Life's too short for dry chicken—that's why I always make these 22 chicken thigh recipes

We'd never speak ill of any chicken dinner, but something besides boneless, skinless chicken breasts is a pretty welcome sight for many of Team Delish. Sometimes, we just gotta have chicken thighs.The reason? Chicken thighs have just a little more fat, and as we all know, fat = flavor. Plus, is there anything more delicious than crispy chicken skin? If you're looking for a no-fail weeknight dinner, trust us on this one: Swapping chicken thighs in lieu of chicken breasts is the surefire way to guarantee a winner of a chicken dinner. Pinky promise, you won't be disappointed.

New to chicken thighs? Well, they're about to be on your dinner menu all year round. Perfect for summer recipes to eat in the sun AND rich enough to settle into when the cold weather comes in, chicken thighs make pretty much everything better. Unsure of how to cook chicken thighs? No stress! They're essentially impossible to mess up. Even if you're working with skinless, boneless thighs, the slight fattiness of thighs makes bland, dry chicken a thing of the past.

Mexican Corn & Chicken Bowls

These bowls are full of punchy citrusy flavor with a kick of heat from fresh jalapeños and chipotle mayo. This is an ideal summer lunch or dinner featuring sweet corn, lime, and honey-marinated chicken, and fluffy white rice. It’s a straightforward yet satisfying meal that’ll please everyone’s palates.

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

A saucy glazed chicken thigh is typically pretty hard to beat, but this Hawaiian shoyu chicken is really something special. Featuring a ridiculously simple soy and brown sugar sauce, this easy one-pot meal will become your new go-to weeknight dinner.

Green Goddess Grilled Chicken

Summer cookouts call for food with bright herbs, creamy sauces, and tons of char, and this green goddess grilled chicken is bringing all that and more. Chicken thighs are tossed in a simple green goddess dressing and grilled immediately for a no-wait, no-fuss dinner that hits all those al fresco dinner vibes.

One-Pan Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken & Gnocchi

In this simple skillet supper, the gnocchi is cooked in a creamy sauce and paired with chicken thighs. The sauce is a simple mix of broth and cream, plus sun-dried tomatoes. We love using sun-dried tomatoes for their rich, concentrated flavor that makes everything they’re in even more delicious. As the gnocchi bubbles along in the sauce, it soaks up all of that delicious flavor.

Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken

Everything is better with a Coke… including chicken. Tangy, sweet, and savory, this grilled Coca-Cola chicken will hit every one of your taste buds. If you’re searching for a way to elevate your grilling game this summer, look no further—this dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Sheet-Pan Miso Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

This one-pan dinner is the only thing standing between you and ordering takeout (again). Bone-in chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and shallots get smothered with miso-chili sauce and baked until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized and the chicken is juicy and golden brown. The whole thing is topped with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, then served with a little extra chili crisp to make sure this really packs a punch.

Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner

This is the kind of weeknight dinner that checks all of our boxes. It's easy, only requires a few dishes, doesn’t make us regret cooking, and most importantly—packs an insane amount of flavor into one sheet pan.

Butter Chicken

This chicken dinner uses deeply flavored chicken thighs, simmered in an ultra-silky and aromatic sauce of tomatoes, cream, and cashews. The cashews lend a buttery nuttiness and great texture to the sauce in this recipe, but blanched almonds would also work well. For the ultimate weeknight dinner, spoon this dish over steamed rice or serve with warm naan.

Creamy Chicken Dijon

In the vein of chicken scallopini and our fan fave one-pan chicken & gnocchi, this dish is an ultra-creamy affair with simple seasoning, best if served over cooked rice, angel hair pasta, or crusty sourdough bread so that you have something to soak up every last bit of deliciousness.

Chicken Cacciatore

After a long day, this dish is oh so comforting, not in the least because it all comes together in one pot. We love this served on its own with crusty bread for dipping, or garlic bread if you're feeling fancy.

BBQ Sheet-Pan Chicken

BBQ sauce and chicken are an undeniable classic combo that hits the mark every single time. No matter the season, BBQ chicken is a clear #winner winner chicken dinner. Here’s how we put together an easy sheet-pan dinner with juicy chicken, loads of sweet–smoky flavor, and plenty of vegetables to complete the meal.

Chicken & Dumplings

This easy recipe is perfect on a cold night when you just need a bowl of creamy comfort food, but it's also simple enough to make when you don't feel like making anything. If you want an even easier route, we have a great slow-cooker chicken & dumplings too!

Brown Stew Chicken

Brown stew chicken might seem like a snooze of a name for a recipe, but don’t be fooled—Jamaica’s signature marvel of a dish offers a galaxy of flavors that explains its massive fan base on the island and among the country’s expats.

Za'atar Sheet-Pan Chicken

We’ve made a lot of great sheet-pan dinners, but this za’atar chicken recipe is a new favorite. Bone-in chicken thighs, baby potatoes, broccoli, and red onion are all tossed in a simple za’atar marinade, roasted to crispy, schmaltzy perfection, then topped with creamy tahini sauce to finish it off.

Cacio E Pepe Chicken

A popular pasta dish from Rome, the name literally translates to cheese and pepper. We thought that pasta shouldn’t have all the fun, so why not chicken-fy it?!

Red Curry Chicken Thighs & Rice

Aside from the garam masala here, this dish gets most of its flavor from a Thai-style curry paste that’s spiked with extra ginger, garlic, and lemongrass, then mellowed out with tomato sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk to create a well-rounded sauce that’s perfect for spooning over fluffy rice.

Slow-Cooker Garlic-Parmesan Chicken

With under 20 minutes of hands-on time, most of the cooking takes place in the slow-cooker while you are living your best life elsewhere.

Greek Lemon-Butter Chicken & Smashed Potatoes

Smashed potatoes and an herby feta and olive topping lend an exciting spin to beloved lemon-butter chicken. In this recipe, an extra-crispy texture on the potatoes and a briny herbal finish (thanks olives!) amplifies all the classic flavors without taking away from the goodness of the original recipe.

Peruvian-Style Chicken With Green Sauce

Our ever-popular Peruvian roast chicken will forever be one of our favorites…unless we need to get dinner on the table ASAP. If that's you this January, lean on chicken thighs instead for that smoky, garlicky chicken with its crispy skin, in less than half the time.

Tandoori Chicken

Though traditionally the chicken is grilled in a clay tandoor grill (hence the name), it’s possible to make it at home in your oven. The real standout in this timeless recipe is the use of a masala-yogurt marinade that coats the chicken throughout the cooking process, making it exceedingly juicy and extra flavorful.

Jamaican Curry Chicken

If you’re craving that comforting chicken curry flavor that keeps you coming back for seconds and want to punch up the heat, this recipe is for you. Serve with some easy white or coconut rice, and wham, you’ll have a whole new spice for life.

Arroz Con Pollo

A one-pot wonder, this is the perfect weeknight dinner with leftovers that make fantastic lunches. If you'd rather use all chicken thighs instead of drumsticks, go ahead and swap them out!