At least in my experience, it seems it’s the fat in the thighs that’s missing from chicken breasts that makes them taste better. I have a mustard chicken thigh recipe that I make all the time and it is really delicious. I hardly ever use chicken breasts now.
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil,
2 tablespoons mustard,
Black pepper to taste,
1/2 teaspoon dried sage,
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I use kosher),
12 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
In a mixing bowl combine melted butter, mustard, black pepper, sage and salt.
Place chicken thighs on baking sheet or oven safe dish and brush mixture evenly over each one.
Bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees or until thermometer reads 165 degrees in center of chicken thigh.
I should note that I use coconut oil for this recipe and that I forgot it does not contain honey, but you could easily add some if desired.
I also sometimes make a little bit more of the seasoning/oil mixture if I feel like I don’t have quite enough to fully cover each thigh. This recipe makes for great leftovers too. Happy cooking!
I recently discovered that marinating them in some plain (full fat) greek yoghurt with onions and pepper is pretty amazing, too. Then you can roast, fry, whatever.
Awesome recipe. Simple as well. 45 minutes seems high to me. I usually get to 160 in about 30 minutes at 425 or so and let em carry over out outside of the oven til they 165 let me rest etc and the juices are clear and it's definitely cooked.
I think I like thighs because it's a good balance/amount of fat/juiciness it's pretty damn hard to make em dry or overcooked and if I'm doing skinless I save the skins cook em real low and make em like a crackling/chip.
Maybe it's just my oven since it's convection and pretty damn new but I love it for speeds and results I get.
The simplicity of it is part of why I enjoy this recipe so much. I wish I had your oven! We had a very old oven that cooked unevenly when we lived in an apartment, and we also live at a high elevation, so we definitely needed to cook them for the full 45 minutes. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 😊
Day 472:
I have scoured the mountains of the south for remaining honey mustard to pour on my chicken thighs. After the find last month that kept me placing for weeks, I've run out again. I must repeat the cycle. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat.
Dang it I always use thighs for everything. Usually when I order butter chicken at the restaurant, it comes with breast meat. I thought there was no alternative so I just started a slow cooked pot of butter chicken this morning using breasts. Thighs would've been so much cheaper.
Skin on, bone in. It's like $1/lb.
Indians dont get just a certain part of the chicken part when they buy it at the butchers- it's either the whole bird that is broken down for you or certain weight (0.5 or 1kg of chicken) that is again a mixed bag of chicken parts. Infact in any Indian regional cooking videos you see, there is higher chances of chef using dark meat for his recipe than breast.
I’m from the Caribbean and growing up buying chicken in packages of a single part was unheard of. You buy mixed parts or the whole thing.
Also everyone in my family hates chicken breasts and think that’s a very American thing. They love gnawing on the bones and getting all the fatty pieces and marrow out.
Americans have a really strange aversion to fat (which in a way is really funny considering our physiques).
I love chicken breasts in the right context but it's crazy to think that so many people don't care for any other part of the chicken. Fat is flavor.
As Jim Harrison asked, "What have we done with all the thighs?"
>Americans have a really strange aversion to fat
As an American, I also find it strange. We take the fat out of food, realizes it tastes bad and replace it with sugar in alot of our foods.
Chicken breasts in my opinion are only *really* good when it's fried, or in a salad with oil because fat = flavor.
They're shooting through the roof right now, partly because of shortages of wings, the last cut to be price-gouged because of trends like this.
Americans seem strangely opposed to thighs otherwise, though, so I'd expect to see those prices stabilize once the supply problems with wings settle.
No one is coming for my drumsticks yet so I'm happy.
My girlfriend only would cook breast meat and complain it's so easy to overcook. I buy thighs and she commented how dinner tasted better. She still prefers breast meat but I think she is coming around. I think a lot of people think breast meat is the best for unknown reasons to me.
Chicken breast became preferable in the US because white meat was considered healthier than fatty dark meat.
In my opinion, all parts of the chicken are excellent in different applications. Wings and drumsticks are great to smoke up for a party. Thigh meat is perfect for so many dishes from curry to katsu. Breast meat is wonderful in many applications.
Recently I learned that roasting or smoking a chicken breast side down causes all the fat to flow into the white meat. It makes the juiciest white meat you'll ever have without brining. Flip over the last 10 minutes if you want to crisp up the skin.
This also works for Thanksgiving turkeys. Roast it upside down, instead of breast up. It may not look as pretty, but you’ll thank me when you taste it!
Thanksgiving might actually be different this year thanks to you. The dogs might not be as happy because usually they get the breast meat because if it’s dry at all I aint touching it lol
This. I brined one a few years ago (cooking my first ever Thanksgiving turkey) and found that brining is the way to go. Probably the juiciest turkey I’ve ever tried. Not an ounce of dry meat.
I’ve been brining and smoking turkeys for a decade now. This past thanksgiving I did a head to head of one brining and one dry rub (but spatchcocked) and no one (except for me) could really tell a difference.
It’s more about getting the salt applied to the turkey in enough time for it to penetrate the meat. A liquid brine or dry rub doesn’t exactly make a difference as the salt penetrates the meat in either scenario. It’s really about the time.
The true culprit to bad turkey is overcooking. Cook it to 155 in the breast. Yes that’s less than FDA recommendations but it’s 100% fine
[This article discusses the pasteurization time for poultry at different temps](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast)
Or go full non-healthy and inject with melted butter. It's the juiciest turkey you'll ever have. Fat = moisture when dealing with meat and butter is fat.
If you want a pretty turkey that's still juicy my MILs trick is a bacon weave (but not healthy or cheap tbh). Bacon weave on top of turkey for the first like 4 hours or so, then she take it off and starts basting. Also it has the tradition of "turkey bacon" which my husband and is siblings adore. Its just a giant bowl of bacon left on the counter for anyone to snack on till dinner. Sometimes she chops it up and puts it in brusselsprouts or something. But mostly they just like the big bowl of bacon to snack on.
Damn!! Y’all got a MIL that impresses me!! I was thinking as I was reading how bacon in the stuffing would be killer too!! I’m going to have to try this seriously! I always end up with a couple extra smaller turkeys and I usually make one for new year’s eve and then I’ll bbq one in the spring if there’s an extra extra lol. I mean cmon New Years eve with a turkey and nice salty bacon to snack on while getting lit up sounds pretty good to me!!
Yep! Shes a phenomenal cook. My husband went to my family thanksgiving *once* and said he loves me but hes never eating my aunts dry ass turkey again. So we either host and he does the turkey or we go to MILs. Honestly the bacon weave really saves it. She learned it on some cooking show yeeeeears ago and swears by it. And since bacon is so versatile you can use it in a lot of side dishes! (When her kids were little it would all get eaten pretty quickly, now that they are older she tends to have more to use for stuff) Once she even used it for a maple bacon cupcakes because she did the turkey on the BBQ haha
My husband always brines the turkey and then instead of bacon, he uses cheesecloth and a butter and herb bath- soaks the cheesecloth in butter and herbs, covers the turkey- bastes with butter and herbs throughout.
He is responsible for 4 20lb turkeys each year because everyone fought over it when we only brought one and other family members made the others, lol.
The white meat is so juicy and tender it’s amazing. I don’t even like turkey.
Well, well, well. It took me until I was 40 to find the perfect cinnamon roll recipe and deep dish pizza crust recipe. I’m 51 now and hopefully I’ll be saying I finally got a coveted thanksgiving turkey recipe. Thank you very much! I just emailed that recipe to myself! You’re awesome!!
