Food - News
Stop Making This Chicken Thigh Mistake And Thank Us Later
By DEREK HELLING
Chicken thighs are a great source of protein — and despite being higher in fat content, they’re more flavorful than chicken breasts, making a great ingredient in several dishes, such as smoked chicken thighs and authentic chicken scarpariello. Irrespective of the dish you use them in, the end result will be perfect if you avoid this common mistake.
Common concerns that come with cooking chicken are the meat drying out in the process or undercooking it, which, in turn, can result in illnesses. If you want the skin of your chicken thighs to be crispy and almost caramel in color, avoid cooking them at too high of a temperature, which is a mistake a lot of people make.
AllRecipes recommends placing the thighs in a cold pan and starting them on medium heat at most; the meat might take longer to be cooked, but its natural juiciness will be maintained while still delivering the desired skin texture. This is good advice, as America's Test Kitchen also says that the dark meat of the thighs gets more tender the longer the thighs are exposed to heat.
While America’s Test Kitchen suggests aiming for 195 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal internal temperature, AllRecipes says using a high level of heat to cook chicken thighs quickly will reduce their quality. Other mistakes people make while cooking thighs include discarding the bones and fat. To keep your meat from drying out before the skin cooks, cook them low and slow.