Keto Chicken Thigh Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many chicken thighs can I eat on keto? ›

As a rule of thumb for a main course, plan on about 3/4 to one pound of bone-in chicken thighs per person or 1/2 pound of boneless chicken thighs per person. If you need a way to fit more fat into your day, opt for skin-on, bone-in thighs instead of boneless and skinless.

Chicken thighs (with the skin on) are perfect for when you're on the ketogenic diet. The meat is a little richer and fattier than breast meat, plus keeping the skin on ups the fat count.

Can you eat as much chicken as you want on keto? If you've decided to get started on a ketogenic lifestyle, you should be aware that you can't eat an unlimited quantity of meat on the keto diet.

"With a keto diet, the breakdown is approximately 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein and 5 percent carbohydrates." For example, a woman who weighs 150 pounds and is moderately active is recommended to eat 25 grams of carbs (think one medium sized apple!), 86 grams of protein (a little over three 3 oz chicken breasts) ...

Unfortunately for weight loss efforts, chicken thighs have more calories and more fat. In a 3 ounce serving, skinless chicken breast has 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. A three ounce portion of chicken thigh has 170 calories and 3 grams of fat.

Ultimately, chicken thighs can be a healthy addition to your diet as long as they're prepared in a good-for-you way. If you are trying to limit your fat intake, prepare chicken thighs in ways that don't use much added oil, like grilling, baking or stir-frying. Also be mindful of the sodium that you add during cooking.

Skinless chicken breast is much lower in fats and calories than thighs. Breasts have about 30 calories per ounce. Thighs have about 50. For the same amount of calories, you can have a larger serving and also more protein, from breasts.

Cook the Thighs, Respectfully

Start by generously seasoning the meat with salt and searing the outside of the thigh (yes, the skin) in a cast-iron skillet with some oil. Start skin side down. Don't overcrowd the pan, and cook in batches if needed or you'll end up with soggy thighs.

Chicken thighs are a perfect go-to for a hot grill (or grill pan!). Try a rub or marinade, or simply season with salt and pepper. Brush grill grates or grill pan with oil. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

The key is to cook them slowly.

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.

Should I flip chicken thighs when baking? ›

There is no need to rotate the pan or flip the chicken thighs at any point during the baking process. Let the chicken thighs rest in the baking pan for at least 10 minutes then serve 'em on up!

But I know you are wondering– should you cover chicken thighs when they are baking? The simple answer is, no. We don't cover our skin-on chicken thighs because we want that skin to get nice and crispy!

Any chef I know prefers the thighs because they have a higher fat content which helps prevent them from drying out and becoming sandpaper in your mouth. Thighs are much more versatile.

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.

The average package of four chicken thighs will weigh approximately 1 1/2 pounds. One chicken thigh will yield about 3 ounces of meat (without skin or bone), so for big meat eaters, count on two thighs per person. For kids and lighter eaters, one chicken thigh per person should be enough.

Chicken thigh, skin eaten (3 ounce) contains 0g total carbs, 0g net carbs, 11.2g fat, 24g protein, and 203 calories.

According to the USDA My Plate program, the recommended daily intake of lean cooked poultry is 5 ½ to 6 ounces for adults and teens and 2 to 4 ounces for smaller children. If you're eating chicken twice a day, this is roughly two 3.5-ounce portions or one 6-ounce serving.