Data source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 173627 (Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, thigh, meat only, raw).
Fun facts
- Thigh meat is dark because it holds more myoglobin, the pigment that stores oxygen in muscle. A chicken walks around all day on its legs, so the thigh muscles need more oxygen than the breast.
- Without the skin, 100g of raw chicken thigh has only 121 kcal, nearly the same as breast (120 kcal). Protein is a little lower, 19.7g versus 22.5g, and fat is 4.1g.
- Thanks to that myoglobin, thigh has about 0.8mg of iron per 100g raw, twice as much as breast. Iron is the mineral that helps your blood carry oxygen around the body.
- Fish sauce fried chicken, ginger braised chicken, honey grilled thighs: Vietnamese home cooking loves the thigh for its soft, sweet meat. In the kOBE recipe library, chicken thigh appears in 42 dishes.
Choosing and storing
Choose thighs with taut skin that is pale yellow or ivory, pink meat, no sliminess and no odd smell. Whole leg quarters (thigh plus drumstick) are meaty and good value, while boneless thighs cook fast and slice easily. Cook raw chicken within 1 to 2 days of refrigeration; for longer, portion it, wrap it tightly and freeze. Thawing overnight in the fridge is the safest way.
Cooking it well
Thighs carry a bit more fat and connective tissue, so they stay tender even if cooked a little longer, unlike breast. For a lighter dish, peel off some skin before braising, or leave it on for crisp grilling and decide later whether to eat it. Low, steady heat keeps the meat juicy; we explain the idea in what is sous vide. At kOBE, our sauced chicken line uses sous vide chicken leg quarters with sauces cooked with monk fruit sugar, in four flavors: monk fruit, lemongrass chili, black pepper and chili salt.
