Curry Braised Chicken Thighs (2024)

FAQs

Can you overcook chicken thighs in curry? ›

The chicken is briefly browned in a frying pan and then cooked in a creamy, mildly spiced sauce. If the chicken is rubbery in texture then it is likely that it is being overcooked, or cooked too fiercely.

You want to extract the all flavours from the chicken, to give the curry more depth. But between breasts and thighs, I'll go for thighs - bone in. The meat is more tender, there's plenty of fat and the bones give more depth.

Gentle techniques—such as braising at a relatively low heat and grilling over an indirect fire—work best. The goal is to keep the meat at an internal temp between 140 and 195 degrees—the collagen-breakdown sweet spot—for as long as possible.

In fact, the more you cook chicken thighs (up to a point), the better they get because that connective tissue dissolves, leaving behind fork-tender meat. So if you've got a batch of chicken thighs for dinner, it's not only okay to overcook them, it's encouraged.

Yes! Dark meat becomes more tender the longer it cooks because it has more connective tissue than white meat. The connective tissues break down the hotter the internal temperature becomes which renders the chicken thighs juicy, moist, and tender.

Use a small, sharp knife to cut a small incision in the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. Red or pink juices are an indicator that the meat hasn't finished cooking. The exterior of the meat should be opaque (rather than translucent) and golden-brown in color.

For this Indian curry, the sauce is simmered together first to meld the flavors, then the chicken is added to the sauce. This prevents the chicken from getting overcooked and dry. My Thai curries call for browning the chicken, then adding it to the sauce later, this also prevents dry chicken.

The size can vary dramatically, so for menu planning purposes, plan about 1/2 lb of chicken per person. Depending on the size and menu, a serving would typically be one or two chicken thighs per person.

While the breasts are often the go-to choice for many, dark meat chicken, such as chicken thighs and legs, actually makes for a more deeply-flavored, rich curry. Dark meat and white meat (which includes the breasts and wings) differ in terms of taste, texture, and overall cooking properties.

For the ultimate juicy and tender chicken thigh experience, aim for an internal temp between 175 and 185 F. Any temperature higher than that can dry out or burn your meat, but the perfect 175° to 185° range will get you well above the minimum safe temperature and maximize the poultry's flavor potential.

Why do chefs prefer chicken thighs? ›

Way More Flavorful

Any good cook knows that fat is flavor, and that is yet another reason why thighs are superior to breasts. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, which means they're going to have more intense, rich flavor than their white meat counterparts.

Coat the pan in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and then put the thighs skin-side down on the pan. The point here isn't to cook the thighs through, you'll do that in the oven later. You want all the lovely chicken fat to gently, gradually render, giving the skin that crispiness we crave.

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, chicken thighs should be fully cooked after about half an hour. You'll know they're done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F.

Color is not a reliable indicator of safety or doneness. Safely cooked poultry can vary in color from white to pink to tan. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer.

The restaurant supply chain for chicken thighs, and whole chickens in general, relies on an extensive network of breeders, farmers, processors, distributors, suppliers and retailers. The chicken industry has faced several challenges that have contributed to shortages and high-price movements.

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

Cooking chicken can be tricky, as overcooking it can cause it to become tough and dry.

Let it cook for as long as possible. Simmering a curry allows time for the flavours to infuse; a long, slow simmering time generally produces the best curry. Flavours will continue to infuse even when the curry is taken off the heat, so do allow time for the curry to “rest” and cool down before serving.

Add some curry spice paste and gently cook for a few minutes. This allows the spices to release all their • wonderful flavours and aromas. Next add your meat or vegetables and cook until sealed. Finally add some water and leave to simmer for 15-30 mins depending on the recipe.