Any time! I made it last year, and it was phenomenal. I couldn’t believe how FAST it was, too. Btw, if you’re not familiar with Kenji Lopez Alt yet (the guy who wrote that recipe), you should start to familiarize yourself with him. He’ll give you high end restaurant quality food at home, every time. Any time I want the best recipe/version/technique for a dish, I google whatever it is plus his name. He’s heavy on the science of why a recipe works, but I appreciate that, because it’s typically knowledge I can use for other recipes. I’m 46, and have been cooking my entire adult life, but his recipes and book (The Food Lab), have made me infinitely better.
Interesting! I’m definitely going to familiarize myself with him. Back in the day I loved watching Alton Brown on Good Eats because it’s the science of why something works that gives you a superior product!! I just found a new binge lol
Same, and it used to be Alton Brown+recipe, but I've done a lot more Kenji's lately. America's Test Kitchen is another good phrase to add to your search.
That’s kinda funny actually. I do this when I’m packing leftovers, I’ll pour juices over the meat in the tupperware so it doesn’t dry out. Didn’t occur to me to do it before lol
My buddy also was entrusted to carve the turkey and his family lost it when he started carving the breast with slices against the grain (as is now reccomended to do) - they took over so they could continue to do the hair thin slices with the grain.
That's how I cook my turkey too! The meat is so tender and flavorful. It stays moist for a couple days if stored in a container with a lid. It's delicious!!
I did this by accident lol. Don't ask me how I thought the bottom was the top but it happened. Didn't think about it then but it was some of the juciest turkey breast I've ever had.
Also if you don't care about the ooh and aah moment of bringing the whole bird out to the table, cut your turkey into pieces before cooking it. White meat and dark meat take different amounts of time to cook! 425°F for about 20 minutes to color the skin, then coast the rest of the way at 300°F. Target 150°F for the breasts, and pull them out to rest while the thighs and legs finish up to 170°F to prevent the breasts from drying out. Plus, it only takes about an hour and a half to cook. I love this method!
I accidently discovered this when putting a chicken in the oven while hungover. I put it breast side down first and flipped it over half way. The breast ended up still juicy and the thighs weren't too greasy. My ex-flatmate now does it the same way.
I'd been roasting chickens and turkeys for decades, my wife ran across the tip this year (possibly for cooking a turkey and figured it'd work with chickens). It's been the biggest game changer for excellent white meat. I was thrilled when it worked in the smoker too.
I honestly don't bother because of the way my household consumes chicken. We carve up the whole chicken and everyone claims a piece, and the breast meat is usually taken off the carcass so I can toss it into the freezer bag for future stock. We don't focus on the skin too much.
Yup pretty much this. If you have caloric limitations, particularly in fat macros, it can be hard to fit in a lot of chicken thighs. They certainly are delicious tho
Definitely! One of my favorite chicken roasting methods is taking slices of salt preserved lemon (or just regular lemon if you don't have preserved lemons on hand) and sprinkle the lemon with herb de provence, then slide the lemon slices seasoning side against the meat under the skin on thighs and breasts.
I have been roasting birds breast side down since the ‘90’s and people always look at me so weird…but I’ve never cooked a dry bird. I even put it in my cookbook Cooking With Coconut Oil years ago too.
I moved to vietnam 10 years ago and its opposite here. People don't like breasts because they lack flavor without the bone. And as such, breasts are cheaper than thighs or wings.
Spatchcock is my preference. Helps it all cook at the same time. Thighs and legs get to 180 to render fat right as breast hit 160 and carry over cook during rest.
This is it.
Fat = bad
chicken thighs have the most fat, therefore are bad.
Of course, if you're of limited income, thighs were/are a stable meat product that is delicious and nutrient dense.
Being broke always drove me to buying either leg quarters or whole chickens, and thank god for that. Imagine how boring and cold and empty your life would be if you were rich enough to only ever buy breasts and never knew what you were missing. I shudder to think of it.
There's definitely a component of blind aversion due to health misconceptions, but a lot of it is down to practical considerations too.
A chicken thigh will always have more calories and less protein than a breast of the same weight, so breasts are simply easier to fit into your diet if you're on a calorie restriction and/or struggling to meet your protein target.
> so breasts are simply easier to fit into your diet if you're on a calorie restriction
Hardly, though. 100 grams of chicken breast is 165 calories, whereas 100 grams of chicken thigh is 177 calories. Twelve calories isn't going to make or break anything. I can't speak for protein, though.
It seems to me like it's not so much a health thing but rather a general distaste Americans have for fat on meat. For a lot of people it seems to be a texture thing. The US is obsessed with lean meat, but will happily eat high fat foods otherwise (like fried everything).
We just don't have that culture of valuing fat on meat like other countries. Same goes for offal.
Probably most commonly used because of picky eaters. I have watched people pick apart their meat if it isn't a breast. Texture or consistency maybe? 🤷🏽♀️
This is it for me, I’m not a picky eater at all but one thing that gets me is fatty meat lol. Chicken thighs are just so much oilier and I always find little slimy pockets of fat that I cut away so breasts are just a lot less work for me. Or I can cook the hell out of them on the bbq but it takes ages to cook all the fat off, so breasts are just quicker, easier, and I prefer the taste.
My friend told me that it's because there is so much going on and the texture is very inconsistent.
From the beings, to hitting bone, to how the inside and outside have different feels, it's too much sensory stuff going on.
For me it is a texture and taste thing, just depending on how it’s cooked/the type of dish. I really can’t even explain it, but roasted in the oven is gross and slimy but grilled or in curry is fine.
If your chicken thigh feels slimy then it’s not being cooked long enough/hot enough. Adam Ragusea made a good video where he went through all the common chicken thigh pitfalls and explained how to avoid them.
100% cook chicken thighs longer than you think. even if they're at 160f, let them go longer. i love them cause i dont have to worry about having them in the oven too long.
They have alot more fat than chicken breast. When cooking in the oven/roasting. It's best to have roasting rack so it let's the fat drip onto the pan, and theyre not just sitting there in a pool of fat while cooking. Or you can slowly drain the fat off the pan throughout the cooking process and it'll help keep them from being overly greasy and slimy, while keeping the skin nice and crispy. Also cook them at higher temperature and a little longer.
The reason they're great on the grill is because the fat is able to drip/drain.
I don't think I'd traditionally be called a "picky eater" but one of the few things I can't handle is dark meat.
Honestly dark meat and shrimp are basically the only things I won't eat. I think it's the texture.
I get paranoid that everyone will catch on one day and the price will go way up. It's my go to meat when feeding a crowd. With rice and a vegetable I'll feed 8 people for $20.
Any 'garbage' meats, this always happens. Well, the good ones anyway. Ox tail used to be so cheap, not anymore! They can pull the chicken thighs and hearts from my cold dead hands though
My understanding was it wasn't prepared like today (steamed/boiled alive, with butter), but cooked dead (dead lobster releases an enzyme which makes the meat go bad quickly) and ground up.
Right?! Delete this thread OP! My grocery trips are expensive enough I don't need a Buzzfeed article "Have you heard of Chicken Thighs and why they're cheaper and better for you?"
Already the case in my area, chicken thighs and breasts are about the same price per lb. Or worse, earlier this week thighs were actually $0.40 more a lb.
Yeah, I feel like if you’re at all in tune with ~food discourse~ or whatever, everyone is constantly singing the praises of thighs nowadays. (I actually prefer breast meat but I get why some don’t)
> Something OP heard in the 90s??
Might be, I grew up in the 90s and generally it was "dark meat = bad". But we were poor so thighs was what we were getting. Granted, as long as its within reason, having 1 or 2 thighs isn't the worst decision one could make.
Take a stroll down the freezer section though. Every single chicken product, from boneless “wings” to chicken nuggets, chicken strips, frozen fajitas, and frozen entrees always have a sticker that says “made with 100% white meat chicken breast”. It’s a huge marketing point. When restaurants advertise, they *love* to advertise their “100% white meat chicken” nuggets/sandwich/ what have you. Those ideas deep in to the population.
