Everyone needs a favorite chicken dinner recipe to whip up when time is short and the family is hungry. Here, you’ll find 20 delicious recipes that use tender and meaty chicken thighs.

While chicken breasts seem to be the go-to for many, chicken thighs are actually the more juicy and flavorful meat. From one-pot meals to sheet pan dinners, from pressure cookers to slow cookers, and from grills to air fryers, you’ll find savory recipes that will quickly become family favorites.
From comfort dishes to hot and spicy, you’re sure to find inspiration from this diverse and mouth-watering selection of 20 best chicken thigh recipes!
20 Best Chicken Thigh Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Make quick work of this meal by sautéing your onions in your pressure cooker before adding the boneless chicken thighs for a quick browning. Add in the fire roasted crushed tomatoes and veggies and let pressure cook for 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, or pasta. Awesome meal!
Easy Spicy Honey Lime Chicken Thigh Recipe
Tart and spicy, these chicken thighs cook quickly in your skillet. They’re garlicky, sticky and sweet, and just perfect for serving along with rice. The lime gives the dish that extra little punch of citrus and zest. So good!
Greek Chicken and Potatoes
Bake this Greek flavored chicken meal on a sheet pan for easy clean up! First, make a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and and spices. Coat chicken and potatoes with the marinade and then place on the lined sheet pan. Bake for about an hour until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Delish!
Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs
This drool-worthy boneless chicken thigh recipe gets stuffed with a spinach and Swiss cheese mixture and set in a baking pan with a little white wine or chicken broth for moisture. It takes just under an hour to bake this to perfection. Serve with rice and watch the family gobble this one up!
Honey Mustard Chicken
This easy sheet pan chicken meal is full of flavor and bakes in about an hour. Stir together Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar and herbs and brush over the chicken before sliding in the oven. Bast the chicken every 15 minutes to really lock in the flavors. It’s worth it!
Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
After a quick browning of the chicken thighs and garlic in your pressure cooker, add in the chicken broth and seal to cook. Remove the chicken and finish the dish by adding cream and Parmesan cheese to the Instant pot to thicken. Add spinach in to wilt and finally add the chicken back in to coat with this zesty sauce. Serve with pasta.
Chicken Artichoke Olive Skillet
Boneless chicken thighs go Mediterranean with the addition of olives and artichokes. Also seasoned with spices like turmeric, cumin and cinnamon, this tasty meal cooks up quickly in one skillet. Try this flavor-packet dinner!
Baked Thai Peanut Chicken
Thick and savory peanut sauce takes this meal over the top with its Thai-inspired flavors. The sauce is a base of coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, and spices that cover the chicken thighs. Bake for 35 minutes and serve over rice. Amazing taste!
Killer Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with a Dry Rub!!
This air fryer recipe uses bone-in thighs with the skin on so that they will be really crispy when cooked. Rub thighs with olive oil and then season the chicken well with your favorite seasonings. For crispiness on both sides of the chicken, half way through, flip the chicken. So easy!
Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Recipe
Slow cook your boneless chicken thighs with these Moroccan-inspired ingredients for a spicy meal. Just add the chicken, onions, garlic, raisins, olives, spices and lemon slices to your slow cooker and then set it to cook to tender perfection. Tastes awesome served with rice.
Chicken Thighs With Creamy Mushroom Garlic Sauce
These boneless chicken thighs sear quickly in your skillet to lock in moisture so the meat is deliciously juicy. Throw in some cremini mushrooms, garlic, herbs, and heavy cream for a mouth-watering sauce. Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
If your family likes sticky sweet sauces, they’ll request this chicken thigh dinner on the regular. It cooks up easily in your pressure cooker. There’s no sautéing, so just place the chicken and homemade Teriyaki sauce in your Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook. Come back to a tender and delicious chicken dinner.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Recipe, One-Pot Meal
Saute onion and carrots in a dutch oven before adding seasoned chopped chicken thighs. Add chicken broth and rice, bring to a boil and then simmer until done. So flavorful and a family favorite comfort food.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken | Cook from Fresh or Frozen | with VIDEO
Using bone-in and skin on chicken thighs, give them a quick sauté in your pressure cooker. Remove the chicken and sauté onions and garlic before adding in the chicken broth, lemon juice and herbs. Place chicken back in and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Serve to rave reviews!
