Anyone cooked chicken thighs in a frying pan or air fryer?

[Girlwhonevercooks]

Hi. I've just bought chicken thighs for the first time. I usually get chicken breast, but I find it can be a bit bland. I've heard that thighs can have more flavour to them. I usually cook chicken breasts in the frying pan along with curry sauce from a jar. Is it ok to do that with thighs? Instructions on the pack are a bit confusing as they seem to suggest you have to do them in the oven. It seems a bit of a waste to have the oven on for 45 minutes just for 2 thighs.

You can cook them in any way you would usually do chicken breast. I prefer chicken thighs, as you say they are tastier and I also find they don’t overcook so easily.

If I was putting thighs in a curry I pull the skin off - just use my hands as quickest way. They will take a while - longer than breast meat. I am assuming you bought them on the bone.
If ont the bone they will be delicious cooked in the air fryer - but leave the skin on as it will go crispy.

If you bought thigh fillets (no bone) just treat as breastfeeding but cook for a few minutes longer.

thighs are definitely more tasty and usually cheaper. I buy them skinless and boneless, trim off any bits I don’t like the look off and either chop into large chunks or leave them whole. I sear them in the pan before adding everything else and cook for slightly longer and they make a lovely curry.
I also do them in the airfryer just season them up and have them as a quick roast or with salad.
if they’re on the bone they’ll need longer cooking
they also make brilliant soup and shred up nicely.

Just think of an airfryer as a small oven that cooks a bit quicker , so you definayely can cook chicken thighs in one and as they have a bit more fat in them they are less likely to dry out.

I would do them in the air fryer. They are definitely tastier than breast meat.

You can also boil thighs. Boil until the water goes yellow..
Lots of goodness in the juice and you can strip it from the bones easily and add to the curry sauce.

I make chicken a la king with boned thighs and use the boil method first. I put a bay leaf in the water for some extra flavour.

I always buy chicken thighs and they go in the air fryer for about 25 mins turning halfway through .Make sure skin side down for first half so at the end skin is crispy .I sometimes do a honey and mustard mix to go on the thighs before cooking

They’re delicious fried in the pan - only take a few minutes each side and they stay really moist and flavourful. We never buy chicken breast any more, thighs are much nicer all round.

Are they boneless? In which case, you can cook them almost exactly as you would chicken breasts, but open them up so they're flatter when you fry them.

I cook chicken thighs in the air fryer for DD sometimes if she's having a different meal to us - bone in and skin on in the main tray (ie no plate that lifts it). A bit of olive oil and lemon juice as well as some flavourings (usually fennel seeds, cumin and a bit of cinnamon), salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, baste, then another 5-10 minutes depending on your air fryer (mine is super hot so max 20 in total but i suspect 25-30 might be more common).

They also make great curries but i usually chop them, fry them, then add my sauce etc.

If boneless I would cut them into chunks and brown them a little in the pan first and then add the sauce and simmer on a lower temp.

If bone in they need longer cooking so I would brown for longer before adding the sauce, you may need to simmer longer too to ensure they are cooked through (use a lid to stop sauce evaporating or add a bit of water as needed)