Chicken / How to cook chicken thigh
/ leg
Chicken thigh / leg is possibly the most eaten cut of chicken.
The chicken leg or thigh is a large cut and comes with a built
in handle. Usually a fairly inexpensive cut, which makes it excellent
for cooking for parties. Chicken thigh is high in protein and
low in fat, making chicken a nearly perfect food. Also see list
of simple marinades to make simple chicken, simply delicious.
Common ways to cook chicken thigh / leg
There are two techniques that come to mind when cooking chicken
thigh and leg, grilling and baking. Both are equally as easy and
with simple preparation can be a tasty meal for a group of people.
Grilling, the oldest preparation for chicken thigh and leg, is
probably the most common. This ancient technique along with chicken
'on the bone' makes for a more personal dinning experience.
Grilling chicken thigh / leg
Obtaining a grilling temperature between 230° and 250°F,
is optimal. To achieve this stack charcoal in a pile in the center
of grill. Douse with lighter fluid and let it soak in. Light and
leave it alone until gray ash has covered all visible charcoal.
Spread out charcoal into an even layer. When it has an even layer
of ash, approximately 1/2 the depth of a charcoal briquette you
are ready to grill. Place the grill at 4 or 5 inches above coals.
Slowly cook chicken until internal temperature is approximately
170 degrees. If you are going to use a BBQ sauce now is the
time. Baste with BBQ sauce and allow to grill for a couple minutes
to glaze chicken before removing. As a rule we only use BBQ sauce
after the chicken is cooked so the sauce does not burn and give
the chicken a bitter taste. Let sit a couple of minutes before
serving.
Baking chicken thigh / leg, recipe
Baking chicken thigh can feed a lot of people in a reasonable
short amount of time. Below is the basic recipe for baked chicken
thigh although your imagination is the only thing that will limit
your possibilities.
- 6 chicken thigh / leg
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Drizzle olive oil onto baking sheet. Rub chicken with some salt
and pepper. Place on baking sheet and cook in oven for 30 to 40
minutes until golden brown.
Chicken
breast recipes / marinades
Chicken can be flavored in many ways. Most should be applied
before cooking chicken thigh with the exception of sauce. We always
suggest Knox's Dry Rub but
you will find other simple preparations below.
Knox's Dry Rub Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons Knox's dry rub
- 1 cup orange juice
- Juice of a lime
Lemon Yogurt
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- salt to taste
Mix together lemon zest, juice, cilantro and salt. Place chicken
and marinade in zip lock bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator
for at least 2 hours before cooking.
Habanero and chive
- 1 stick of butter - soft
- 1 Habanero pepper, minced
- 1 bunch of chives - chopped small
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix habanero, chives and salt into soft butter. Place chicken
thigh and marinade in zip lock bag to marinade in refrigerator OR baste on chicken while cooking.
Roasted chili rub
- 4 roasted ancho peppers - ground into a powder
- 1 dry chipotle - roasted and ground into a powder
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
Mix everything together and rub into chicken. This can also be
whipped into soft butter and used as a baste while grilling chicken thigh.
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