You’ll be surprised at how much better the meat tastes in comparison. If your butcher has free-range chicken thighs available, use those instead of the supermarket variety. Try cutting boneless skinless chicken thighs into strips and seasoning them with curry powder, then grilling and serving them with peanut sauce and quick-pickled cucumbers. A hearty dose of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper will work, but you can also experiment with different spice rubs. Season the chicken with bold ingredients. If you’re using a smoker to cook the chicken thighs, you should see pink no matter how long you leave them on the heat. Remember, too, that smoked meat always has that reddish hue just beneath the skin. It’s the only true test of doneness, assuming that the thermometer is in good working condition. Instead of color, rely on the thermometer.
This is the case even if the meat still has a pinkish tinge to it when you take it off the heat. In truth, chicken is safe to consume as long as the internal temperature has hit that 165-degree marker. It’s not necessarily a bad impulse, but this isn’t a rule that you should rely on. Many amateur chefs assume that chicken meat is only cooked through when they can no longer see any pink in the meat. Can Chicken Thighs Be Pink in the Middle?
This is why a good instant-read thermometer is every griller’s best friend. The total cooking time will depend on the size of the thighs, the actual temperature of the grill, and even outside factors like the weather. Just remember that when the grill is this hot, you’ll need to turn the thighs every 4-5 minutes to prevent burning.įinally, remember that these are only guidelines, and not concrete rules. We recommend grilling boneless thighs at around 400 degrees, but it’s better to raise the temperature to 450 for bone-in thighs. In general, boneless thighs should cook for 10 to 12 minutes, while bone-in thighs might take 15 to 20 minutes to achieve the right temperature. While we’re on the subject, let’s talk about the overall cooking time for chicken thighs. In our opinion, the results will be worth the wait. The only way to be sure is to check the temperature using a calibrated meat thermometer. If the grill temperature is any lower, it might take a few more minutes for the meat to reach the 180-degree mark. Since you need to wait until it hits that 165-degree threshold anyway, you probably won’t even notice the extra time. If you’re grilling the thighs at 450 degrees, cooking an 8-ounce chicken breast to 180 will only take a few minutes longer than cooking it to 165. That depends on the temperature of the grill or smoker. Does it Take a Long Time to Cook Chicken Thighs to 180? When you wait until they’ve hit the 180-degree mark, they’ll be tender and juicy, with a silken texture. If you serve chicken thighs at 165 degrees, they’ll still taste fine and be safe to consume. This tenderizes the meat in addition to lending it moisture. When it’s heated, collagen is converted to gelatin. Here’s why.Ĭhicken thighs contain a great deal of collagen, a protein that’s responsible for providing strength to muscle tissue.
The breasts will have a sandpaper-like texture if you overcook them, but the thigh meat will be moist and succulent even at higher temps. However, if you’re cooking the thighs alone, we would recommend waiting until the internal temperature registers at least 180 before taking them off the heat. The dark meat cooks at a slower pace than the breasts, so you should rely on this number to determine whether the entire bird is done. When you’re roasting or grilling a whole chicken, check the temperature by inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. This means that you can consume the meat without worrying about getting sick. At this temperature, the bacteria that cause salmonella poisoning are killed off quickly. Chicken Thighs Internal Temp: The BasicsĪll poultry products should be safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Best of all, thighs are more forgiving, since there’s no harm in “overcooking” the thighs. It has a meatier flavor than the breasts, but it still partners well with bold spice rubs and zesty marinades. The thigh meat, on the other hand, contains higher amounts of protein and fat. The downside? They become unpleasantly dry if they’re overcooked. Thighsīecause chicken breasts consist of white meat, they cook fast, making them a good choice for beginners. We would recommend using this number as a benchmark when grilling chicken thighs. Because the meat contains a great deal of collagen, though, they have a juicier and more succulent texture when you cook them to at least 180 degrees. 7 The Bottom Line Chicken Thighs Internal TempĬhicken thighs are technically done cooking when they’ve reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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