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What to do with boneless skinless chicken thighs...?


ellevan

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Whole Foods had boneless skinless chicken thighs on sale, problem being that I can't seem to think of what to do with them. Any simple suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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My favorite part of the bird -- pound them flat, roll with a veggie filling, bake.

These ones had skin, which I prefer:

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Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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My favorite part of the bird -- pound them flat, roll with a veggie filling, bake.

These ones had skin, which I prefer:

Thanks Peter great suggestion! I do wish my thighs still had the skin on, but you can't beat $1.78 for a pound of boneless chicken thighs especially from Whole Foods.

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One of my absolutely favorite cuts of meat for Asian stirfries. I'll have to check my local WF. You could make the Thai classic Basil Chicken with those boneless thighs, cut up into bite-size chunks. I like this recipe, but if you're not used to very spicy food, go easy on the garlic and chiles.

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/baschi.html

You could also make an Indian or Thai chicken curry.

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Got them last week and made a tagine of them. They are my go to chicken. Grilled in tacos, curry, stir fry, philly cheese chicken, chicken stroganoff, baked with a spoon of stuffing on them....I could go on all day.

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Like others have said, they are my are my "go to" for curry, chicken stew, etc., etc.

This simple recipe somebody posted on one of the Recipes That Rock threads, has become a frequent item on our after-work menus, especially if I don't have time to shop. I usually have everything needed on hand. I use the boneless/skinless thighs, pull them out and shred them up, then return to the pot. Sometimes I don't even bother with the flour dredge... it doesn't seem to make much difference.

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when I am especially tired, I pour Barilla Green Olive sauce over them and bake (I know, I know, it's sauce from a jar. My grandmother thought jarred sauce was never as good as "real gravy" and I never argued with her.)

When I'm not tired, I like to do what everyone else does with them: stir fries, rolled around a sauteed veggie filling....

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I love making this recipe by Harumi Kurihara: Steamed Chicken Salad with Sesame Sauce - it's great if you have one or two odd thighs left over. Don't worry that it calls for thighs with skin - I've made it without the skin and just draped some green onions over the meat to protect it in the microwave. You can also serve the salad on a bed of lettuce to stretch it further, if you like. Whenever I make this for a group, there's never a scrap left at the end.

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I'll confirm what all the others have said....I *always* choose the boneless/skinless thighs for just about any chicken application that calls for the b/s breasts. UNLESS you want to stuff the breasts, like for a cordon bleu or a kiev, and need the thickness. Otherwise, the flavor of the thighs just knocks the breasts out of the game.

Trimmed a bit & flattened a bit, they saute up just as nice and just as quickly. Left as is, they stew up beautifully without drying out.

I got a package of 6 just today at Trader Joes that were a HECK of a lot more pricey than what you found. The pack was about 1&3/4 pounds total. The smaller 3 of them got trimmed up and flattened, breaded in flour/egg wash/panko and pan-fried for katsu curry tonight, and the larger 3 will find their way into a chicken/sausage/shrimp jambalaya on Sunday. The recipe for which, BTW, specifically calls for b/s thighs.

Edited by Pierogi (log)

--Roberta--

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Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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I usually grill them like steaks with lemon rosemary salt and a couple of other spices. They are delicious.

I remember there's a Mario Batali Recipe where he stuffs them, rolls and ties them and either sauteeds them or bakes them. I remember it sounded delicious. I think it's in the Molto Mario book. But ideas for stuffing are endless...

Edited by ambra (log)
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One of my favorites is also one of the easiest - brush the inside of the thigh with hoisen sauce, stuff it with an appropriate lenght of scallion and a bit of julienned fresh ginger - season with S/P and grill. Be patient while grilling - thigh skin and hoisen sauce can be a dangerous combo on an unattended grill.

OVerall - our favorite part of the bird (unless you include the oyster - but those are just so darn tricky to stuff :smile: )

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They're wonderful for curries and stir-frying and perfect for General Tso's or most other Chinese dishes where the chicken is deep-fried and then sauced.

John Rosevear

"Brown food tastes better." - Chris Schlesinger

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I do wish my thighs still had the skin on, but you can't beat $1.78 for a pound of boneless chicken thighs especially from Whole Foods.