Garlic Chicken Thighs
You can’t go wrong with buttery garlic chicken that’s skillet cooked to mouth-watering perfection. Learn the secret to getting a crispy crust on skinless chicken thighs! You’ll even have a little gravy left to spoon over rice or mashed potatoes with this recipe. Delish!
One Pan Sesame Chicken - Sesame Chicken Recipe
Chicken thighs get seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame seeds before roasting in the oven along with some carrots and snap peas. Just brown the chicken before baking for juicy flavor. Serve with a side of rice. Zesty!
Huli Huli Chicken
These chicken thighs get a session on the grill after being marinated in tropical flavors of pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and spices. Refrigerate for an hour before grilling. These will become a family favorite!
Sweet & Spicy Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Make this awesome sauce on your stove top with honey sweetened sriracha and a host of kicked up flavors and spices including garlic, ginger, paprika and cloves. Grill the chicken and during the last part of cooking, baste both sides with the sauce. It’s insanely delicious!
Grilled Rosemary Lemon Chicken Thighs
Elevate plain chicken thighs with this easy marinade of lemon juice, fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard, garlic, and honey. Marinante for as little as two hours or overnight. To cook, place on grill, turning to cook both sides. Serve with polenta, pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
Baked Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Thighs
For the ultimate savory chicken thighs, marinate the thighs in a highly spiced mayo-based mixture while you sauté your mushroom and onion stuffing. Stuff the chicken thighs and place in a baking pan. Let bake for at least an hour. Outrageously delicious!
Make quick work of this meal by sautéing
your onions in your pressure cooker before adding the boneless chicken thighs
for a quick browning. Add in the fire roasted crushed tomatoes and veggies and
let pressure cook for 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, or
pasta. Awesome meal!
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore by Salt
And Lavender
Tart and spicy, these chicken thighs cook
quickly in your skillet. They’re garlicky, sticky and sweet, and just perfect
for serving along with rice. The lime gives the dish that extra little punch of
citrus and zest. So good!
Spicy Honey Lime Chicken Thigh Recipe by
Saving Dessert
Bake this Greek flavored chicken meal on
a sheet pan for easy clean up! First, make a marinade of olive oil, lemon
juice, garlic and and spices. Coat chicken and potatoes with the marinade and
then place on the lined sheet pan. Bake for about an hour until chicken is
cooked through and potatoes are tender. Delish!
Greek Chicken and Potatoes by Dinner At The
Zoo
This drool-worthy boneless chicken thigh
recipe gets stuffed with a spinach and Swiss cheese mixture and set in a baking
pan with a little white wine or chicken broth for moisture. It takes just under
an hour to bake this to perfection. Serve with rice and watch the family gobble
this one up!
Spinach And Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs
by Jo Cooks
This easy sheet pan chicken meal is full
of flavor and bakes in about an hour. Stir together Dijon mustard, honey, apple
cider vinegar and herbs and brush over the chicken before sliding in the oven.
Bast the chicken every 15 minutes to really lock in the flavors. It’s worth it!
Honey Mustard Chicken by Serena Bakes Simply
From Scratch
After a quick browning of the chicken
thighs and garlic in your pressure cooker, add in the chicken broth and seal to
cook. Remove the chicken and finish the dish by adding cream and Parmesan
cheese to the Instant pot to thicken. Add spinach in to wilt and finally add
the chicken back in to coat with this zesty sauce. Serve with pasta.
Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs by
Taste And Tell
Boneless chicken thighs go Mediterranean
with the addition of olives and artichokes. Also seasoned with spices like
turmeric, cumin and cinnamon, this tasty meal cooks up quickly in one skillet.
