Chef John Chicken Thigh Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN TINGA

Steps:

• Place chicken thighs, garlic cloves, halved onion, salt, oregano, water, and chicken stock, and water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over high heat; reduce to medium-low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Transfer onion halves to a bowl with a slotted spoon; transfer chicken thighs to a separate bowl.
• Pour broth through a strainer into a large bowl.
• Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Transfer strained liquid to onions. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; turn heat to medium-low; reduce broth by about half, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer reserved boiled onions to a blender. Add chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. Swirl a bit of water in the can and add to the blender. Add tomatoes. Cover blender with the lid. Pulse on and off until mixture is partially blended. Blend on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer to pot with broth and onions.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Simmer 15 minutes or so, depending on how thick you want the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Tear chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the pot. Cook another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish; garnish with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro.

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

Steps:

• Season chicken generously on both sides with salt. Heat olive oil in a heavy, deep-sided pan (that comes with a lid) over high heat and brown the chicken well, skin-side down, about 5 minutes; flip and continue to sear until other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn off heat. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and reserve until needed; spoon out excess chicken fat if desired.
• Add onions and a pinch of salt to the same pan and saute over medium until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and flour and cook, stirring, another 3 to 4 minutes to form a tomato roux. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and transfer chicken and accumulated juices back into the pan. Baste the tops with the sauce, cover the pan with the lid, and simmer, basting occasionally with the sauce, until the chicken is no longer pink in the centers and is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
• Skim some fat off the top of the sauce if desired. Whisk heavy cream and sour cream into the sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken and any juices back into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, basting often, until chicken is heated through and very tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN THIGHS | CHEF JOHN'S COOKING CLASS

Steps:

• Gently pound the meat several times by using the tip, back, and face of a knife respectively. (Pond the chicken with a knife to break the tendons, so the flavors easy to absorb.)
• In a mixing bowl, add chicken, salt, black pepper, sake, and egg yolk, mix well.
• On a plate, add corn starch, coat the chicken with corn starch evenly. (Shake off excessive corn starch, fry until golden over medium-low heat. It will scorch if the heat is too high. )
• In a large cooking pan over medium heat, bring enough oil to 250°F/120°C, then turn the heat to medium-low. Shake off excessive corn starch on the chicken, fry for 3-5 minutes until golden.
• Add Sake, mirin, and Teriyaki sauce. As soon as the chicken is evenly coated with the sauce, turn off the heat.
• Cut the chicken into small pieces, put it on a serving plate. Serve with broccoli, carrot, or any vegetable that you prefer, and rice.
• Enjoy!

RUSTY CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Mash garlic to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Mix chile pepper sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, mayonnaise, and rice vinegar into garlic until marinade is thoroughly combined.
• Transfer chicken thighs to a large flat container (such as a baking dish) and pour marinade over chicken; stir until chicken is coated. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours; if preferred, let stand about 30 minutes at room temperature. Unwrap dish and sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat charcoal grill to high heat.
• Place chicken thighs onto the hot grill with smooth sides down. Cook until chicken shows grill marks, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until other side shows grill marks, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, moving them occasionally and turning over every 2 minutes, until meat is no longer pink inside and the thighs are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve garnished with lime wedges.

BOHEMIAN ORANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Generously season chicken thighs on both sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
• Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, to the hot oil and sear until skin is golden brown and releases from the bottom of the skillet, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove chicken to a plate. Drain fat from the skillet and reserve for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the skillet back on the stove. Add onion, a pinch of kosher salt, and sugar. Turn heat to medium-high; cook and stir until onion turns translucent and sugar starts to caramelize on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn.
• Add orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and chicken broth. Increase heat to high, and stir in cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Boil until liquids are reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and transfer chicken and any accumulated juices back into the skillet; make sure the skin is facing up. Baste chicken with the liquid and sprinkle caraway seeds over top.
• Cover and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, remove the lid, and baste chicken.
• Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 20 more minutes, adding a splash of water if the liquid dries out. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from the oven and baste again. Garnish with grated orange zest and serve.