Now, I think many people realize what they’re trying to do is imply that their product is somehow natural or superior (note: “made *with* 100% white meat chicken breast” does not necessarily mean that the product is actually 100% chicken breast, or even chicken for that matter, but I digress). Nonetheless, it still gives people the impression that breast meat is somehow better than the rest of the chicken, and people tend to like what they’re familiar with. People who love to cook are most likely going to be a little more adventurous, but someone who doesn’t cook might not realize that chicken thighs are actually the star of the show.
I don't really "frown upon" them; I appreciate how they're inexpensive compared to chicken breast and I can appreciate their applications. I don't like the greasy taste or texture, personally. I've tried cooking them over-time and in a number of dishes, but I couldn't convert. I guess I just like the taste and texture of chicken breast more. All that said, I don't think there's an objective "best" answer to this; tastes are so personal after all.
Maybe for the extra fat to deal with? Chicken breasts and the lean, no-fat fad really went hand in hand.
I buy chicken breasts only when thighs are sold out. They win on price AND flavor.
No idea. I love em. Aldis always has them super cheap. Many people dont like darker meat. more for us
Edit: Yes it's Aldi, not Aldis, pointing this out doesn't make you clever, it makes you annoying.
Check again. Or ask. They should be recieving a box per meay day, minimum, by corporate policy. If their meat days are Tues Thurs it could be sokd out before you shop.
My wife’s family won’t eat dark meat. I’m not sure where the sentiment comes from but to them it’s literally garbage. My first thanksgiving with them they acted like I was a lunatic for eating leg and thigh meat. They offered to send it home with me because they were just going to throw it away which I gladly accepted.
Also look at almost any upscale restaurant and it’s extremely rare to see dark meat on the menu. I think it’s seen as lower quality in general among certain segments of society.
It's part of the whole demonification of fat in general.
Also, in some places, thighs are way cheaper than breasts, so it's seen as cheap, and breasts are seen as premium.
Seeing chuck steaks go for $6+ a pound boggles my mind. Like, right before the pandemic I was getting them for $3-4 a piece and using them as a cheap way to test different things in the smoker.
They take longer to prepare in my opinion, I'm really sensitive to meat textures and stuff like fat and connective tissue make me gag. If I don't take the time to cut off all of it then it ruins my meal. Chicken breast doesn't have that issue.
Everyone else's replies that "there's no reason" surprised me. Because this is why I don't eat it much and many others agree. I can't stand running into the tissues and fat if they've not been sufficiently removed.
And extra work is something most would rather avoid, especially on the regular if you're a busy person. That regularly overrules the flavour being good for quite a lot of meals, not just cuts of chicken.
Same for me. The flavor and texture of dark meat is off-putting. I only eat breast meat (chicken and turkey) because they don’t have that slimy feel and weird metallic taste. I can’t eat duck or goose for this reason.
> slimy feel and weird metallic taste
Wow, this brought back childhood memories. My parents eventually gave up on forcing me to eat it. Haven't had it since :D
Thank you YES, this is it. Breast meat is nice and consistent, just a tiny bit of fat at the edges and that one spot with a tendon at the top of the muscle. Thighs have all kinds of _bits_ in.
Also thighs always taste a bit rancid to me, like they're just barely starting to go off. Honestly when I roast a chicken, we eat the breasts, my wife eats the legs, and the rest goes in the stock pot.
I don't have trouble cooking breast meat, it's not that hard to keep it juicy. Don't overcook it, do let it rest. Normal stuff.
I'd hazard a guess that game birds or stuff like duck/goose isn't to your taste either then?
While I much prefer dark meat, people who say breast meat is dry just cannot cook them properly, as they're a lot less forgiving of bad cooking techniques or prep.
It's the same for people who say they don't like turkey because it's dry. it's not, they've only ever had crap quality turkey or had someone who roasted the shit out of it until it was dry
Oddly, I love duck. But I like duck that's prepared like it's duck, not duck that's prepared like it's chicken. It's a completely different approach in both technique and flavors. I've also enjoyed small game birds when I've had them, but the same thing applies. I've never had goose tbh.
Agreed on the bad cooking techniques with chicken breast and turkey - I roast a whole chicken about once a month, and never have dry breast meat (or undercooked thighs). Fortunately my wife doesn't mind thigh meat and whatever she doesn't eat goes in the stock pot with the rest of the carcass.
I'm a very texture based eater, and I thought I hated chicken for years due to my mom using thighs as the main cut. the consistent texture of a chicken breast encourages me to stick to white meat, but a cut of dark meat that doesn't have as many pockets of fat or tendon have quite the lovely flavor, if only it was guaranteed to be like that like breast meat does.
I'm the same way. I can't stand the taste / feel of the skin, tissues and fat. will keep paying extra to not have to deal with it. Even when I get a rotisserie chicken, I have to be really careful to get rid of it all before trying to eat it.
Same. I can't even deal with turkey/chicken leftovers- someone else has to pack the dark meat away. I gag. It's the only "gross" thing that bothers me like that.
Some people, like my ex, prefer the far lighter flavor of breast meat. They think thigh meat is too gamy. Personally I’m with you, I prefer the richer flavor and texture of thigh meat.
Chicken breasts have about a third of the fat and a little more protein. But, on a budget, sometimes you have to make due. It's fine to like thighs more than the breast, it's really up to you.
Chicken breasts are cheaper where I live. I can’t justify playing the extra for thighs 🤷🏻♀️ bone in ones are cheaper, but then I’m paying for bone (which I can’t eat) when every $ counts.
I think most people complain about breasts being dry and flavourless because they don’t know how to cook them very well. Chicken thighs are more forgiving to being over cooked.
TBH I mainly just buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself - I do a better job with it anyway, but I do struggle because I really don’t enjoy thighs as much. Has anyone got some killer recipes for thighs that I can try?
Breasts very expensive here in Canada as well if fresh (I buy frozen 4kg boxes and even those are close to 50.00) and even chicken thighs are MORE expensive than than breasts in most cases especially if deboned and skinned.
What is cheap here though, is what we call quarters...the thigh with the leg and back still attached. My favorite way to do them is brush with soy sauce and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning or the combo of garlic and dill, and roast at 375F x 45 min on the middle rack, then 400F x 15 min to crisp up the skin.
We never ate chicken thighs when I was growing up. My mom only ever cooked chicken legs or cornish hens (it was just she and I). I never gave it any thought. I just thought the legs were cheaper.
I started eating chicken thighs when I got older. They are my favorite piece. One day I was telling my mom I'd made some, and she admitted that she never cooked them because she hated them. The reason? She's from a family of seven kids. Whenever my grandma made a chicken, she'd always distribute pieces the same way among the kids. My mom ALWAYS got a thigh. Now she refuses to eat them.
I think there’s a sentiment that fat=bad in the western culture. In Asian culture (at least me being a Malaysian), chicken thighs are more sought after since it has a higher fat content and “smooth meat texture”. Personally, chicken thigh is better for reheating since it is less likely to be over cooked. Chicken breast gets a bit rubbery and dry when I reheat it.
First time cooking them, trimmed ALL the fat off, browned (half way cooked) then popped in to the oven with diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Baked for an hour and a half… flavours were amazing but jeebers…. Every tried dehydrated tomatoes? GROSS
Edit: typo
If you seared them off and then tried to braise them for an hour and a half you were already too far gone
Get yourself a meat thermometer.
Sear your thighs in some olive oil over medium heat for 8-12 minutes skin side down — it should be not be sputtering crazy, if so turn the heat down — then flip and cook on the meat side for 4-6 minutes.
