If you’ve ever tried making fried chicken at home, you know how difficult it can be to cook especially if you want to keep the chicken moist. Even if you’re making braised chicken thighs, there’s no guarantee that the chicken dish will come out nice and moist.
Now the question is, how to cook chicken thighs properly to keep the meat succulent and moist?
The secret to keeping chicken moist while cooking, no matter which cooking method you choose, is to (brine) the chicken beforehand. Brining a chicken does two things. First, it increases the moisture inside the chicken through osmosis by allowing the flesh to absorb liquid during the brining process. This process will help prevent your chicken from drying out especially if you are roasting or deep-frying chicken. Second, brining helps increase the flavor of chicken because the flavors of spices, herbs, and other ingredients you include in the brine will also be absorbed into the meat.
Are chicken thighs dark meat?
Chicken thighs are dark meat. The drumstick or leg is also considered dark meat. The thighs and legs are used by the animals for locomotion and holding the animal up, thus these parts get a lot of exercise. Due to the high amount of exercise, these parts of the animal contain more oxygen and iron. The iron is found inside a protein called myoglobin, which is responsible for the darker color of the meat.
Dark meat contains higher amounts of protein and fat compared to white meat.
How to know when chicken thighs are done?
The most accurate way to test for doneness is by using an instant-read meat thermometer. You can simply stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (without touching the bone) and check the internal temperature. It should read 165⁰F.
If you don’t have an instant-read meat thermometer, you can use a sharp paring knife to gently prod the meat. There should be no trace of pinkness and the meat should easily give way to the knife.
How long to bake chicken thighs?
The baking time of chicken thighs will depend on the temperature of your oven. As a rule of thumb, you can bake chicken thighs at 400⁰F for around 40-45 minutes.
Do I wash chicken thighs before baking?
No, you should not wash chicken thighs before baking. Washing raw chicken can contaminate your kitchen surfaces, cooking appliances, and other ingredients by spreading bacteria in the water when it splashes around.
If you purchase chicken from a trusted supplier, you should get clean and safe raw chicken. What’s more, cooking the chicken properly will eliminate all danger of bacterial growth and contamination.
Do I remove the skin from chicken thighs?
The flavor of chicken thighs is mostly found in the skin because it contains a lot of fat. What’s more, keeping the skin on will help keep the thighs moist during cooking.
If you don’t want the additional fat and calories, you can just remove the skin after you cook your chicken thighs. However, keep in mind that the skin would have soaked up a lot of the sauce, spices, or herbs that you used on your chicken thighs, so you would also be sacrificing a lot of the flavor when you remove the skin.
How do I reheat chicken thighs?
The flavor of chicken thighs is mostly found in the skin because it contains a lot of fat. What’s more, keeping the skin on will help keep the thighs moist during cooking.
If you don’t want the additional fat and calories, you can just remove the skin after you cook your chicken thighs. However, keep in mind that the skin would have soaked up a lot of the sauce, spices, or herbs that you used on your chicken thighs, so you would also be sacrificing a lot of the flavor when you remove the skin.
Pickle-Braised Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice
If you have leftover dill pickle juice at home, don’t throw it out! Use it to brine chicken thighs and they will add a deliciously tangy and briny flavor to the chicken. They will also keep the chicken moist while cooking.
The cauliflower “rice” is a great dish to pair with chicken thighs because it’s light and nutty. This recipe combo will be a hit for your next dinner because it’s filling AND hearty at the same time!
Braised Chicken Thighs – Tangy and Delicious Pickle-Brined Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
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Learn how to cook chicken thighs properly to keep the meat succulent and moist? The secret to keeping chicken moist is to (brine) the chicken beforehand.
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs:
- 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3–4 cloves fresh garlic
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (approximately 3 lbs.)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ c. dill pickle juice
- 1½ c. organic chicken broth, divided
- Salt, to taste (optional)
- 3 T. fresh parsley
Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil.
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Peel garlic and mince finely.
- In a large 12” oven-proof skillet, heat one T. of extra-virgin olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent garlic from burning.
- Season chicken thighs with pepper, to taste. Sear chicken thighs in batches. Place 4 thighs in hot skillet, skin side down, and sear until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the surface of the skillet. Turn thighs and repeat on the other side.
- Remove browned chicken thighs and set aside. Cover with a plate to keep the thighs warm.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and repeat process with remaining chicken thighs.
- After browning all chicken thighs, return first 4 thighs into skillet. Arrange them in a single layer.
- Add pickle juice and ½ chicken broth to pan.
- Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, covered.
- Turn each thigh over with tongs and continue cooking for another 30 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Once meat is tender, remove chicken thighs from skillet and place on serving dish. Allow to rest for 5 minutes
- While chicken is resting, cook cauliflower rice according to directions.
- To make pan sauce, add remaining cup of chicken broth to first skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until sauce reduces to half. Scrape brown bits from bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and stir pan sauce occasionally to prevent burning. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Place chicken thighs over a bed of cauliflower rice and drizzle with pan sauce. Chop fresh parsley and add as garnish, if desired.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Pat Chicken Thighs Dry
If you want your chicken thighs to get that nice and crispy skin during browning, make sure to pat them dry before cooking. Use thick paper towels to pat down the chicken thighs, removing as much excess moisture as possible.
You can also add some seasoning on chicken thighs before browning them, as the seasoning will also help create that yummy crust.
Brighten Up the Dish
You can squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the chicken thighs right before serving to add a bright, tangy flavor to the dish! The citrus in the lemon will help cut through the richness of the chicken and the saltiness of the pickle sauce.
Take it Easy on the Salt
Keep in mind that pickle juice already contains a fair bit of salt before you use it as a sauce, so don’t add any salt before tasting the pan sauce! In fact, some people might find that the pickle pan sauce is a bit too overpowering. If that is the case, you can add a bit more chicken stock to help mellow the flavor.
Braising chicken thighs is a great way to have tender, succulent chicken for dinner. However, keep an eye on the simmering liquid to make sure that it doesn’t get over-reduced – no one wants a burnt pan sauce!
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