Try this flavor-packet dinner!
Chicken Artichoke Olive Skillet by Running To
The Kitchen
Thick and savory peanut sauce takes this
meal over the top with its Thai-inspired flavors. The sauce is a base of
coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, and spices that cover the chicken
thighs. Bake for 35 minutes and serve over rice. Amazing taste!
Baked Thai Peanut Chicken by Dinner Then
Dessert
This air fryer recipe uses bone-in thighs
with the skin on so that they will be really crispy when cooked. Rub thighs
with olive oil and then season the chicken well with your favorite seasonings.
For crispiness on both sides of the chicken, half way through, flip the
chicken. So easy!
Best Air Fryer Chicken Thighs by The Typical
Mom
Slow cook your boneless chicken thighs
with these Moroccan-inspired ingredients for a spicy meal. Just add the
chicken, onions, garlic, raisins, olives, spices and lemon slices to your slow
cooker and then set it to cook to tender perfection. Tastes awesome served with
rice.
Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken by Simply Recipes
These boneless chicken thighs sear
quickly in your skillet to lock in moisture so the meat is deliciously juicy.
Throw in some cremini mushrooms, garlic, herbs, and heavy cream for a
mouth-watering sauce. Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.
Creamy
Chicken Thighs With Mushroom Garlic Sauce by Cafe Delites
If your family likes sticky sweet sauces,
they’ll request this chicken thigh dinner on the regular. It cooks up easily in
your pressure cooker. There’s no sautéing, so just place the chicken and
homemade Teriyaki sauce in your Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook. Come
back to a tender and delicious chicken dinner.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken by Five Heart
Home
Saute onion and carrots in a dutch oven
before adding seasoned chopped chicken thighs. Add chicken broth and rice,
bring to a boil and then simmer until done. So flavorful and a family favorite
comfort food.
Creamy Chicken And Rice Recipe by Natasha’s
Kitchen
Using bone-in and skin on chicken thighs,
give them a quick sauté in your pressure cooker. Remove the chicken and sauté
onions and garlic before adding in the chicken broth, lemon juice and herbs.
Place chicken back in and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Serve to rave
reviews!
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken by Savory Nothings
You can’t go wrong with buttery garlic
chicken that’s skillet cooked to mouth-watering perfection. Learn the secret to
getting a crispy crust on skinless chicken thighs! You’ll even have a little
gravy left to spoon over rice or mashed potatoes with this recipe. Delish!
Garlic Chicken Thighs by Recipe Tin Eats
Chicken thighs get seasoned with soy
sauce, rice vinegar and sesame seeds before roasting in the oven along with
some carrots and snap peas. Just brown the chicken before baking for juicy
flavor. Serve with a side of rice. Zesty!
One Pan Sesame Chicken by How Sweet Eats
These chicken thighs get a session on the
grill after being marinated in tropical flavors of pineapple juice, soy sauce,
brown sugar and spices. Refrigerate for an hour before grilling. These will
become a family favorite!
Huli Huli Chicken by Dinner At The Zoo
Make this awesome sauce on your stove top
with honey sweetened sriracha and a host of kicked up flavors and spices
including garlic, ginger, paprika and cloves. Grill the chicken and during the
last part of cooking, baste both sides with the sauce. It’s insanely delicious!
Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs by
Joyful Healthy Eats
Elevate plain chicken thighs with this
easy marinade of lemon juice, fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard, garlic, and honey.
Marinante for as little as two hours or overnight. To cook, place on grill,
turning to cook both sides. Serve with polenta, pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
Grilled Rosemary Lemon Chicken Thighs by Taste
And See
For the ultimate savory chicken thighs,
marinate the thighs in a highly spiced mayo-based mixture while you sauté your
mushroom and onion stuffing. Stuff the chicken thighs and place in a baking
pan. Let bake for at least an hour. Outrageously delicious!
Baked Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Thighs by
Natasha’s Kitchen