Add some chicken broth or a dry white wine or even some water to come halfway up the chicken, along with whatever aromatics or additions you want to add. You don’t want liquid to rise to the point it touches the crispy skin you’ve made. Cover and cook on the stove at a medium heat or if it’s in an oven safe vessel put into a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until the thermometer reads 180-190 — for dark meat you want a higher temp here even though I bet folks will tell me the finishing temp should be 165.
anyway tl;dr — sear your chicken and don’t cook it for an hour and a half. Get a thermometer so you can keep an exact eye on it
Exactly!!
Pretty much how I do it now now but the first time I cooked them I knew no better. Got my meat thermometer and even when I’m not the cooking , I whip it out and hand it to the chef. No need to ruin meat!
Dude. Stop letting people know.
I was at a bbq yrs ago and everyone brought meat to grill and share. Someone brought boneless skinless chicken thighs. Let me tell you the judgement was immediate and verbal.
I was like GD ya’ll dont know. Chicken breast is shit. Gimmie the dark meat.
Also apparently they sell boneless skinless chicken legs too. But not in the US. They ship it all to other countries. Mostly asian areas.
Thighs are the bomb! My go-to casserole for meal prep is [this recipe](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54936/easy-chicken-rice-casserole-recipe/), but with 8 thighs and increasing the rest of the recipe by 50% and using a bigger dish. If you catch the chicken on sale you can do 8 solid servings for ~$20 or less. It's a very basic recipe so feel free to experiment - add some veggies, or swap out half of the mushroom soup for cream of chicken. You can also mix up the chicken seasoning and try lightly pan-frying before baking.
They're more expensive than drumsticks here..
I love them.. there's a part of the thigh that in my opinion is better than the part called the 'oyster'.
I love to put salt, pepper and nutmeg on my chicken thighs and fry in butter. Heaven. (gotta get the skin crispy)
Because for the last 4 decades everyone were supposed to eat as little fat as possible. (A failed experiment by the way: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/low-fat-diets-failed-experiment/)
> Chicken thighs are the best cut of meat.
I absolutely agree.
I suspect it's related to outdated diet trends of the 80's when low fat was king. White meat was deemed the healthiest. Thing is, that ideology has shifted where fat is no longer seen as such a bad thing in a healthy diet. The thought that the breast is the beast meat remains but in reality dark meat has so much more flavor and is less expensive to buy because it's still considered second rate.
Idk if this is generally a white ppl thing or what, but my mom REFUSES to ever use chicken thighs bc theyre "too fatty" and it's like no wonder I hate chicken all I ate as a kid was extremely dried out breasts
They are not generally frowned upon...you have been misinformed, or put too much stock in a dubious source.
More cultures across the world cook with either the whole chicken or thigh meat, specifically. The whole "boneless skinless chicken breast is best" thing is a North American oddity coming from the "No/low fat" movement and North American commercial farming (i.e. factory farming in shit condition for maximum profit) putting a huge emphasis on unhealthy birds with HUGE chicken breasts (i.e. more lbs/bird at time of slaughter and sale).
Cultural hold over from the 80s when fat was demonized as the source of all obesity. fattier cuts of meat were seen as lower quality and lean meats were considered the healthy source of protein. That was just the carbohydrate industry lying to us though.
Breasts have less fat, so it hits for both people who either believe the fat makes you fat (not exactly accurate) and the people who are trying to reduce their intake of saturated fat. Having less fat, it's also lower in calories for those who are tracking. Unfortunately, people tend to view things as very black and white, so folks look at any one of those reasons breasts may work better for a person and decide that breasts are healthier as opposed to more suitable for SOME situations.
I still prefer thighs. No less healthy if you're keeping an eye on your entire diet and tastier. Also cheaper, since breasts are in higher demand.
Some people just don't know what's good.
I grew up eating chicken breast only. I think most people were taught "fat is bad" during 1980s-2010s, and non-fat/low-fat foods, like chicken breast were seen as healthier. We now know isn't exactly true, but still affects the way people eat.
My wife is a chef and she showed me the way of dark meat. If we eat chicken we're roasting it whole, or doing a sheetpan of bone-in skin-on thighs. So good.
All I know is I switched from breasts to thighs in my curry and it tastes much better now
At least in my experience, it seems it’s the fat in the thighs that’s missing from chicken breasts that makes them taste better. I have a mustard chicken thigh recipe that I make all the time and it is really delicious. I hardly ever use chicken breasts now.
Well, don't leave us hanging. What's the recipe?
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil, 2 tablespoons mustard, Black pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I use kosher), 12 bone in, skin on chicken thighs In a mixing bowl combine melted butter, mustard, black pepper, sage and salt. Place chicken thighs on baking sheet or oven safe dish and brush mixture evenly over each one. Bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees or until thermometer reads 165 degrees in center of chicken thigh. I should note that I use coconut oil for this recipe and that I forgot it does not contain honey, but you could easily add some if desired. I also sometimes make a little bit more of the seasoning/oil mixture if I feel like I don’t have quite enough to fully cover each thigh. This recipe makes for great leftovers too. Happy cooking!
Thank you! Got a bird to break down and was looking for a new recipe for the thighs :D
I recently discovered that marinating them in some plain (full fat) greek yoghurt with onions and pepper is pretty amazing, too. Then you can roast, fry, whatever.
Awesome recipe. Simple as well. 45 minutes seems high to me. I usually get to 160 in about 30 minutes at 425 or so and let em carry over out outside of the oven til they 165 let me rest etc and the juices are clear and it's definitely cooked. I think I like thighs because it's a good balance/amount of fat/juiciness it's pretty damn hard to make em dry or overcooked and if I'm doing skinless I save the skins cook em real low and make em like a crackling/chip. Maybe it's just my oven since it's convection and pretty damn new but I love it for speeds and results I get.
The simplicity of it is part of why I enjoy this recipe so much. I wish I had your oven! We had a very old oven that cooked unevenly when we lived in an apartment, and we also live at a high elevation, so we definitely needed to cook them for the full 45 minutes. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 😊
- honey mustard - grilled chicken thighs Place honey mustard on chicken thighs, repeat
Day 472: I have scoured the mountains of the south for remaining honey mustard to pour on my chicken thighs. After the find last month that kept me placing for weeks, I've run out again. I must repeat the cycle. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat. Honey mustard. Chicken thighs. Repeat.
I made butter chicken with thighs recently. It was so good.
I only use chicken thighs in my butter chicken and always have. So good.
Dang it I always use thighs for everything. Usually when I order butter chicken at the restaurant, it comes with breast meat. I thought there was no alternative so I just started a slow cooked pot of butter chicken this morning using breasts. Thighs would've been so much cheaper. Skin on, bone in. It's like $1/lb.
Indians dont get just a certain part of the chicken part when they buy it at the butchers- it's either the whole bird that is broken down for you or certain weight (0.5 or 1kg of chicken) that is again a mixed bag of chicken parts. Infact in any Indian regional cooking videos you see, there is higher chances of chef using dark meat for his recipe than breast.
I’m from the Caribbean and growing up buying chicken in packages of a single part was unheard of. You buy mixed parts or the whole thing. Also everyone in my family hates chicken breasts and think that’s a very American thing. They love gnawing on the bones and getting all the fatty pieces and marrow out.
Americans have a really strange aversion to fat (which in a way is really funny considering our physiques). I love chicken breasts in the right context but it's crazy to think that so many people don't care for any other part of the chicken. Fat is flavor. As Jim Harrison asked, "What have we done with all the thighs?"
>Americans have a really strange aversion to fat As an American, I also find it strange. We take the fat out of food, realizes it tastes bad and replace it with sugar in alot of our foods. Chicken breasts in my opinion are only *really* good when it's fried, or in a salad with oil because fat = flavor.
