It’s sad to think that chicken thighs have been getting a bad rap for being unhealthy or being “dark meat.” Because of its tainted reputation, many people disregard this part in favor of chicken wings, breast, and other components.
No matter how delectable a baked chicken thigh recipe can be, people say no because it’s “unhealthy.”
To disprove haters and naysayers, here are six reasons why thigh is the best part of the chicken:
Chicken Thighs means “good fat.”
This is not on top of the list because it’s the most important reason, but because all the other reasons why some people love chicken thighs come down to the fact that it has more fat compared to chicken breast.
Thigh fat is monosaturated, meaning they are the right kind of fat. This is the fat that can lower bad LDL cholesterol in the body while elevating the good HDL.
Chicken Thighs Makes Crispy Chicken Skin
If you want a perfectly crispy chicken thigh skin, you have to choose the skin-on, bone-in thighs. Cook it using an iron skillet at medium heat, with little oil, skin-part down, fry until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
After that, turn the thigh with skin over and move the pan to an oven that was preheated at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook it for another twenty to thirty minutes.
Cast iron is best in this case because it’s oven and stovetop safe.
Chicken Thighs Means More Juice
All protein cells carry the same water amount. Meaning, it’s not because thighs have more juice compared to breasts. It’s more like, compared to chicken breasts, legs retain more sauce when cooked. The reason for this is partly because of the skin and bone.
Chicken thighs have more collagen and fat than breasts, which explains the softer texture the moment you bite them.
Chicken Thighs Are Tastier
Chicken thighs have more intense flavor compared to chicken breasts because it’s “dark meat,” which is inherently tastier and flavorful. Because of this, thighs are considered best for baking. Check Valentina’s Corner for a healthy and delectable baked chicken thigh recipe.
Aside from that, thighs have more fat, and as you know, fat is the number one source of flavor. The bone also adds to the taste. Braising the thigs can help you extract all the rich flavor in the marrow.
Bones in Chicken Thigh Make Savory Stock
Whether you want to save the bones after cooking or debone it from the start, chicken thighs can add to the taste with its rich and intense chicken flavor. To add body to the stock, you can add wingtips, too.
You Can Never Overcook A Chicken Thigh
This doesn’t mean you can leave the meat cooking on the grill from today until next week. Mainly, this means that when you prepare the chicken with moist-heat techniques like braising, thighs are quite forgiving. The worst that can happen if you braise it for a long time is for the chicken meat to fall off its bone.
There are plenty of reasons to love chicken thighs. Just because people say it’s bad meat doesn’t mean you can’t eat it or you can’t cook it. You can always check out Valentina’s Corner to see more exciting and extra tasty chicken thigh recipes.
