What Are Boneless chicken thighs and How Can I Use Them?

If boneless chicken thighs have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 146 recipes to try them in.

Key Points

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are more forgiving than breasts due to higher fat content.
Cook to 165°F (74°C), though many prefer 175-180°F (79-82°C) for better texture.
Excellent for stir-fries, curries, grilling, and bold-flavored dishes.
Store fresh thighs in the refrigerator for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Chicken breasts or turkey thighs can substitute depending on the recipe.

What are boneless chicken thighs?

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a dark meat cut that stays juicy and flavorful even when cooked a little longer than ideal. They have more fat than chicken breasts, which makes them more forgiving.

How to Choose It

Look for thighs that are plump and evenly colored with no gray areas or strong odor. Boneless, skinless thighs are the most convenient, while bone-in, skin-on versions stay even juicier but require more trimming.

How to Cook It

Chicken thighs are very forgiving. They stay moist at higher temperatures than breasts. Cook them to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), though many people prefer them at 175-180°F (79-82°C) for better texture.

They work well seared in a pan, baked, grilled, or braised. Because of the extra fat, they take longer to cook through than breasts but are much harder to overcook.

Common Uses

Boneless thighs are excellent for stir-fries, curries, kebabs, and sheet-pan dinners. They also make great shredded chicken for tacos or sandwiches. Their richer flavor stands up well to bold sauces and marinades.

Storage

Fresh chicken thighs should be used within one to two days. Store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.

Substitutes

Chicken breasts can be used but will dry out more easily. Turkey thighs work well when a similar dark meat flavor is desired. For vegetarian alternatives, try seitan or marinated tofu.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 unit (yield from 1 lb ready-to-cook chicken) (110g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 256Calories from Fat 145

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 16.1g 25%

Saturated Fat 4.5g 22%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 90mg 30%

Sodium 77mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 0.0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars ~

Protein 25.9g

Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 2% • Iron 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Where found

Boneless chicken thighs are usually found in the poultry section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless are a member of the Poultry Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much do boneless chicken thighs weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 unit (yield from 1 lb ready-to-cook chicken)	110 grams
½ chicken, bone removed	184 grams

Poultry Products

Chicken pieces 91 Ground chicken 23 Chicken 1213 Chicken meat, cooked 40 Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless 146 Chicken, whole 226 Chicken breast halves, boneless, skin-on 14 Chicken tenders 27 Chicken breasts 1188 Chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless 800

In Chinese:: 鸡大腿，去骨，去皮
British (UK) term:: Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
en français:: désossées et sans peau des cuisses de poulet
en español:: muslos de pollo deshuesadas y sin pellejo

Recipes using boneless chicken thighs

There are 146 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Spicy Green Pepper Honey Dijon Chicken

Paleo honey Dijon chicken thighs with serrano peppers and rosemary. Marinate overnight, bake 45 minutes for tender, sweet-spicy results that are naturally gluten-free.

Garlic & Fava Beans Soup

A soup which is a combination of Mediterranean garlic soups with a 17th century East European fava beans soup. Quite good.

Crockpot Jambalaya

Crockpot jambalaya layered with chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp in a Creole-spiced tomato base. Orzo cooks right in the pot, and the shrimp goes in last so it stays plump.

Chicken Tikka Masala (Main)

Traditional Indian dish of roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The chicken is a very good source of lean protein, while the sauce provides important nutrients such as vitamins A and C as well as calcium.

Crispy Mahogany Chicken for Two

Crispy skin, moist chicken thighs with a deep mahogany flavor from the flavorful Asian inspired ingredients. A great one skillet meal. The fat from the skin is rendered and discarded while the dark meat stays moist.

Chicken Thighs Glazed with Orange-Thyme-Cumin Sauce

Very easy to prepare and packed with fairly strong Asian style sweet-sour flavor. Perhaps a bit much on the vinegar, would be good with plain white rice to balance things out.

Hunter's Chicken Stew

From across Northern Italy there are many variations. A rich broth, juicy Italian tomatoes and rich herb simmered for a long time. I used a mixture of sliced mushrooms from my local supermarket and dried lobster, oyster and shitake mushrooms. Then used the mushroom juice in place of chicken broth. Outstanding reduction of rich comfort flavors.

Skillet Chicken Dinner

Rosemary-crusted chicken thighs braised with red potatoes, caramelized onions, olives, and wilted spinach in one skillet. A complete Mediterranean-style dinner in about an hour.

Honey Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs

Boneless and skinless chicken thighs, browned, coated in honey orange glaze and then finished in the oven to keep them juicy.

Apricot Chicken Thighs

Add a new fruity taste to dinner with this scrumptious dish that gets its amazing flavor from apricot nectar and dry sherry.

Asian Chicken Peanut Sausage

A fantastic non-pork sausage packed with Asian flair.

Osso Buco Chicken Thighs

Rich in flavor - low in cost. Money saving chicken thighs replace the expensive traditional veal in this rendition of an Italian classic.

Chicken with Apples & Bacon

Boneless and skin-less chicken thighs caramelized with bacon then braised with apples and onions.

Oven Fried Chicken

A simple combination of flour, seasonings, and butter are all the ingredients you need.

Dennis' General Tso Chicken

This is my version of the wonderful dish known as General Tso's Chicken (sometimes also called General Chicken.) I use quite a bit of ground chilies in my recipe. (If you prefer a milder version just reduce the amount of ground chilies.)

Easy One Pan Triple-Mustard Chicken Dijon

An easy one-pan stove-stop chicken main dish braised in white wine and three kinds of mustard. Delicious and easy to prepare chicken main. Easy to scale down to two servings or up to serve a crowd.

Thai Tamarind Chicken Stir Fry

Tired of cooking chicken the plain old style? How about making it Thai style this time! And with a hint of tamarind added to it, there is no way you can keep yourself from licking the last morsel of it left off the plate. What’s more? It is quick and easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy whenever you have unannounced guests at home. A classic Thai recipe, this sweet and sour chicken stir fry even though is a meal by itself but when served with fragrant jasmine rice they take the eating experience to a whole new level. Try is right away!