Chicken Thighs on Sale?
Make These 6 Easy Dinners
When chicken thighs are on sale, I buy the big package. Actually, I usually buy two.
Easy chicken thigh recipes are some of my favorite weeknight dinners because thighs are budget-friendly, full of flavor, really hard to dry out, and just as good reheated tomorrow. When I’ve cooked for clients all day or we’re running out the door for soccer, knowing there’s already a package in the fridge or freezer gets me considerably closer to answering the dreaded “What’s for dinner?”
So if chicken thighs are on sale this week, stock up. Here are six dinners worth making.
Chicken thighs, salsa verde, peppers, rice, and lots of melty cheese all happen in one pan, which already makes this a winner in my book. It’s filling, cozy, and exactly what I want when everyone is hungry and I have very little interest in creating a pile of dishes.
Perfect for: Crazy weeknights and really good leftovers.
Sweet, smoky, a little spicy, and ridiculously easy. Chicken thighs are perfect here because they stay juicy on the grill and reheat beautifully. The quick hot honey marinade doubles down on flavor without requiring seventeen ingredients or an afternoon of planning.
Perfect for: Grilling nights and meal prep lunches.
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This is one of those dinners I could eat all summer and never get sick of. The chicken thighs get a quick lemon-garlic marinade, hit the grill, and then get covered in a fresh herb sauce. Make extra chicken because tomorrow it becomes a salad, sandwich, wrap, or lunch you actually look forward to.
Perfect for: Grilling for a crowd and cook-once-eat-twice weeks.
This one has become a favorite when I want comfort food without something super heavy. Golden chicken thighs simmer in a creamy Calabrian chili sauce with tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and shallots. Give me a bowl of this over rice or gluten-free pasta with bread for mopping up the sauce and I’m very happy.
Perfect for: Comfort-food cravings with a little heat.
This recipe is almost embarrassingly easy for how good it tastes.
Brown the chicken thighs, add your favorite salsa and broth, and let everything finish together until the chicken is tender and juicy. Add rice, beans, or warm tortillas and nobody needs to know how little effort dinner required.
Perfect for: Taco-ish nights when you don’t actually feel like making tacos.
Citrus, lime, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and oregano give these chicken thighs SO much flavor. Everything cooks together on a sheet pan, and the extra mojo sauce gets spooned over the finished chicken. It’s one of those meals that makes the kitchen smell amazing while you’re off doing something else.
Perfect for: Soccer nights, meal prep, and minimal cleanup.
Buy the Extra Package
This is why I love easy chicken thigh recipes so much. You can start with the same affordable package of chicken and end up with six dinners that don’t feel remotely like you’re eating the same thing over and over.
Grill them. Braise them. Throw them on a sheet pan. Add salsa verde. Cover them in hot honey. Give them a creamy Calabrian sauce.
And if they’re on sale? Buy extra, portion them into freezer bags, and future-you already has the beginning of dinner handled.
So tell me: which chicken thigh recipe are you making first?
Have you seen these recipes yet?
Chef's Note
If I’m buying the family pack, I portion the chicken thighs before freezing them instead of tossing the whole giant package into the freezer.
Put enough for one dinner into each freezer bag, label it, and freeze it flat. It’s a tiny bit of work when you get home from the store, but considerably less annoying than staring at a frozen brick of twelve chicken thighs on a Wednesday afternoon. No, thank you!
Hi, I'm Kat.
Welcome to my Kitchen Counter. I’m excited to share with you a new series called “Make my kitchen work for you” along with a collection of blog posts about a variety of topics – building a gluten free pantry, staples to always have on hand and gift guides for the Chef in your life. Take a look around. I’d love to hear from you – do you like these posts?