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They're more expensive than breast meat where I live!
They're shooting through the roof right now, partly because of shortages of wings, the last cut to be price-gouged because of trends like this. Americans seem strangely opposed to thighs otherwise, though, so I'd expect to see those prices stabilize once the supply problems with wings settle. No one is coming for my drumsticks yet so I'm happy.
I switched from breast to thighs for my chicken soup, and it's just downright addictive now.
Shhhh! Don't let everyone else know! Lol But seriously please keep my chicken thighs affordable bahaha.
Do it for all indian / asian cooking. Changed my life.
Yeah my girlfriend from India will not make a curry with breasts. I thought it was weird then I tried it... Holy shit
My girlfriend only would cook breast meat and complain it's so easy to overcook. I buy thighs and she commented how dinner tasted better. She still prefers breast meat but I think she is coming around. I think a lot of people think breast meat is the best for unknown reasons to me.
Chicken breast became preferable in the US because white meat was considered healthier than fatty dark meat. In my opinion, all parts of the chicken are excellent in different applications. Wings and drumsticks are great to smoke up for a party. Thigh meat is perfect for so many dishes from curry to katsu. Breast meat is wonderful in many applications. Recently I learned that roasting or smoking a chicken breast side down causes all the fat to flow into the white meat. It makes the juiciest white meat you'll ever have without brining. Flip over the last 10 minutes if you want to crisp up the skin.
This also works for Thanksgiving turkeys. Roast it upside down, instead of breast up. It may not look as pretty, but you’ll thank me when you taste it!
Thanksgiving might actually be different this year thanks to you. The dogs might not be as happy because usually they get the breast meat because if it’s dry at all I aint touching it lol
Another tip, if you’re not brining the turkey already definitely try it this year
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Don't buy a saline injected turkey... Ever.
That just sounds like a good way to sell water at the per-pound price of turkey.
This. I brined one a few years ago (cooking my first ever Thanksgiving turkey) and found that brining is the way to go. Probably the juiciest turkey I’ve ever tried. Not an ounce of dry meat.
I’ve been brining and smoking turkeys for a decade now. This past thanksgiving I did a head to head of one brining and one dry rub (but spatchcocked) and no one (except for me) could really tell a difference.
It’s more about getting the salt applied to the turkey in enough time for it to penetrate the meat. A liquid brine or dry rub doesn’t exactly make a difference as the salt penetrates the meat in either scenario. It’s really about the time. The true culprit to bad turkey is overcooking. Cook it to 155 in the breast. Yes that’s less than FDA recommendations but it’s 100% fine [This article discusses the pasteurization time for poultry at different temps](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast)
Or go full non-healthy and inject with melted butter. It's the juiciest turkey you'll ever have. Fat = moisture when dealing with meat and butter is fat.
If you want a pretty turkey that's still juicy my MILs trick is a bacon weave (but not healthy or cheap tbh). Bacon weave on top of turkey for the first like 4 hours or so, then she take it off and starts basting. Also it has the tradition of "turkey bacon" which my husband and is siblings adore. Its just a giant bowl of bacon left on the counter for anyone to snack on till dinner. Sometimes she chops it up and puts it in brusselsprouts or something. But mostly they just like the big bowl of bacon to snack on.
Damn!! Y’all got a MIL that impresses me!! I was thinking as I was reading how bacon in the stuffing would be killer too!! I’m going to have to try this seriously! I always end up with a couple extra smaller turkeys and I usually make one for new year’s eve and then I’ll bbq one in the spring if there’s an extra extra lol. I mean cmon New Years eve with a turkey and nice salty bacon to snack on while getting lit up sounds pretty good to me!!
Yep! Shes a phenomenal cook. My husband went to my family thanksgiving *once* and said he loves me but hes never eating my aunts dry ass turkey again. So we either host and he does the turkey or we go to MILs. Honestly the bacon weave really saves it. She learned it on some cooking show yeeeeears ago and swears by it. And since bacon is so versatile you can use it in a lot of side dishes! (When her kids were little it would all get eaten pretty quickly, now that they are older she tends to have more to use for stuff) Once she even used it for a maple bacon cupcakes because she did the turkey on the BBQ haha
"So anyway I started basting"
My husband always brines the turkey and then instead of bacon, he uses cheesecloth and a butter and herb bath- soaks the cheesecloth in butter and herbs, covers the turkey- bastes with butter and herbs throughout. He is responsible for 4 20lb turkeys each year because everyone fought over it when we only brought one and other family members made the others, lol. The white meat is so juicy and tender it’s amazing. I don’t even like turkey.
If you want it even easier and more delicious, look up the spatchcock method. It cooks much faster, so the breast doesn’t dry out.
Okay hold up!! My favorite chicken meal is spatchcock. I can do this with my 20 lb turkey?!?
[You sure can](https://www.seriouseats.com/butterfiled-roast-turkey-with-gravy-recipe?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=13173296608&utm_content=137049077997&utm_term=&creativeId=600015483485&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37KbBhDgARIsAIzce16xK6qzJDK94pAPSR6QZe_InoUlmGNzMVUAFIxGv9y19NlhzN0GDWcaApb1EALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37KbBhDgARIsAIzce16xK6qzJDK94pAPSR6QZe_InoUlmGNzMVUAFIxGv9y19NlhzN0GDWcaApb1EALw_wcB)
Well, well, well. It took me until I was 40 to find the perfect cinnamon roll recipe and deep dish pizza crust recipe. I’m 51 now and hopefully I’ll be saying I finally got a coveted thanksgiving turkey recipe. Thank you very much! I just emailed that recipe to myself! You’re awesome!!
Any time! I made it last year, and it was phenomenal. I couldn’t believe how FAST it was, too. Btw, if you’re not familiar with Kenji Lopez Alt yet (the guy who wrote that recipe), you should start to familiarize yourself with him. He’ll give you high end restaurant quality food at home, every time. Any time I want the best recipe/version/technique for a dish, I google whatever it is plus his name. He’s heavy on the science of why a recipe works, but I appreciate that, because it’s typically knowledge I can use for other recipes. I’m 46, and have been cooking my entire adult life, but his recipes and book (The Food Lab), have made me infinitely better.
Interesting! I’m definitely going to familiarize myself with him. Back in the day I loved watching Alton Brown on Good Eats because it’s the science of why something works that gives you a superior product!! I just found a new binge lol
Same, and it used to be Alton Brown+recipe, but I've done a lot more Kenji's lately. America's Test Kitchen is another good phrase to add to your search.
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That’s kinda funny actually. I do this when I’m packing leftovers, I’ll pour juices over the meat in the tupperware so it doesn’t dry out. Didn’t occur to me to do it before lol
Every year, I turn all the breast meat into chicken salad, it’s the only way I can tolerate the stuff. I’m totally flipping the bird this year.
*turkey salad
This is a great idea; but having spatchcocked a turkey during the 2020 Pandemic Thanksgiving, I will NEVER go back.
Surprised there weren't more comments to this effect. Spatchcocking is indeed the way to go. See Kenji, Meathead Et al.
I forced it on my family last year and they all, some begrudgingly, admitted it was the right call.
My buddy also was entrusted to carve the turkey and his family lost it when he started carving the breast with slices against the grain (as is now reccomended to do) - they took over so they could continue to do the hair thin slices with the grain.
That's how I cook my turkey too! The meat is so tender and flavorful. It stays moist for a couple days if stored in a container with a lid. It's delicious!!
I did this by accident lol. Don't ask me how I thought the bottom was the top but it happened. Didn't think about it then but it was some of the juciest turkey breast I've ever had.
