Start by heating up a generous splash of oil over medium-high flame. Arrange each chicken thigh without overlap in your pan; and allow each side to sizzle and sear for six minutes before flipping them over.

Clear juices signal succulence and readiness; enjoy with any combination of sides you prefer.

Deep Frying

When deep frying chicken thighs in a deep fryer, it’s crucial that the oil temperature be set appropriately. Too little heat could take too long to cook the meat through and end up as grease; too much can burn your skin. A candy thermometer should be used as an accurate means of testing this temperature of oil.

Once your oil reaches the appropriate temperature, make sure not to overcrowd your pan or pot. Overloading with pieces of chicken at once reduces their ability to fry properly and prevents them from developing that golden, crunchy exterior crust that we all know and love!

Use a digital thermometer to ensure your fried chicken thighs are cooked thoroughly. For best results, the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit prior to taking them off of the heat and resting them before serving.

If you prefer not using a deep fryer, use a heavy-bottomed pot or pan for optimal chicken thigh cooking. Flipping it too often could result in its crunchy exterior becoming soft on the inside – instead, let the chicken cook undisturbed for several minutes before flipping and continuing its journey towards perfection.

No matter if you are baking or pan frying chicken thighs, using high quality oil with a high smoke point is key to ensure crisp and well-browned results without burning or spilling oil into the pan.

Vegetable, peanut, or avocado oils can all be used for frying chicken thighs; just ensure to thoroughly clean your equipment after each use and always add fresh oil when starting over again. An optimal temperature for frying is 350deg Fahrenheit but this may need to be adjusted based on equipment capabilities and thickness of thighs.

Air Frying

Air fryers make an excellent way of quickly and conveniently frying chicken thighs, as their skin will crisp up without becoming greasy. Furthermore, air frying is far quicker than using an oven and results will come out hot and ready to enjoy. For optimal results use cooking spray, olive oil or another neutral cooking oil when coating the chicken before placing it into the air fryer; just ensure it has plenty of seasoning so as to maximize flavor!

Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, as desired, or mix your favorite spices such as paprika, garlic powder, smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for extra flair and sprinkle it over the chicken thighs before air frying.

Add the chicken pieces, making sure there is space between each for proper cooking. Fry for approximately 18 minutes while rotating them halfway through for even cooking and ensure an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F has been reached when they are complete.

Once the chicken is done cooking, let it cool for several minutes before refrigerating or placing in an airtight container for up to four days of storage. Reheating chicken thighs in an air fryer or oven at 350 degrees F won’t recreate their crispy texture; for best results, refrigerate first before reheating them. They can also be frozen up to two or three months ahead of reheating them later on. Reheat time may differ depending on how quickly they were originally cooked; once heated thoroughly from within they should become crispy and delicious again! A great side to pair with air fried chicken thigh dinners are sweet potatoes; their combination works especially well with its spicy flavors and is fast and simple to prepare in your air fryer.

Oven Cooking

Oven-frying chicken thighs gives you the same crispy and crunchy skin found in deep fried versions without adding additional oil. Furthermore, this method is healthier since most of the excess fat from its skin is eliminated through this cooking method. However, it’s important to remember that regardless of this advantage, when oven frying the chicken it must reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in order to be fully cooked and safe to consume.

When cooking chicken thighs in an oven, use a baking pan or sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F prior to beginning the frying process in order to achieve golden-brown exterior and juicy interior results.

As your oven preheats, pre-heat a cast iron skillet or heavy pan on high heat and add generous amounts of canola or another nonstick cooking oil like peanut oil – not overcrowding as this could lower oil temperature and prevent crisp exterior chicken thighs. Once the oil temperature drops sufficiently enough for crisp exterior chicken thighs to form, place them skin side down into the pan for approximately eight minutes until their skin turns deep golden brown without becoming burnt.

After resting for several minutes, flip the chicken and continue cooking it for five to 10 more minutes or until its skin has reached an irresistibly golden and crisp state. If desired, add crushed or diced peppercorns at this step for additional flavoring.

Now transfer the chicken thighs to the preheated oven and allow them to finish cooking for roughly 20 minutes or until their color turns a golden brown hue. When this process has completed, remove from the oven and serve immediately.

One of the best ways to ensure golden brown chicken thighs is with the help of a digital thermometer, which will inform you when the chicken has finished cooking and ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 165degF. If you don’t own one of these thermometers, visual cues may also work to determine when your poultry is done cooking.

Pressure Cooking

Use of a pressure cooker to fry chicken thighs yields tasty results without all the extra fat and calories of deep frying, plus this method is much faster than conventional oven cooking as food takes less time to reach its proper internal temperature. Furthermore, multiple batches can be cooked simultaneously by working in batches ensuring oil has returned to its desired temperature between each one.

Start by pouring enough oil to cover 1/2 inch in a heavy-bottomed pan, and heating it until a candy thermometer registers 350degF. Fry three chicken thighs until golden-brown and crisp, flipping as necessary until all sides have been evenly browned. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain and season as desired with salt before repeating process with remaining thighs (adding more oil as necessary to maintain proper oil temperature).

To make healthy fried chicken in a pressure cooker, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and red pepper in a large resealable plastic bag and mix thoroughly by shaking or mixing with your hands. Whisk egg and buttermilk separately in another bowl while the chicken pressure cooks in the cooker. While that happens, heat up a skillet on medium-low heat with 2 TBS butter and 1 Cup (62 Gms) Panko Breadcrumbs that have been sprinkled with Kosher Salt to toast until golden-brown hued. When ready, season to your taste with additional Kosher salt as desired!

After the chicken is done frying, remove from the pressure cooker and give a good shake to loosen any remaining batter. Next, toss with the seasoned breadcrumbs and spread evenly before patting with additional breading if desired. Afterward, return them back into the pressure cooker for another minute or two of high pressure cooking before transferring them onto a plate for serving.

To create bone-in skinless chicken thighs, pressure cook on high for either 10 or 15 minutes depending on their freshness or frozen status. Allow any pressure buildup to naturally release itself for five minutes, before switching the valve from pressure release mode to venting to release any remaining steam. Use a meat thermometer to check doneness; your goal should be reaching 165degF.

Lisa