Chicken thighs

Chicken thighs

55 min
Baked chicken thighs are delicious for the whole family since it has something for everyone. While there are many tasty recipes out there, ours is a great contender for the top spot with its simple yet irresistible crispy thighs and creamy sauce. Indulge in the well-chosen side dish for the tray bake; pasta of your own choice, for example, fettuccine, covered with a creamy parmesan sauce filled with fresh green vegetables – what is not to like?
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https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/chicken-thighs/

Instructions

Chicken thighs:
  • Preheat oven to 225°C (regular oven).
  • Place the chicken thighs in an ovenproof dish and season with salt and lemon pepper.
  • Roast them in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes – drizzle the stock over the thighs a few times while roasting.
Vegetable sauce:
  • Bring water to a boil in a thick-bottomed pan, add shelled peas, and cook for about 1 minute.
  • Add cream, salt, and lemon pepper, bring the sauce back to a boil, and then add asparagus and sugar peas to the sauce. Cook the vegetables for about 1 minute without the lid.
  • Add cheese, cook for another 1 minute and season to taste.
  • Pour the vegetable sauce over freshly cooked pasta and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately with the baked chicken thighs.
Enjoy!
Tips

The best chicken thigh recipe yields moist, tender meat with crispy skin. To cook it perfectly, pull the skin tightly across the thighs, possibly pinning it in place with a toothpick if necessary. This way, the skin protects the meat from overcooking while it crisps up nicely. Rubbing the skin with a bit of olive oil before seasoning it with coarse salt and lemon pepper also helps ensure crispiness. As does roasting the thighs skin-side down for the first 10 minutes.

Questions about chicken thighs

Among quick baked chicken thigh recipes, ours, which serves the meat alongside fresh pasta with a creamy vegetable and Parmesan sauce is sure to be a hit. Continue reading below to learn more by having a look at our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

How to cook chicken thighs?
Making a delicious dinner the entire family will enjoy can be done in less than an hour. After seasoning the chicken thighs and getting them into the oven, you have more than enough time to prepare the fresh pasta with creamy cheese sauce with peas, asparagus, sugar peas, Parmesan, and fresh basil leaves. Remember to drizzle the thighs with stock once in a while to ensure they become tender and moist. When they are done, plate the dish and garnish it with fresh basil leaves before serving.
What to do with chicken thighs?
This juicy part of the chicken can be used in many different dishes. Our baked chicken thighs are a great way to use them, but they are also delicious, for instance, in classic recipes like coq au vin. In general, they are delicious like this in a pasta dish with a creamy sauce and baked or grilled, so they get the irresistible crispy skin. Baked chicken thighs taste great with a large selection of vegetables and marinades, giving you plenty of room to experiment!
How long to bake chicken thighs?
It is incredibly easy to bake chicken thighs in the oven and you can use a casserole dish, a roasting pan, or even a Dutch oven. But as you may have learned from past experiences, baking times sometimes depend on your oven. If the baked chicken thighs still appear undercooked when the 50 minutes are up, give them a few more minutes and check in on them. Use a meat thermometer or the 'juice test' to determine whether they are done by making a small cut on the upper, fattiest part of the thigh and checking the juices. If the juices are clear, the chicken thigh is done.
Is a chicken thigh dark meat?
Chicken thighs along with drumsticks are considered dark meat. The main difference between dark and white meat is the red fibre and fat content as well as the flavour profile. Dark meat is known to be quite juicy and flavourful because it has a higher fat content. In comparison, white meat like chicken breasts and wings is leaner and therefore has a milder flavour. Dark meat can be cooked longer and is not as easily overcooked as white meat, making these oven-baked chicken thighs both easy, juicy, and flavourful.
How to tell if a chicken thigh is cooked?
It can be difficult to tell by looks alone whether baked chicken thighs are done. If you have a meat thermometer, you can use it to measure whether it is done. Poultry in general should reach an internal temperature of 75°C. Remember to insert the thermometer in the thickest part to measure the temperature correctly. If you do not own a meat thermometer, you can also make a small cut to use the colour of its juices to determine whether it is cooked. An undercooked chicken thigh will release red or pinkish looking rather than clear juices.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs:
Cleaned chicken thighs without a backbone (approx. 700 g)
4
Coarse salt
¼ tsp
Lemon peppers
¼ tsp
Vegetable sauce:
Water
100 ml
Peas
200 g
Cooking cream, 8%
250 ml
Coarse salt
½ tsp
Lemon peppers
½ tsp
Green asparagus in bite-sized pieces
250 g
Snap peas, cut on the bias
200 g
Parmesan cheese, finely grated
50 g
Fresh basil leaves
2 dl
Served with:
Cooked fresh pasta, for instance, fettuccine
500 g
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Chicken thighs with pasta and vegetable sauce

Chicken thighs are a very juicy and flavourful part of the bird since it is a fattier cut of meat, giving it a more intense and richer flavour. Served with tender, fresh pasta covered with a delicious homemade vegetable sauce, these crispy oven-baked chicken thighs will quickly become an all-time family favourite. In addition, it does not get any easier than seasoning the thighs before roasting them in the oven until done. You will have dinner ready with almost no work other than preparing the easy sauce.

If you are looking for other delicious chicken dinners, we recommend checking out our many different recipes like the classic chicken burgers, Mexican chicken wraps, an Italian-inspired chicken spaghetti with a vibrant tomato sauce, and our take on a spicy, Indian chicken tikka masala.

Enjoy the textures of creamy sauce and crispy chicken thighs

With al dente pasta, a rich and smooth cheese sauce, vegetables that are still crunchy, and baked chicken thighs that are moist and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, this dinner dish hits all the marks concerning texture. In terms of flavour, it also delivers on all accounts with its savoury, umami-packed meat that is simply and deliciously seasoned with salt and lemon pepper, in addition to the salty parmesan cheese sauce with slightly bitter asparagus, sweet sugar snaps, and aromatic fresh basil leaves.

Vegetable sauce with salty parmesan and crunchy veggies

A crispy baked chicken thigh deserves a rich and creamy sauce to counterbalance the crisp skin and firm texture. Our creamy vegetable sauce is made with cream and Parmesan cheese and as so, it delivers on being both rich and creamy. The salty flavour of the Parmesan as well as the freshness and crispness of the peas, asparagus, and sugar snaps ensures that the vegetable sauce toes the line between indulgently rich and heavy in all the best ways.

Experiment with seasoning and sides

Baked chicken thighs are delicious with many different seasonings and sides. As such, the dish may be varied with different spices and using whichever vegetables you like best or happen to have on hand, making it possible to create various chicken thigh recipes that suit your taste the best.

Try a deliciously rich version of the sauce packed with umami flavour by using mushrooms, shallot onions, garlic, and leeks and garnishing with fresh chives for a pop of colour and freshness.

You could also go for a fresher take by making a chicken thigh marinade with freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh rosemary. Pair with the vegetable cream sauce but add a sweet and salty Italian-inspired combination of vegetables like onions, tomatoes, and more fresh rosemary for a tasty and herbaceous version that will complement the lemony marinated baked chicken thighs.

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