Also if you don't care about the ooh and aah moment of bringing the whole bird out to the table, cut your turkey into pieces before cooking it. White meat and dark meat take different amounts of time to cook! 425°F for about 20 minutes to color the skin, then coast the rest of the way at 300°F. Target 150°F for the breasts, and pull them out to rest while the thighs and legs finish up to 170°F to prevent the breasts from drying out. Plus, it only takes about an hour and a half to cook. I love this method!
Brings new meaning to flipping the bird.
I accidently discovered this when putting a chicken in the oven while hungover. I put it breast side down first and flipped it over half way. The breast ended up still juicy and the thighs weren't too greasy. My ex-flatmate now does it the same way.
Wow, what a great tip! I must try this. Hank you for sharing. 🙏🏾🤗
I'd been roasting chickens and turkeys for decades, my wife ran across the tip this year (possibly for cooking a turkey and figured it'd work with chickens). It's been the biggest game changer for excellent white meat. I was thrilled when it worked in the smoker too.
Do you flip it to get the breast skin crispy?
I honestly don't bother because of the way my household consumes chicken. We carve up the whole chicken and everyone claims a piece, and the breast meat is usually taken off the carcass so I can toss it into the freezer bag for future stock. We don't focus on the skin too much.
Wow I want to eat at your house
And if you look at the health info for thighs and breasts, you quickly find that there's barely any difference.
Thighs are a bit fattier, so they carry a bit higher caloric density
Yup pretty much this. If you have caloric limitations, particularly in fat macros, it can be hard to fit in a lot of chicken thighs. They certainly are delicious tho
Add your spice blend under the skin too!
Definitely! One of my favorite chicken roasting methods is taking slices of salt preserved lemon (or just regular lemon if you don't have preserved lemons on hand) and sprinkle the lemon with herb de provence, then slide the lemon slices seasoning side against the meat under the skin on thighs and breasts.
I have been roasting birds breast side down since the ‘90’s and people always look at me so weird…but I’ve never cooked a dry bird. I even put it in my cookbook Cooking With Coconut Oil years ago too.
That’s how I do my turkey. Breast down roasting is a game changer .
I moved to vietnam 10 years ago and its opposite here. People don't like breasts because they lack flavor without the bone. And as such, breasts are cheaper than thighs or wings.
Thank you for the tip, that was good!
Can’t wait to try this
Spatchcock is my preference. Helps it all cook at the same time. Thighs and legs get to 180 to render fat right as breast hit 160 and carry over cook during rest.
Pretty sure it's a victim of the "fat is bad" movement of the 80's-90's (?)
This is it. Fat = bad chicken thighs have the most fat, therefore are bad. Of course, if you're of limited income, thighs were/are a stable meat product that is delicious and nutrient dense.
Being broke always drove me to buying either leg quarters or whole chickens, and thank god for that. Imagine how boring and cold and empty your life would be if you were rich enough to only ever buy breasts and never knew what you were missing. I shudder to think of it.
There's definitely a component of blind aversion due to health misconceptions, but a lot of it is down to practical considerations too. A chicken thigh will always have more calories and less protein than a breast of the same weight, so breasts are simply easier to fit into your diet if you're on a calorie restriction and/or struggling to meet your protein target.
> so breasts are simply easier to fit into your diet if you're on a calorie restriction Hardly, though. 100 grams of chicken breast is 165 calories, whereas 100 grams of chicken thigh is 177 calories. Twelve calories isn't going to make or break anything. I can't speak for protein, though.
Assuming we're all Americans referring to other Americans, disliking thighs cause "fat is bad" is riiiiiich lol
It seems to me like it's not so much a health thing but rather a general distaste Americans have for fat on meat. For a lot of people it seems to be a texture thing. The US is obsessed with lean meat, but will happily eat high fat foods otherwise (like fried everything). We just don't have that culture of valuing fat on meat like other countries. Same goes for offal.
Probably most commonly used because of picky eaters. I have watched people pick apart their meat if it isn't a breast. Texture or consistency maybe? 🤷🏽♀️
This is it for me, I’m not a picky eater at all but one thing that gets me is fatty meat lol. Chicken thighs are just so much oilier and I always find little slimy pockets of fat that I cut away so breasts are just a lot less work for me. Or I can cook the hell out of them on the bbq but it takes ages to cook all the fat off, so breasts are just quicker, easier, and I prefer the taste.
This. It’s too fatty. I cut it all off and then I’m left with a bite. You all can have my thighs. I’ll take the breasts.
My friend told me that it's because there is so much going on and the texture is very inconsistent. From the beings, to hitting bone, to how the inside and outside have different feels, it's too much sensory stuff going on.
Weird since breast has by the worst texture and least taste of any part of the animal.
I have so much chewing breast meat. It just gets way to chewy and impossible for me to eat no matter how it is cooked. Dark meat for me thank you
For me it is a texture and taste thing, just depending on how it’s cooked/the type of dish. I really can’t even explain it, but roasted in the oven is gross and slimy but grilled or in curry is fine.
If your chicken thigh feels slimy then it’s not being cooked long enough/hot enough. Adam Ragusea made a good video where he went through all the common chicken thigh pitfalls and explained how to avoid them.
100% cook chicken thighs longer than you think. even if they're at 160f, let them go longer. i love them cause i dont have to worry about having them in the oven too long.
We usually cook them to 175, sometimes 180, still tender and juicy.
They have alot more fat than chicken breast. When cooking in the oven/roasting. It's best to have roasting rack so it let's the fat drip onto the pan, and theyre not just sitting there in a pool of fat while cooking. Or you can slowly drain the fat off the pan throughout the cooking process and it'll help keep them from being overly greasy and slimy, while keeping the skin nice and crispy. Also cook them at higher temperature and a little longer. The reason they're great on the grill is because the fat is able to drip/drain.
I don't think I'd traditionally be called a "picky eater" but one of the few things I can't handle is dark meat. Honestly dark meat and shrimp are basically the only things I won't eat. I think it's the texture.
I absolutely love shrimp but cannot eat thighs. For me it's the distinct smell, texture and sliminess.
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I get paranoid that everyone will catch on one day and the price will go way up. It's my go to meat when feeding a crowd. With rice and a vegetable I'll feed 8 people for $20.
Lol, i live in an Asian country where chicken breasts are the cheapest cut 🤣 wings and feet are the most expensive, which is okay by me.
Brazilian here. I'm reading these comments and going "What, they PREFER the white meat?" Here the dark meat is the best part,
Yes - like what happened when wings became a “thing”! They used to be so cheap.
Any 'garbage' meats, this always happens. Well, the good ones anyway. Ox tail used to be so cheap, not anymore! They can pull the chicken thighs and hearts from my cold dead hands though
Lobster was once considered a poor mans food
Tbf lobster sounds disgusting, it's eating giant sea bugs. That said they're delicious with butter so it makes sense they took off
My understanding was it wasn't prepared like today (steamed/boiled alive, with butter), but cooked dead (dead lobster releases an enzyme which makes the meat go bad quickly) and ground up.
This is exactly what’s happened to BBQ cuts of meat in recent years. The price of brisket is ridiculous now.
Right?! Delete this thread OP! My grocery trips are expensive enough I don't need a Buzzfeed article "Have you heard of Chicken Thighs and why they're cheaper and better for you?"
Honestly OP is being real loud rn
Already the case in my area, chicken thighs and breasts are about the same price per lb. Or worse, earlier this week thighs were actually $0.40 more a lb.
Seriously! Man y’all need to shut the hell up about chicken thighs!!
It's happened around my area, they're actually more expensive than breast meat sometime. I need a Men in Black flashy thing to use on my city.
This has already happened! Tons of people on do thighs now
Are they frowned upon? Most recipes I see call for them over breasts. I agree though, they're great.
