10 Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes You'll Definitely Have Time to Make Tonight (2024)

Step aside, chicken breasts. Juicy, tender chicken thighs are what we're making for dinner tonight. Our delicious, healthy chicken thigh recipes are filled with fresh, healthy ingredients that come together fast (in 45 minutes or less!). Keep these ideas handy—they can save the day when you don't have much time to make dinner.

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Spice-Rubbed Chicken and Poblano Tacos

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10 Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes You'll Definitely Have Time to Make Tonight (1)

Tacos can be a nutritious, fast dinner, especially when you make a healthy chicken thigh recipe. Broil the chicken thighs and plenty of fresh poblano peppers, then add heavy cream to make a delicious pan sauce. Besides a few corn tortillas to support the chicken and peppers, these tacos are so tasty that they don't need additional fixings.

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Chicken and Asparagus Skillet Supper

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Eating healthy doesn't mean you always have to skip the bacon. This easy chicken recipe calls for just 20 minutes and six ingredients (yes, one is bacon). Skillet-cooking the chicken thighs with bacon is a quick and easy way to develop comfort food flavors while microwaving asparagus and yellow summer squash makes a fast and healthy side.

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Chicken Thighs with Artichokes

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Paired with meaty mushrooms and prosciutto, this healthy chicken thigh recipe is super delicious and filling. Cooking artichokes in the same pan is a yummy way to add a serving of veggies to this boneless thigh meal, too. And don't scrape out those browned bits from your skillet—you'll use them later to make an easy pan sauce for the chicken.

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Chicken Cacciatore

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Chicken cacciatore is one of our absolute favorite chicken recipes, and this version is loaded with fresh, good-for-you veggies. You'll still skillet-cook the chicken thighs in a rich tomato sauce, just like the classic dish, but adding bell peppers, mushrooms, chopped carrot, and pearl onions adds plenty of nutrients to this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Serve with fresh parsley on top for a restaurant-quality dinner.

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Chicken with Apple-Vegetable Slaw Stir-Fry

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This healthy chicken thigh recipe may permanently mix up your weeknight stir-fries. Instead of rice, cook mushrooms, cabbage, asparagus, and apple slices together into a mouthwatering slaw. And instead of whole chicken thighs, chop your chicken into bite-size pieces so it cooks quicker and is easier to eat with your mix of veggies.

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Thai Green Curry Chicken

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Bring on the heat! Chicken thighs get the spicy treatment in this recipe with green curry. This Thai recipe also has shredded carrots, green bell peppers, and sweet onions so that this better-than-takeout chicken meal will taste fresh. For a flavor-packed dish, serve over brown basmati rice with flaked coconut and cilantro.

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Pan-Roasted Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Apples

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Meet your new favorite speedy fall dinner! This healthy chicken thigh recipe is super simple and easy (you need only five ingredients, after all), and it makes the most of in-season Brussels sprouts and apples. All you're missing is a piping hot cup of apple cider to sip.

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Pressure Cooker Indian-Spiced Chicken

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We love using our pressure cookers for quick chicken dinners. This healthy boneless, skinless chicken thigh recipe packs in delicious curry flavor with only 5 minutes of cooking time under pressure. To keep this one-dish dinner on the healthier side, enjoy the chicken curry over low-carb cauliflower rice.

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Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken

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Sheet-pan dinners might be the easiest (mostly) hands-off way to get an entire dinner on the table at lightning speed. Our healthy chicken thigh recipe combines the meat and veggies on a single pan before roasting for just 20 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice and you've got a delicious takeout-style meal without leaving the house.

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Lemon-Ginger Chicken Thighs

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10 Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes You'll Definitely Have Time to Make Tonight (10)

As one of our top-rated Pinterest recipes, this is a quick and easy chicken thigh recipe you'll keep making. The zesty seasoning of lemon, freshly grated ginger, honey, and soy sauce adds big flavor to the chicken. The best part? It comes together in a quick 35 minutes.

