Chicken Leg and Thigh Recipes

Chicken thighs become fall-apart tender after simmering in a slow cooker with salsa and chipotle chiles. Use the meat for tacos, burritos, or nachos.

 

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are ideal for cookouts because they cook quickly and stay moist despite the heat of the grill. Serve the lemon-and-garlic seasoned bird with tabbouleh -- a summery Middle Eastern salad made from bulgur wheat, cucumber, tomato, and lots of chopped fresh parsley dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Steam dill-flecked dumplings over a stew of chicken thighs, carrots, and peas. It will seem like you spent the day in the kitchen, but this down-home favorite is ready in an hour.

To produce crisp skin and a perfectly cooked, juicy interior, fry these chicken thighs over low, steady heat. Serve them with a salad of perfectly ripe tomatoes and parsley dressed in red-wine vinegar.

Thai red-curry paste and light coconut milk lend an exotic twist to chicken casserole. Increase the veggie portion by tossing in eggplant, zucchini, or carrot.

A splash of balsamic vinegar adds tang to the sweet soy-ginger sauce in this slow-cooker chicken recipe. Serve over steamed rice with scallions and cilantro.

Better known as coq au vin, this rustic French chicken stew gets its richness from bacon and red wine. Serve with crusty bread or buttered noodles.

The sweet-savory combination of cumin, cinnamon, raisins, and almonds is inspired by North African cuisine. This hearty stew can be prepared in a slow cooker or in an oven.

The bold flavors of balsamic vinegar and whole orange wedges liven up pan-seared chicken thighs. Squeeze the sauteed oranges over the chicken and serve with crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

Blend onion, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice with Greek yogurt and garam masala -- an Indian spice mixture -- to make a richly flavored Indian-style marinade for chicken legs. (If garam masala isn't available, use ground cumin in its place.) Serve the grilled chicken with a refreshing cucumber and cilantro salad.

For this quick skillet dinner, pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh are sauteed until nicely browned, then asparagus and sliced mushrooms are cooked in the same pan. Serve over rice or buttered noodles.

The traditional Spanish chicken-and-rice casserole gets its distinctive flavor from white wine, saffron, and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Nestle seared chicken thighs into the seasoned rice and cook everything together on the stove.

Hearty and nutritious, this soup stars butternut squash and chicken thighs flavored with onions, cumin, and ground coriander. Roasting the chicken, squash, and onion before adding them to the broth deepens the dish's flavor. Mash some of the cooked vegetables in the soup to make it thick and chunky.

Smoky chipotle chiles in adobo sauce heat up this stove-top chicken casserole. It makes a delicious quesadilla filling too -- just cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces before cooking, and eliminate the rice.

To make the irresistible glaze for these barbecued chicken drumsticks, simmer dry red wine, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic until the mixture takes on a honeylike consistency. Grill the chicken over medium-low heat, brushing it with the glaze as it cooks.

Chicken thighs become rich and tender when braised in a flavorful tomato-and-white-wine sauce. Spoon it over slices of crisp broiled polenta, and dinner is ready.