When I was a boy and mom cooked fried chicken, my favorite piece was a thigh. Daddy begrudgingly shared one of the thighs with me while my younger sibs went for the legs and breasts. Mom ate whatever was left, usually the back and wings. Today, the best values in the meat department in most any grocery store are chicken thighs. They offer the most meat for the pound and the most flavor of any of the cuts of chicken. They are always dirt cheap when compared to other chicken cuts because they are in the least demand.
Often, at KFC, they will offer great specials on boxes of fried chicken with dark meat only, the legs and thighs, because they are the hardest parts of the chicken to get rid of by the poultry producers. We all know the huge demand for chicken wings (atrociously priced in my opinion) and the breasts are highly desirable because many modern cooks like their health qualities and the fact that breasts are versatile and relatively easy to cook. Thighs take a little longer to cook. In fact, if you are cooking fried chicken, a smaller thigh takes longer to cook than a much larger breast.
More and more, I have been buying and cooking thighs and here a few things I’ve learned along the way that enhance a platter of chicken thighs.
First, fried chicken thighs are one of the yummiest things you can put in your mouth. Crispy, golden brown on the outside and exploding with juices on the inside – they are hard to beat. But the frying part adds calories and certainly makes a mess in the kitchen. Crispy baked chicken thighs with skin on are a close second in the yummy department. But do these things to make the skin crispier and the thighs even better.
First, to enhance crispiness, thoroughly dry the thighs with paper towels, removing any exterior moisture. Next, salt the thighs well on both sides and put in the refrigerator anywhere from one hour to overnight. This tightens up the skin and helps it brown and become crispy.
The only seasonings a chicken thigh really needs are salt, pepper and garlic salt. Season to your taste, but make sure to season a little underneath the chicken skin, too.
For best results, cook the thighs in a 400 oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs. The internal temperature should be 165 in the thickest part of the thigh.
With the rising price of food, especially meats, you can feed a family of four two juicy chicken thighs apiece for less than ten bucks. And few things taste better at any price.
