Chicken Thighs are a great addition to your healthy low carb diet!
They are naturally higher in fat than chicken breasts, and they are also cheaper. 🙂 Since they are higher fat, they are juicier and more tender than breasts – so you can easily cook up plenty for meal prepping, as they are GREAT leftover! It gives you a lot of options too, such as a delicious chicken salad with leftover baked thighs.
I prefer bone-in fryer thighs, but I have tried this recipe with “boneless, skinless chicken thighs” as shown below – ONLY because that’s what my son brought me once from the store. 😛 lol. I like the skin-on fryer thighs because the skin crisps up beautifully and they taste absolutely delicious!
So yes, you can use those ^ but the skin-on thighs are the BEST. 🙂
Here’s what you need:
– Fryer Thighs
– Olive Oil
– Real Butter
– Salt
– Large pan
– Foil
– An oven 🙂
This makes for a super fast low carb meal with very little prep!
You can make as many or as few thighs as you please. Like I said, they are great leftover so I often cook up a big batch.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse off & pat dry your chicken thighs.
Drizzle olive oil in your pan. Lay thighs in oiled pan. Salt thighs. Add a pat of butter to the top of each thigh (I use a whole Tablespoon of real butter per thigh). Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, flip your thighs, salt the other side, turn heat up to 400 degrees, bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes – or until the thighs are brown & crisp.
This is what they look like when they’re done:
This is what they look like on your plate:
You literally have about 5 minutes of prep to make these perfect, delicious chicken thighs – then you can go about your day for a good hour! Add a green vegetable, and you have a super fast low carb meal. 🙂 Enjoy!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Another favorite easy and DELICIOUS low carb chicken recipe you’ll LOVE:
👩🍳 Low Carb Parmesan Chicken Recipe Twists & Simple Sides ~ For EASY Family Meals
When using skin-on thighs, do you place them skin-side down first, then flip over to brown the skin in the second half of cooking? I’m new to cooking w skin π
I would! Because I want the skin to be browned and crisp! If it is up first then down for the second half it could get soggy imo.
This looks so easy and soooo good. Do you put them in the pan skin side up first as in the picture? It just seems if I did, and flipped them, the skin would be soggy cooking in the oil on the bottom of the pan.
Good point! I’ve done it both ways. I don’t really think it matters. When you flip them you can drain off the juices if you prefer, but they crisp up nicely on both sides for me even with a juicy bottom. π
Hi Terry…..When you use thighs with skin… do you eat the skin? Used to be a no-no, not sure on Keto?
Yes, absolutely – that’s the best part! π
There’s a science to the way a ketogenic low carb diet works, so you want to eat plenty of healthy fats. See: http://lollislowcarbgranola.com/lowcarbtraveler
And also: https://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4689/ketosis-symptoms-and-low-carb-flu/
If you eat too lean your weight loss tends to stall and you’ll have less energy. π
I do the same with wings, except I don’t add the olive oil (I like the down-side of the wing to get a little crispy), and I sprinkle a little garlic salt. My kids loved them when they were little, and make them for their families now π
Sounds delicious, Theresa! Both sides of my chicken crisp up, but you’re right – you don’t really need the olive oil. Sometimes I just massage it right onto the chicken a bit then top with the pat of butter. *cheers*
Looks so easy, going to try it. I’m cooking for one dogie long do you think I should bake just two chicken thighs? And would chicken breasts be the same difference? I’m ibviously not much of a cook
Hi Connie,
I have baked 4 thighs and 10 thighs – and always cook it about the same. 40 minutes covered, then uncovered until crisp on both sides (I flip them once for that). As for chicken breasts… I’m not sure. They are much leaner so tend to dry out easier.
I’m not much of a cook either. π lol. I am cooking for one also though, and I find fryer thighs are cheap – so I buy a larger package and cook up 4 or more, so I have easy meals (leftovers) for the next day or so.
I also like skin on chicken thighs because I love the crispy skin but I put the butter under the skin.
I learned how to do the tastiest chicken breasts from Ina Garten. Here’s her recipe and it works like a charm. I either eat the breast immediately or let it cool, take the meat off the bone and use it for other recipes. Must use bone-on, skin on breasts.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool.
My mouth is totally watering! I know what I’m having for dinner tomorrow… YUM!