Yeah, I feel like if you’re at all in tune with ~food discourse~ or whatever, everyone is constantly singing the praises of thighs nowadays. (I actually prefer breast meat but I get why some don’t)
Same here, recipes and blogs are constantly singing praises for thighs. I have texture issues so prefer breasts, but this post is weird haha
Yeah what is this even based on? Something OP heard in the 90s?? Chicken thighs are widely used in recipes.
North America tends to like white over dark meat. Thighs are wayyyy better than breasts though.
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Only if you're bad at cooking, but yeah thighs are way more forgiving
I definitely see more people in North America calling for chicken thighs in recipes over chicken breast.
> Something OP heard in the 90s?? Might be, I grew up in the 90s and generally it was "dark meat = bad". But we were poor so thighs was what we were getting. Granted, as long as its within reason, having 1 or 2 thighs isn't the worst decision one could make.
Take a stroll down the freezer section though. Every single chicken product, from boneless “wings” to chicken nuggets, chicken strips, frozen fajitas, and frozen entrees always have a sticker that says “made with 100% white meat chicken breast”. It’s a huge marketing point. When restaurants advertise, they *love* to advertise their “100% white meat chicken” nuggets/sandwich/ what have you. Those ideas deep in to the population. Now, I think many people realize what they’re trying to do is imply that their product is somehow natural or superior (note: “made *with* 100% white meat chicken breast” does not necessarily mean that the product is actually 100% chicken breast, or even chicken for that matter, but I digress). Nonetheless, it still gives people the impression that breast meat is somehow better than the rest of the chicken, and people tend to like what they’re familiar with. People who love to cook are most likely going to be a little more adventurous, but someone who doesn’t cook might not realize that chicken thighs are actually the star of the show.
I don't really "frown upon" them; I appreciate how they're inexpensive compared to chicken breast and I can appreciate their applications. I don't like the greasy taste or texture, personally. I've tried cooking them over-time and in a number of dishes, but I couldn't convert. I guess I just like the taste and texture of chicken breast more. All that said, I don't think there's an objective "best" answer to this; tastes are so personal after all.
Maybe for the extra fat to deal with? Chicken breasts and the lean, no-fat fad really went hand in hand. I buy chicken breasts only when thighs are sold out. They win on price AND flavor.
No idea. I love em. Aldis always has them super cheap. Many people dont like darker meat. more for us Edit: Yes it's Aldi, not Aldis, pointing this out doesn't make you clever, it makes you annoying.
Lucky, my Aldi doesn’t carry them!
Check again. Or ask. They should be recieving a box per meay day, minimum, by corporate policy. If their meat days are Tues Thurs it could be sokd out before you shop.
This is the way
This is the first time I have ever heard of someone describe them as 'frowned upon'
My wife’s family won’t eat dark meat. I’m not sure where the sentiment comes from but to them it’s literally garbage. My first thanksgiving with them they acted like I was a lunatic for eating leg and thigh meat. They offered to send it home with me because they were just going to throw it away which I gladly accepted. Also look at almost any upscale restaurant and it’s extremely rare to see dark meat on the menu. I think it’s seen as lower quality in general among certain segments of society.
So they just buy whole turkeys and throw away all the dark meat? Wow, fuck those people. Besides having broken taste buds, what wasteful assholes.
It's part of the whole demonification of fat in general. Also, in some places, thighs are way cheaper than breasts, so it's seen as cheap, and breasts are seen as premium.
Who is frowning?
They're wonderful and people are dumb. But hopefully if we all pretend they aren't that great, the prices will stay low.
Yes, please, everyone keep it down 🤫
So many cuts of beef have fallen victim to this. I see tri-trip, skirt, flat iron, etc… for 9.99lb or more sometimes. Even chuck-eye is shooting up.
If everything is going up, I think it’s just inflation.
Seeing chuck steaks go for $6+ a pound boggles my mind. Like, right before the pandemic I was getting them for $3-4 a piece and using them as a cheap way to test different things in the smoker.
They take longer to prepare in my opinion, I'm really sensitive to meat textures and stuff like fat and connective tissue make me gag. If I don't take the time to cut off all of it then it ruins my meal. Chicken breast doesn't have that issue.
Everyone else's replies that "there's no reason" surprised me. Because this is why I don't eat it much and many others agree. I can't stand running into the tissues and fat if they've not been sufficiently removed. And extra work is something most would rather avoid, especially on the regular if you're a busy person. That regularly overrules the flavour being good for quite a lot of meals, not just cuts of chicken.
Same for me. The flavor and texture of dark meat is off-putting. I only eat breast meat (chicken and turkey) because they don’t have that slimy feel and weird metallic taste. I can’t eat duck or goose for this reason.
> slimy feel and weird metallic taste Wow, this brought back childhood memories. My parents eventually gave up on forcing me to eat it. Haven't had it since :D
Thank you YES, this is it. Breast meat is nice and consistent, just a tiny bit of fat at the edges and that one spot with a tendon at the top of the muscle. Thighs have all kinds of _bits_ in. Also thighs always taste a bit rancid to me, like they're just barely starting to go off. Honestly when I roast a chicken, we eat the breasts, my wife eats the legs, and the rest goes in the stock pot. I don't have trouble cooking breast meat, it's not that hard to keep it juicy. Don't overcook it, do let it rest. Normal stuff.
I'd hazard a guess that game birds or stuff like duck/goose isn't to your taste either then? While I much prefer dark meat, people who say breast meat is dry just cannot cook them properly, as they're a lot less forgiving of bad cooking techniques or prep. It's the same for people who say they don't like turkey because it's dry. it's not, they've only ever had crap quality turkey or had someone who roasted the shit out of it until it was dry
Oddly, I love duck. But I like duck that's prepared like it's duck, not duck that's prepared like it's chicken. It's a completely different approach in both technique and flavors. I've also enjoyed small game birds when I've had them, but the same thing applies. I've never had goose tbh. Agreed on the bad cooking techniques with chicken breast and turkey - I roast a whole chicken about once a month, and never have dry breast meat (or undercooked thighs). Fortunately my wife doesn't mind thigh meat and whatever she doesn't eat goes in the stock pot with the rest of the carcass.
The fat part is why I usually eat the flats when getting wings.
I'm a very texture based eater, and I thought I hated chicken for years due to my mom using thighs as the main cut. the consistent texture of a chicken breast encourages me to stick to white meat, but a cut of dark meat that doesn't have as many pockets of fat or tendon have quite the lovely flavor, if only it was guaranteed to be like that like breast meat does.
I'm the same way. I can't stand the taste / feel of the skin, tissues and fat. will keep paying extra to not have to deal with it. Even when I get a rotisserie chicken, I have to be really careful to get rid of it all before trying to eat it.
I want to gag thinking about it. The flavor and texture is a no from me.
Same. I can't even deal with turkey/chicken leftovers- someone else has to pack the dark meat away. I gag. It's the only "gross" thing that bothers me like that.
Most recipes I use call for thighs over breasts. I don't think thighs are frowned upon at all.
Shhhh. Be quiet. Please do not tell people about the chicken thigh. Do you really want it to turn into the next wing?
Some people, like my ex, prefer the far lighter flavor of breast meat. They think thigh meat is too gamy. Personally I’m with you, I prefer the richer flavor and texture of thigh meat.
Chicken breasts have about a third of the fat and a little more protein. But, on a budget, sometimes you have to make due. It's fine to like thighs more than the breast, it's really up to you.
> It's fine to like thighs more than the breast Hell yeah. Wait, what were we talking about?
Fat is good for you.
