually the cheapest chicken per pound. Bone-in, skin-on is worth seeking out for anything braised or stewed: the bones give up gelatin that gives the liquid a silky body, and the skin browns into a deeply savory backbone for the whole thing. Pre-trimmed boneless, skinless costs more for less.
Substitutions
- A whole chicken cut into 8 pieces -- the traditional choice for stews; brown the pieces the same way.
- Bone-in drumsticks, or a mix of thighs and drumsticks -- same virtues, slightly more fiddly to strip off the bone.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken breast -- works but dries out; shorten the simmer by about a third.
- Boneless, skinless thighs -- use about two-thirds the weight; no bones means noticeably thinner body, so add extra stock or a little bloomed gelatin.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken -- the weeknight shortcut; skip the browning and stir it in near the end.
- Squirrel or rabbit -- the historical game option in old Southern stews; parboil about 20 minutes before browning to tenderize it and draw out strong flavors.
Tips & common mistakes
Thigh meat has more connective tissue than breast and needs a higher final temperature and more time for that tissue to break down -- pulled off the heat at the same temperature that's right for breast meat, thighs come out tough and a little rubbery rather than tender, even though they're technically "done."
Storage
Being higher in fat than breast meat, thighs hold up better in the freezer, with less noticeable texture change or freezer burn over the same stretch of time.