When you used the boneless skinless did you still remove the foil for the last half of cooking? I was thinking it may dry out since it doesn’t heave the skin…?
I did, but they weren’t nearly as good as bone-in skin-on thighs. I couldn’t complain though – my son picked those up for me at the store when he made a grocery run for me. π But yes, I always get regular thighs myself.
Thank you! I have several pkgs of the skinless I need to use up so I need to get to baking!
Try this Sharon: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/12333/low-carb-oven-stew/ Everyone LOVES it and it’s SO easy! You can use whatever veggies you like… and it’ll keep those skinless chickens more tender. π
Just wondering how chicken thigh meat is, taste wise. I have never used thighs, only ever eat boneless chicken breasts, as I know it’s all meat and no yucky fatty tendon and whatever things attached. Are thighs about the same? I hope you understand what I’m talking about. Hahaha
I do understand Crystal π I have a friend that has those same concerns about chicken, lol. My advice based on what you said: Get boneless chicken thighs. Not bone-in thighs. And with the skin ON if you can – because it’s deliciously crispy!
Ahahahahahahaha!!! Nice to know I’m not the only one with “issues!!!!!!!” I will definitely pick some thighs up and try them out. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!!!
lol, she calls it “the sketchy parts” π You’ll love thigh meat. It’s MUCH cheaper and way more tender.
She is one smart cookie!!! And I may just steal her “sketchy parts!!” Way better than what I call them!!! YUMMMMMMM, excited to try them now that I know they are edible!!
Noticed the package says boneless skinless, but the finished product clearly shows skin on and I think bone in. Which do we use, and isn’t that an awful lot butter??
Yes, but it’s real butter – and it’s delicious. π You can use less if you prefer. I mentioned in the post that I have made the baked chicken both ways, but I do prefer it with the skin-on because it crisps up and it’s delicious.
Terry,
Thank you for sharing; these chicken thighs are fabulous. Very easy to make and very satisfying. Keep up the good work π
I just made these today and they are fabulous! They are so easy and the best chicken thighs ever!! I ended up making some fresh green beans in the microwave and tossed them in the pan of drippings while I was getting my water and the chicken on my plate. I am very new to low carb eating and I hope it was ok to do that because it sure added some great flavor to those beans!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debbie π And YES, that is perfectly fine!! It sounds delicious actually… and I’ll use that idea myself next time. π
Crispy chicken skin is my favorite part…would eat just a plate of that!!! Lol
We make these regularly because they are easy and delicious!
Hi Lynn-Just found your blog recently after following you on Facebook and am inspired by your real-life low carb recipes! These look amazing! My question is about cooking times. Do you cook the boneless thighs for the same amount of time as the bone-in thighs? I always thought bone-in took longer.
Hi Lauren π
In my experience (trying it both ways) it took about the same amount of time, but I just keep an eye on them toward the end. If I’m not sure I’ll just slice one open from the middle of the pan to double check.
I followed this recipe to a T, but my chicken didn’t crisp up. I wonder what I did wrong?
How odd, Kelly… Did you cook them on a metal pan or on foil? Worst case I will turn the broiler on for a minute or two for each side, for extra crispiness. π
If you cook in olive oil and butter on top how do you key your macros in
Hi Stacy,
I divide the amount I use of each across the number of thighs, and enter it like that. I estimate because not ALL of the butter or olive oil is going to be ON your chicken, probably about half or 3/4 maybe.
Big fan of chicken thighs more flavor and moistness. This is kinda like the garlic butter thighs I cook. The recipe follows if anyone would like to try them.
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
Sat/pepper
4 bone in, skin on thighs
Cast iron skillet or Dutch oven works best
Preheat oven to 350β. Place garlic cloves, butter and oil in cold skillet , heat on medium for about 3-4 minutes. Pat chicken dry and season with sat and pepper, place chicken skin side down. Cook until desired browness about 10 minutes moving around pan during time. DO NOT LET THE GARLIC BURN, YOU JUST WANT THE FLAVOR, REMOVE FROM THE PAN WHEN LIGHT BROWN AND BEFORE PLACING IN OVEN. Flip chicken and place in preheated oven for 30-35 depending on size of thighs.
These are delicious
Yum, thank you Jennie – that sounds amazing! π