Healthy Chicken Recipes Beyond Thighs

If you prefer white meat, it's a cinch to make a chicken dinner that's tasty and healthy. Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo may sound indulgent, but sticking with light Alfredo sauce makes all the difference. Cilantro-Ginger Chicken with Peanuts brings Asian flavor from your skillet to your table. If you like cheese (and who doesn't?), these Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts will surprise you with their big flavor and low calories. For a super-easy meal, Tomatillo Chicken Soup is made in your slow cooker—just toss the ingredients in and let it simmer!

10 Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes You'll Definitely Have Time to Make Tonight (2024)

FAQs

Is chicken thigh still healthy? ›

The Bottom Line. If you are on team dark meat and prefer the taste of juicy chicken thighs to that of leaner chicken breast, feel free to enjoy it. Between their protein and the boatload of nutrients that they provide, including chicken thighs in an overall healthy diet is A-OK.

Are chicken thighs high in cholesterol? ›

Cholesterol levels of each part of the chicken (raw): breast, 100 grams (g), without skin: 73 milligrams (mg) breast, 100 g with skin: 64 mg. thigh, 100 g, with skin: 98 mg.

Why are chicken thighs better for you than breasts? ›

The Bottom Line

The white meat in chicken breasts contains more protein and less fat, while the dark meat in chicken thighs contains more vitamins and minerals. Put simply, the best choice is the one that people prefer to eat.

Is it better to fry or bake chicken thighs? ›

If you're looking for a quick, relatively easy path to crispy-skinned thighs with juicy meat, call in the skillet-only method. If you're a stickler for even cooking, the sear and high-heat roast method is the way to go. For beautifully flavored meat and a light, crisp skin, try the dry brine and slow roast.

How do you bake Rachael Ray chicken thighs? ›

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Spray with the EVOO cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 °F.

When should you not eat chicken thighs? ›

Spoiled chicken may be slimy or sticky to the touch or have an off odor. If you notice any of these things, discard the meat (3).

Can I lose weight eating chicken thighs? ›

Parts like chicken wings, thighs, and drumsticks are very high in calories and fat, thus, making them a not-so-good option for weight loss. Apart from this, make sure that the chicken that you are eating is not deep fried or loaded with sauces, as this increases the calorie count.

What to eat with chicken thighs? ›

Rice or Quinoa: Fluffy white rice or nutty quinoa make great side dishes to complement the chicken thighs. Roasted Potatoes: Seasoned and roasted potatoes, whether crispy wedges or creamy mashed, are always a crowd-pleaser. Corn on the Cob: Grilled or boiled corn on the cob with butter and herbs is a classic choice.

Is rotisserie chicken bad for cholesterol? ›

The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 13g of saturated fat per day—meaning a small serving of rotisserie chicken contains about 23% of your recommended daily intake. Eating saturated fat is shown to increase LDL cholesterol, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease.

Are eggs bad for cholesterol? ›

One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol — all of which is found in the yolk. If your diet contains little other cholesterol, according to some studies, eating up to an egg a day might be an OK choice. If you like eggs but don't want the cholesterol, use only the egg whites.

What fish is not good for high cholesterol? ›

Some fish that include the most cholesterol per 100 grams are:
  • Squid - 231mg.
  • Shrimp - 194mg.
  • Lobster - 71mg.
  • Salmon - 63mg.
Oct 21, 2022

Should chicken thighs be seared before baking? ›

I generally say it's a good idea to bake chicken thighs (that are bone-in) at 375˚F for at least 30-40 minutes, after searing them, to make sure they're completely cooked through.

Why do chefs prefer chicken thighs? ›

While the breast is very low in fat, chicken thighs are higher in fat, and in cooking, fat equals flavor. It also means the thighs are more tender and less likely to dry out than chicken breasts—in other words, they are very easy to cook and very difficult to ruin.

Do chicken thighs get more tender the longer you cook them? ›

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

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