When it comes to meal planning, tried and true quick and easy recipes are a must. One ingredient that often gets ignored is the chicken thigh. Most people prefer to use chicken breasts and often ignore the fact that chicken thighs can provide a great meal that is not only tasty but also easy on the budget as chicken thighs are much cheaper than their breast counterpart.
Chicken thighs are quite flavorful and can often be swapped into recipes that call for chicken breasts if you are on a budget. In addition, there are many great chicken thigh recipes that are out there that are quite flavorful and surprisingly easy to make. If you are looking for another quick weeknight dinner to add to your rotation, here are 15 crispy and juicy chicken thigh recipes to get you started.
1. Roasted Thighs with Lemon and Fennel
What you need:
2 lbs of chicken thighs
2 fennel bulbs
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp white wine, dry
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: rice or bread to serve
To make:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken in a bowl and set aside. Trim the fronds and stalks from the fennel bulbs. Cut the bulbs into quarters and then cut the quarters into slices that are one inch thick. Add to the bowl containing the chicken. Mince about a tbsp of the fronds and add them to the bowl. Mince the garlic and add it to the bowl. Grate the lemon and add the zest to the bowl.
Juice the lemon and pour the juice into the bowl. Add in the white wine and oil, season with some salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet. Place the fennel around the chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through and the fennel is tender around 30 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest. Serve with bread or rice.