22 Great Recipes for Chicken Thighs & Legs

Ditch the dry chicken breasts and focus your attention on cooking dark meat. Not only are chicken thighs and legs more flavorful, they're also more versatile. Whether you want to bake, braise or slow cook, you'll find delicious ideas and preparations here. Get more inspiration with our best grilled chicken thigh recipes.

Chicken Marbella

"This is one of those incredible recipes that convert naysayers to lovers of ingredients that they hated before (like capers and prunes), and where the combination of ingredients greatly exceed the sum of the parts. I would also try it with duck or rabbit."

-Betty Rocker

Balsamic Chicken Thighs

"The sauce was delicious, and it was incredibly easy to make. You have to be careful, though, once you add the vinegar, because it cooks down very quickly."

-Cluich

Thai Grilled Chicken Thighs

"We absolutely love this marinade! I was out of Thai chili so I used sambal chili paste. Tonight will be our 4th time. My boyfriend is addicted to it. Marinade it overnight if you have time; you won't be sorry!"

-Jill H.

Korean Roast Chicken Thighs

"So simple, quick and delicious. After making this about 10 times, I now put all the ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag the day before and marinate it overnight."

-johnbrills

Southwestern Grilled Chicken with Lime Butter

"This recipe is sensational. The only thing that I did differently was to use a red onion (it looks very pretty with the cilantro). I nearly doubled the sauce since it was so good."

-Kate in Katoomba

Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken Thighs

"I was very apprehensive about combining salsa and peanut butter, but to be honest it resulted in a sauce that was surprisingly close to traditional Thai flavors with very little effort."

-Probably This

Mama Roy's Daughter's Chicken Curry

Comfort food that has a hint of sweetness, and a dash of heat.

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

"We love sauce over our rice, so this recipe made the perfect amount. I loved the flavor—both sweet and savory at the same time. Next time I might add some grated ginger because it goes so well with the flavors that are already here; but we were very happy with this as written."

-IngridH

Grilled Beer Chicken

Feel free to have some fun with this chicken marinade by using different beers. A rich chocolate stout, perhaps? Or maybe a lemony sour session? Any way you pour it, this chicken is dripping with flavor.

Deviled Chicken Thighs

"Bought a bunch of chicken thighs on sale and didn't know what to do with them. This recipe is wonderful and uses things I already have in my pantry. Didn't change a thing and the chicken turned out great."

-Grandpa Harry

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

"It is so quick to prepare and yet the flavor seems like you marinated it for hours. Because I make it so often, I keep a batch of the seasoning mix in a jar with a shaker lid on hand—just shake it on and pop it into the broiler."

-Kats Meow

Simple Baked Chicken Drumsticks

"Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones. I used Italian herbs instead of garlic powder and added potato wedges to the pan for a complete meal. Loved it!"

-DeliciousAsItLooks

Japanese Mum's Chicken

"I didn't want to have to stand over the stove so I threw it all in the Crock Pot! Slow cooking it made the chicken so tender it was just falling off the bone. I eventually did take all the meat off the bone, put it over the rice and spooned the sauce on top."

-KristieKatz

Chicken, Rice & Spices Bake

"Really great recipe which can be adapted to all different flavors, such as Spanish or Mexican seasoning. I used quick-cook basmati rice, but next time will use quick-cook long grain with Spanish spices and chorizo."

-Rachel B.

Simple Caribbean Jerk Chicken

"It may not be the original jerk chicken, but it is very good! Used it for a BBQ party, and everyone was happy with the flavors."

-Donna-Roseville

Mexican Grilled Chicken

"The chicken was mildly spicy, moist and flavorful on night one, and I took the leftovers to work the next day for a Mexican-inspired salad. Definitely a keeper!"

-Allison G.

Finger-Licking Chicken Marinade

"This was a big hit in my family. Left it on the marinade for a few hours until we were ready put them over the coals. Once I started basting them with this oil based marinade I moved them to an indirect heat to keep it from flaring. Plenty of flavor without overpowering the chicken."

-matt_maples

Baked Chicken Thighs

"This recipe has all of my favorite qualities: it's easy, uses ingredients I always have on hand, can be prepared ahead of time and is delicious!"

-Sherri35

Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks

"I marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks for five or six 6 hours... Started marinating when I went home for lunch, and started cooking after I got off work! They turned out very moist and the marinade was perfect."

-breezermom

Slow-Cooker Garlic Chicken Legs

"Really good! I was afraid the garlic would be too much, but it gave the chicken a wonderful flavor. In fact, we all sat around at ate the garlic afterwards."

-puppitypup

Baked Buttermilk Mustard Chicken Thighs

"Great recipe. I picked it because I needed to use up some buttermilk. The sauce has a nice flavor. Both economical and easy to make."

-ratherbeswimmin

Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks

"This was so delicious I could slap someone. The second time I made this I seasoned the drumsticks and baked them in the oven, then basted them with the sauce. This was even better because the skin was nice and crispy!"

-Shaena T.

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