That's a great price. I don't understand why breasts are the most expensive part and legs are always less.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Thanks everyone for the awesome ideas! I simply grilled them last night brushing on homemade bbq sauce (my kids love it) with some yukon oven fries and broccoli with lemon butter and Parmesan. It was simple but great. Chicken breasts are no longer on my shopping list, boneless chicken thighs are now my "go to" chicken.

Can't wait to try them in some Asian dishes!

Thanks

Elizabeth

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I love making this recipe by Harumi Kurihara: Steamed Chicken Salad with Sesame Sauce - it's great if you have one or two odd thighs left over. Don't worry that it calls for thighs with skin - I've made it without the skin and just draped some green onions over the meat to protect it in the microwave. You can also serve the salad on a bed of lettuce to stretch it further, if you like. Whenever I make this for a group, there's never a scrap left at the end.

Erin,

This recipe sounds yummy and I want to make it! As posted on Epicurious, it calls for 10 oz of chicken for 4 servings. Would you please look at the recipe and tell us if you use more chicken in proportion to the other ingredients? Also, I am a little blank about the prep for the cucumbers, "sprinkle the cucumbers with a few pinches of salt, rubbing it into the flesh, then rinse. This lessens the aroma of the cucumber and gives it a good green color." I am guessing these small cucumbers are not the same as the standard American supermarket ones, but do we assume that they are peeled before they are rubbed with salt? Any additional insight about this step?

Thanks, Fern

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I agree with many of the previous posters, chicken thighs are my go to staple for curries or asian stir fries. They have enough fat on/in them to not dry out as much as chicken breasts and have a much deeper flavor.

I wonder if you can buy boneless skinless turkey thighs, I've never seen them and they would probably be pretty good too!

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Sans skins, I think I'd be thinking about dishes that contain chicken meat without featuring a piece of chicken - because that's the strength of what you've got. I'd probably cook the meat (poach in wine? sous vide?) first and reserve it as an ingredient.

My takes....

Creamy Chicken Hash - Saute chopped onions/shallots in butter, add a little flour, cook as per a roux. Add cooked diced potatoes (the main bulk of the dish) and milk/cream and cook down to thick gravy consistency, add chopped chicken and heat through. Season to taste.

Chicken a la King - Very similar to above, but add mushrooms to the saute, omit potatoes and add slices of roasted red pepper to warm with the chicken. Serve in pastry shells, or in a well made in a pile of rice. Or mix with cooked linguine in a casserole and top with a gratin and bake for a tetrazzini type affair.

Add chicken stock/broth/base/bouillon to either if desired.

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Erin,

This recipe sounds yummy and I want to make it! As posted on Epicurious, it calls for 10 oz of chicken for 4 servings. Would you please look at the recipe and tell us if you use more chicken in proportion to the other ingredients? Also, I am a little blank about the prep for the cucumbers, "sprinkle the cucumbers with a few pinches of salt, rubbing it into the flesh, then rinse. This lessens the aroma of the cucumber and gives it a good green color." I am guessing these small cucumbers are not the same as the standard American supermarket ones, but do we assume that they are peeled before they are rubbed with salt? Any additional insight about this step?

Thanks, Fern

I usually make it just as she says, but then I serve the whole recipe to two people. It seems a little small, but I think it's meant to be served in the Japanese manner, accompanying an array of other dishes. If I make it for more than two, I just double the recipe. Warning: it is incredibly delicious, and there are virtually never any leftovers. When I make it, I serve it alongside other dishes such as Harumi's tofu steak, a pickled vegetable salad, and some rice.

As to the cucumbers: first, if you can use anything other than your standard North American supermarket cucumber, do. Ideally you could get your hands on some small pickling cukes, or similar. What you want are the thin, long, green ones with a rough dark green skin. If you've got an Asian market in your neighborhood and feel like a trip, check out what they have. Otherwise, English cucumbers will do in a pinch, but they tend to be quite watery.

Then, you don't peel them. Rather, you use some salt as an abrasive exfoliant - rub the salt roughly along the skin, so it scrapes it lightly in some places. You should smell a kind of "green" smell coming off the cucumbers, especially if they're fresh. This process is meant to take the bitterness out of the flesh. Then you rinse the salt off, and cut them as per the recipe.

But if you're stuck with a standard cucumber, I would peel and core it as usual.

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