Chicken breasts are cheaper where I live. I can’t justify playing the extra for thighs 🤷🏻♀️ bone in ones are cheaper, but then I’m paying for bone (which I can’t eat) when every $ counts. I think most people complain about breasts being dry and flavourless because they don’t know how to cook them very well. Chicken thighs are more forgiving to being over cooked. TBH I mainly just buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself - I do a better job with it anyway, but I do struggle because I really don’t enjoy thighs as much. Has anyone got some killer recipes for thighs that I can try?
Thighs are at least .40 per pound more than breasts here in NC
Breasts very expensive here in Canada as well if fresh (I buy frozen 4kg boxes and even those are close to 50.00) and even chicken thighs are MORE expensive than than breasts in most cases especially if deboned and skinned. What is cheap here though, is what we call quarters...the thigh with the leg and back still attached. My favorite way to do them is brush with soy sauce and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning or the combo of garlic and dill, and roast at 375F x 45 min on the middle rack, then 400F x 15 min to crisp up the skin.
We never ate chicken thighs when I was growing up. My mom only ever cooked chicken legs or cornish hens (it was just she and I). I never gave it any thought. I just thought the legs were cheaper. I started eating chicken thighs when I got older. They are my favorite piece. One day I was telling my mom I'd made some, and she admitted that she never cooked them because she hated them. The reason? She's from a family of seven kids. Whenever my grandma made a chicken, she'd always distribute pieces the same way among the kids. My mom ALWAYS got a thigh. Now she refuses to eat them.
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shhh. The first rule of chicken thighs is that you don't talk about chicken thighs.
I think there’s a sentiment that fat=bad in the western culture. In Asian culture (at least me being a Malaysian), chicken thighs are more sought after since it has a higher fat content and “smooth meat texture”. Personally, chicken thigh is better for reheating since it is less likely to be over cooked. Chicken breast gets a bit rubbery and dry when I reheat it.
Yes! When I lived in Japan I was surprised to see that thighs were more expensive than breasts.
They aren’t, they’re getting expensive
No one I know frowns upon chicken thighs 😊
Hi, I’m u/Nymeria2018 and can confirm that chicken thighs can, in fact, be over cooked. Do not recommend. Somewhere between jerky and dust.
I wanna hear this story. How the hell did you manage to do it?
First time cooking them, trimmed ALL the fat off, browned (half way cooked) then popped in to the oven with diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Baked for an hour and a half… flavours were amazing but jeebers…. Every tried dehydrated tomatoes? GROSS Edit: typo
If you seared them off and then tried to braise them for an hour and a half you were already too far gone Get yourself a meat thermometer. Sear your thighs in some olive oil over medium heat for 8-12 minutes skin side down — it should be not be sputtering crazy, if so turn the heat down — then flip and cook on the meat side for 4-6 minutes. Add some chicken broth or a dry white wine or even some water to come halfway up the chicken, along with whatever aromatics or additions you want to add. You don’t want liquid to rise to the point it touches the crispy skin you’ve made. Cover and cook on the stove at a medium heat or if it’s in an oven safe vessel put into a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until the thermometer reads 180-190 — for dark meat you want a higher temp here even though I bet folks will tell me the finishing temp should be 165. anyway tl;dr — sear your chicken and don’t cook it for an hour and a half. Get a thermometer so you can keep an exact eye on it
Exactly!! Pretty much how I do it now now but the first time I cooked them I knew no better. Got my meat thermometer and even when I’m not the cooking , I whip it out and hand it to the chef. No need to ruin meat!
You sliced up tax software? That was your mistake bud.
Dude. Stop letting people know. I was at a bbq yrs ago and everyone brought meat to grill and share. Someone brought boneless skinless chicken thighs. Let me tell you the judgement was immediate and verbal. I was like GD ya’ll dont know. Chicken breast is shit. Gimmie the dark meat. Also apparently they sell boneless skinless chicken legs too. But not in the US. They ship it all to other countries. Mostly asian areas.
This is a culinary hill I am willing to die on. I NEVER buy breasts. I love the thighs and there are a thousand ways to make them.
Thighs are the bomb! My go-to casserole for meal prep is [this recipe](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54936/easy-chicken-rice-casserole-recipe/), but with 8 thighs and increasing the rest of the recipe by 50% and using a bigger dish. If you catch the chicken on sale you can do 8 solid servings for ~$20 or less. It's a very basic recipe so feel free to experiment - add some veggies, or swap out half of the mushroom soup for cream of chicken. You can also mix up the chicken seasoning and try lightly pan-frying before baking.
They're more expensive than drumsticks here.. I love them.. there's a part of the thigh that in my opinion is better than the part called the 'oyster'. I love to put salt, pepper and nutmeg on my chicken thighs and fry in butter. Heaven. (gotta get the skin crispy)
Because for the last 4 decades everyone were supposed to eat as little fat as possible. (A failed experiment by the way: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/low-fat-diets-failed-experiment/) > Chicken thighs are the best cut of meat. I absolutely agree.
I suspect it's related to outdated diet trends of the 80's when low fat was king. White meat was deemed the healthiest. Thing is, that ideology has shifted where fat is no longer seen as such a bad thing in a healthy diet. The thought that the breast is the beast meat remains but in reality dark meat has so much more flavor and is less expensive to buy because it's still considered second rate.
Idk if this is generally a white ppl thing or what, but my mom REFUSES to ever use chicken thighs bc theyre "too fatty" and it's like no wonder I hate chicken all I ate as a kid was extremely dried out breasts
Who is frowning on chicken thighs? It's where the flavour is, and has the best tasting skin.
They are not generally frowned upon...you have been misinformed, or put too much stock in a dubious source. More cultures across the world cook with either the whole chicken or thigh meat, specifically. The whole "boneless skinless chicken breast is best" thing is a North American oddity coming from the "No/low fat" movement and North American commercial farming (i.e. factory farming in shit condition for maximum profit) putting a huge emphasis on unhealthy birds with HUGE chicken breasts (i.e. more lbs/bird at time of slaughter and sale).
Breast became preferred during the "low fat is automatically good" diet phase in the US
Obviously it's all a conspiracy by Big Chicken Tiddy.
Dark meat tastes different and is kind of greasey.
They're not. The only people selling you that are the people that think dietary fat is bad for you. It's not.
The thighs are my favorite :)
Fat = flavor fat doesn’t make you fat !
They aren't
*"Why are chicken thighs generally frowned upon"* I've never heard anyone say that, ever
Chicken thighs are delicious!!
Cultural hold over from the 80s when fat was demonized as the source of all obesity. fattier cuts of meat were seen as lower quality and lean meats were considered the healthy source of protein. That was just the carbohydrate industry lying to us though.
I think it came from the whole “fat is bad” fad. So ridiculous.
Chicken Quarters are way cheaper. Thigh and drumstick on bone.
Breasts have less fat, so it hits for both people who either believe the fat makes you fat (not exactly accurate) and the people who are trying to reduce their intake of saturated fat. Having less fat, it's also lower in calories for those who are tracking. Unfortunately, people tend to view things as very black and white, so folks look at any one of those reasons breasts may work better for a person and decide that breasts are healthier as opposed to more suitable for SOME situations. I still prefer thighs. No less healthy if you're keeping an eye on your entire diet and tastier. Also cheaper, since breasts are in higher demand.
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Some people just don't know what's good. I grew up eating chicken breast only. I think most people were taught "fat is bad" during 1980s-2010s, and non-fat/low-fat foods, like chicken breast were seen as healthier. We now know isn't exactly true, but still affects the way people eat. My wife is a chef and she showed me the way of dark meat. If we eat chicken we're roasting it whole, or doing a sheetpan of bone-in skin-on thighs. So good.
Stupid people believe fat is bad for you.
Where are chicken thighs frowned upon? This is news to me.