These Buffalo Chicken Thighs are one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes. You need a few spices and a simple method to marinate the chicken in the hot and spicy buffalo sauce, wait for an hour and place the thighs in the oven (or air fryer) and you're done. It is that simple. Make these simple and delicious Buffalo Chicken Thighs for a weekend lunch or dinner.
The tangy and spicy hot sauce pairs so well with chicken thighs. It penetrates inside the juicy and tender dark meat and makes it super moist and spicy and delicious.
It is a perfect recipe for a lunch or a dinner just like my Lemon Pepper Drumsticks, and you can serve it with so many side dishes. Serve it with Masala Fries, Peri Peri Mayonnaise or Tuna Corn Salad.
Table of Contents
why this recipe works?
- This buffalo chicken thighs recipe is super easy and simple to make.
- Chicken thighs are inexpensive and you can feed the whole family easily.
- This is low carb and high protein recipe.
- The dark meat is juicy and flavorful marinated with my favorite buffalo sauce.
- The buffalo thighs are crispier outside and soft and juicy from the inside.
- Serve them with a variety of side dishes.
ingredients & substitutions for buffalo chicken thighs
- Chicken thighs: use thighs with bones and skin for perfect flavor.
- Olive oil: helps the meat to keep the chicken juices intact and avoid them from drying. Substitute it with Avocado oil or melted butter in equal amount.
- Hot Sauce or Buffalo Sauce: I use Frank's hot sauce but you can also make your own homemade buffalo sauce.
- Garlic (chopped): you can use garlic powder as well.
- Red chili powder: you can use more or less red chili powder as per your taste.
- Salt: I use kosher salt.
- Black pepper: crack fresh black pepper for best flavor.
variations
- Worcestershire Sauce: add ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the marination for an added flavor.
how to make buffalo chicken thighs
These are basic process shots for this recipe. For detailed instructions refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix all the spices and oil in a bowl.
2. Marinate the chicken thighs in the sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour.
3. Place the marinated chicken thighs on the wire rack over baking tray.
4. Bake at 425 F preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes.
serving suggestions
- Dressings: serve these chicken pieces with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Celery Sticks: serve it with chicken thighs.
- Buffalo Chicken Tacos or wraps: Make tacos or wraps using the buffalo chicken thighs. Just shred the chicken and use salad leaves to prep the wraps or tacos.
pro tips
Dry Properly: Pat dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove the excess moisture from the thighs. The drier the chicken thighs are the better the result is.
Crispy Skin: For crispy skin broil the chicken thighs for 2 - 3 minutes at high speed once they are baked.
Internal Temperature: Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken pieces to ensure they are perfectly moist, tender and soft. If the thermometer shows 165 F when inserted to the chicken, it means it is ready.
More Buffalo Sauce: Apply 2 - 3 tablespoon of buffalo sauce once the chicken pieces are out of the oven. This gives an extra kick to this chicken recipe. I usually skip this part and it depends on your personal preference.
common questions
Yes, you certainly can. The process and spices remain the same. Just follow the procedure. The texture might be different as chicken breasts are usually little dry as compared to the thighs.
Yes by all means. This depends on the personal preference. Use boneless and skinless thighs instead of the skin on thighs and you'll get your perfect chicken thighs.
Great questions, if you have an air fryer than use it to make these pieces of chicken. Air frying this bone-in chicken thighs recipe is simple. Preheat your air fryer at 380 F, place the chicken pieces on the air fryer basket in a single layer and let it cook for about 20 - 22 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces half way around at 10 minutes to ensure crispy skin on the top.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. If the temperature is 165 F then your chicken is properly cooked and is tender from inside. For crispy chicken thighs make sure they have a golden brown color. You can achieve this by broiling the chicken 2 - 3 minutes after they are done cooking.
My all time favorite is frank's red hot or frank's hot sauce. I always get the best results using this sauce and it is readily available from the market. You may use any of your favorite hot sauces.
Yes, place the marinated chicken pieces on a baking tray and put them in the freezer for about an hour or so until the chicken pieces have hardened. Take them out and stash them in a ziploc bag or an air tight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to bake them, take them out of the freezer, thaw and bake.
how to store
- The leftover chicken thighs will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days. Place the chicken in an air tight jar and put it in the fridge.
- Place the leftover chicken thighs pieces in an air tight container or a ziploc bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.
how to re-heat buffalo chicken thighs
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer at 400 F and place the lemon pepper drumsticks in the air fryer basket. Bake for about 4 - 5 minutes.
- Oven: Place the leftover drumsticks on the baking tray and put in the preheated oven at 400 F. Bake for 6 - 8 minutes until heated completely.
- Microwave: Place the chicken legs in the microwave and heat in 30 seconds intervals till heated completely.
related chicken recipes
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Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Tongs.
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 - 1.5 lbs chicken thighs (with bones and skin)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (26 g)
- 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce or hot sauce (14 g)
- 2 clove garlic (10 - 13 g)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (1.3 g)
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper (1.3 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove the access fat from the chicken pieces.
- Take a large bowl and add all the spices and olive oil in it. Mix until combined.
- Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and stir.
- Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for an hour.
- Preheat the oven at 425 F.
- Cover a baking dish with foil and place a wire rack over it.
- Take out the chicken pieces and place them on the wire rack.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the chicken is soft and tender.
- Use a thermometer and insert in the middle of one piece. The internal temperature should be about 165 F.
- To get a crispier skin, broil at high speed for 2 - 3 minutes.
