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–+ servings
Four perfectly cooked chicken thighs in a creamy sauce, garnished with fresh chives. A delicious chicken thigh recipe.

The Ultimate Chicken Thigh Recipes Guide for Beginners

This recipe guides you through cooking chicken thighs with a simple, flavorful sauce. It's perfect for beginners and busy individuals looking for an accessible and delicious meal.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Butter Emulsification 4 minutes
Total Time 49 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs about 2 pounds
  • 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt for seasoning chicken
  • 1.5 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
For the Sauce
  • 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon juice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter cubed
  • 1/4 cup chives chopped
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt for sauce
  • 1 pinch pepper for sauce

Equipment

  • Oven-proof skillet
  • saucepan
  • Tongs
  • Whisk

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with 1 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper.
  3. Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook for 11 to 12 minutes, moving them occasionally, until the skin is deeply golden brown.
  4. Turn off the heat. Use tongs and paper towels to carefully remove excess fat from the skillet. Repeat until only a thin film of oil remains. This prevents splattering in the oven.
  5. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Flip the thighs so the skin is up and continue roasting for another 6 minutes, or until no longer pink near the bone. Remove the skillet from the oven and place the chicken thighs on a plate, skin-side up. Wipe out the skillet and set it aside.
  6. To make the sauce, combine the vinegar, wine, shallots, lemon juice, and bay leaves in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the liquid reduces to a paste, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
  7. Reduce the heat to low and remove the bay leaves. Add a few cubes of butter and whisk constantly until melted. Add more butter cubes, whisking until each addition is melted and the sauce becomes creamy. Continue until all butter is incorporated, about 4 minutes. Do not let the sauce exceed 130 degrees F to prevent separation. If it starts to break, remove from heat, add 2 ice cubes, and whisk until it cools and re-emulsifies.
  8. Season the sauce with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Pour the sauce into the cast iron skillet. Place the chicken thighs on top of the sauce and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe is designed for beginners and focuses on simple techniques for flavorful results. The key is to properly brown the chicken skin and create a rich pan sauce.

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