Juicy and flavorful, chicken thighs are easy to cook in so many delicious ways. Up your dinner game with these 19 recipes that use chicken thighs.
Kung Pao Chicken
This kung pao chicken is just like what you get at your favorite Chinese takeout restaurant. Chunks of juicy chicken thigh meat, crunchy peanuts, a salty-sweet sauce, and a hit of spice all come together to make one delicious dish.
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Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma
Flavored with lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and other Mediterranean spices, this chicken shawarma recipe works best with juicy boneless, skinless chicken thighs. c
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Mochiko Chicken
Chicken Mochiko is delicious bite-size pieces of tender chicken thighs dredged in mochiko flour (sweet rice flour) and deep fried. So crunchy and irresistible!
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Gochujang Chicken
Gochujang chicken is a delicious Korean recipe featuring the fermented red chile paste that is spicy and full of umami. Marinating tender chicken thighs in spicy gochujang is genius.
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Thai Chicken Curry
This Thai Chicken Curry is so good! Chicken thighs cook in the flavorful sauce and turn fall-apart tender.
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Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
This Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken is crispy, crunchy, spicy, and sweet. While you could use white meat chicken, I find chicken thighs give the dish the best texture and flavor.
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Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo is a quick way to make this classic Filipino comfort food— tender chicken thighs pressure cooked in a sweet and savory glaze.
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Chicken Curry Laksa
Spicy chicken curry Laksa is the stuff dreams are made of. What’s more enticing than a steamy bowl of rich, spicy soup with layers of flavor, chunks of chicken, and tender rice noodles? You can use any chicken pieces you like here, but I find it’s best made with chicken thighs and drumsticks.
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Chicken Pakora
Chicken Pakora—crunchy fried chunks of chicken thigh meat seasoned with ginger, garlic, ground chile, and chaat masala coated in a chickpea flour (besan) batter—are an easy dinner option and they’re so good!
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Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken
This Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken is so delicious! It’s full of spicy flavor from dried chiles and Szechuan peppercorns. Toasted peanuts add the perfect crunch, too. Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs makes the meat super tender and flavorful.
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Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Air Fryer Orange Chicken is crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tossed in an addictive sweet-savory sauce made with orange juice and zest. I use chicken thigh meat because it’s the most flavorful and the most tender.
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Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken
This Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken is best made with chicken thigh meat, which turns out tender, juicy, and flavorufl.
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Chicken Karaage
Everyone loves my Chicken Karaage. Golden brown, tender and juicy chicken pieces of dark meat chicken are full of flavor, and extra crispy on the outside.
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Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
Do you love crispy, sweet-savory Sesame Chicken from your favorite Chinese restaurant? This air fryer version made with chicken thighs is just as good as, or maybe even better than your favorite takeout.
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Mongolian Chicken
Mongolian Chicken, like its sibling Mongolian Beef, is a restaurant favorite, and for good reason. Tender pieces of chicken thigh meat are fried to a golden-brown crisp and then tossed in a sweet-savory, gingery hoisin-based sauce studded with fresh green onions.
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Chicken Hot and Sour Soup
Chicken Hot and Sour Soup starts with a rich, tangy, spicy broth. Then it’s filled with mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, ribbons of egg, and chunks of chicken thigh. It’s seriously nutritious and seriously delicious.
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Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani is a quick way to make this classic Indian dish. It’s packed with savory flavor and can be made with any bone-in chicken pieces. Skinless chicken thighs are my favorite to use here.
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Instant Pot Chicken Korma
Instant Pot Chicken Korma is a super-fast way to enjoy this spicy, rich curry. It’s quick to make, with a short ingredient list, but the recipe doesn’t sacrifice flavor for speed. Using dark-meat chicken is key, whether you use chicken thighs or a combination of thighs and drumsticks.
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Pollo Pibil
Pollo Pibil is a deeply flavorful dish from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. With complex flavors of achiote paste (made from ground annatto seeds), sour orange juice, and spices, this chicken is full of flavor and rich orange color (from the achiote paste). If you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, the meat will be so tender it will shred like a dream using just a fork.
Grab the Recipe: Pollo Pibil