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Kid Friendly Chicken Thigh Recipes

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These kid friendly chicken thigh recipes are full of rich, tender, juicy dark meat chicken and delicious flavors that even the kids will love. Made with simple ingredients, these easy chicken thigh recipes will have everyone in the family asking for seconds!

If you have picky eaters, you probably already know that chicken is always a great choice for the least amount of complaining possible when dinner time rolls around.

Over the years, I learned that chicken dishes were almost always a winner with my son. He may eat anything he sees today, but at the time, he was a picky eater with a capital PICKY. Chicken always seemed to be a winner with him because most chicken flavors are kid friendly to begin with.

I made all kinds of chicken recipes so dinner would go off without a hitch, and I've put many of them on our blog. Today, I'm sharing all of them with you!

Why are Chicken Dinners Kid Friendly?

Chicken is a mild protein source that pairs well with all kinds of flavors, from bold to milder ones. You don't need much to make chicken delicious, which is why it's such a kid friendly dinner option.

Chicken can be bathed in hot, spicy sauces and all kinds of exotic flavors, or in cases where you need to make something picky eaters will enjoy, chicken can be simply seasoned and minimalistic.

What Goes Well with Chicken Thighs

Chicken is a versatile meat that pairs well with just about anything. From simple salt and pepper to more creative options, chicken can be made with and paired with almost anything.

Grains

Everyone knows chicken and rice go hand in hand, but did you know it goes with a wide variety of other grains as well? Chicken can be paired with:

  • White and brown rice
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Bulgar

Vegetables

Almost any vegetable you can think of pairs well with chicken thighs. The rich thigh flavor pairs well with any of your favorite vegetables. Try it with:

  • Potatoes
  • Green beans
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Corn
  • Parsnips
  • Spinach
  • Sweet potatoes

Bread

Pair these kid friendly chicken thigh recipes with your favorite bread options. Generally, chicken thighs pair well with almost any kind of bread, either served on the side or using the chicken as a sandwich filling.

  • Any sliced loaf bread
  • French bread
  • Italian bread
  • Garlic bread
  • Breadsticks
  • Garlic knots
  • Dinner rolls

Sauces

Sauces can turn regular chicken thighs into all kinds of delicious dishes from around the world. Simple cream sauces can create chicken fettuccine. Zesty Asian sauces of all kinds transform chicken into amazing dishes.

There really isn't a sauce that doesn't go well with chicken thighs. Because of that, we aren't listing them here individually. If it's a sauce, chances are it will work with chicken!

Why Your Kids Will Love These Kid Friendly Chicken Thigh Recipes

  • Classic Flavors: This chicken thigh recipes are full of classic flavors like crispy baked thighs to only slightly more exotic like honey garlic chicken. Everything is simple even though it's flavorful.
  • Great Texture: All of these chicken thigh recipes have texture that the kids will love - crispy skin, firm veggies, and nothing mushy.
  • Simple: These are simple recipes that only use a few basic ingredients. Simple is always better for picky eaters!

Why You'll Love These Kid Friendly Chicken Thigh Recipes

  • Basic Ingredients: Kids love basic ingredients because there's nothing they don't understand. You'll love them because there's nothing you have to scour speciality stores for.
  • Quick and Easy: These are simple recipes that come together quickly and easily.
  • No Complaining: These recipes are ones that even picky eaters will eat, so you won't have to deal with dinner time complaining.

FAQ

Why are kids picky eaters?

There are a variety of reasons kids can be picky eaters. One of the most common is simply their tastebuds. Children perceive flavors differently than adults. In addition, they're more sensitive to hot, spicy foods or foods with strong flavors.

Can you make kids less picky eaters?

Kids usually simply grow out of the picky eater phase. However, while they're in it, you can try making different dishes using simple ingredients that you know they like. Simply changing the presentation can help move them out of that phase.

What are kid friendly recipes?

Kid friendly recipes are those that use simple ingredients and mild flavor. This combination keeps dishes from overloading their young, developing, and sensitive tastebuds.

Kid Friendly Chicken Thigh Recipes

These kid friendly chicken thigh recipes use chicken thighs for a deeper, richer flavor from the start. They're made with simple ingredients and seasonings to help make it more likely that your children will eat them, as well!

From basic recipes like crispy air fryer chicken thighs to molasses glazed chicken thighs and everything in between, these recipes cater to a picky eater's desire for simple flavors and textures. At the same time, they're delicious enough that all the adults will love them, too!

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs in the Oven
This Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs Recipe features tender, juicy chicken smothered in a sweet and savory homemade sauce for a flavor-packed meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.
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Chopsticks holding a piece of sliced baked teriyaki chicken thighs on top of rice on a plate.
Crockpot Apricot Chicken
This 4-ingredient Crockpot Apricot Chicken is full of flavor and incredibly easy to make! Sweet, savory, and delicious, it's the perfect meal for a busy weeknight.
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A fork cutting into a piece of crockpot apricot chicken over rice on a plate.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
These Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs are so easy to make! They're the perfect addition to weeknight dinners with the a tasty blend of sweet and savory flavors, especially when served on a bed of rice!
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Air Fryer Jerk Chicken
This air fryer jerk chicken is loaded with bold spice, crispy skin, and tender, juicy meat. And it's all done to perfection in the air fryer!
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Crockpot Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
This Crockpot Huli Huli Chicken slow cooks with a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce for a fall-off-the-bone tender chicken dish everyone will love.
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Serving of crockpot huli huli chicken over a bed of rice on a plate.
Easy Apple Cider Chicken Recipe
This apple cider chicken blends the sweetness of apple cider with savory spices into a delicious glaze. This glaze caramelizes to form a glossy, wonderfully sticky coating on the chicken! It's sure to be one the whole family will love and I'm sure it that will go into your regular rotation.
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Overhead shot of cast-iron skillet full of sweet balsamic apple cider chicken.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Craving crispy baked chicken thighs that are juicy and full of flavor? This easy recipe uses simple ingredients and seasoning to create perfectly crispy skin on your oven-fried chicken thighs!
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Cooked crispy chicken thighs cooling on a wire rack
Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Recipe
Want to know the trick to tender, perfectly juicy chicken thighs? Sous vide cooking makes an easy for creating mouthwatering, tender dishes, and chicken thighs are no exception. These sous vide boneless chicken thighs deliver moist, tender, and flavorful chicken each and every time.
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A sous vide boneless chicken thighs on the plate with salad on the side.
Baked Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs
This Baked Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs recipe makes an easy weeknight dinner. It's easy, tasty, healthy, and the perfect blend of sweet and savory with soy sauce, garlic, molasses and more! This baked chicken recipe is sure to be a hit on the dinner table.
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Oven Baked Soy Garlic Chicken Thighs on plate with broccoli with one bite removed from chicken.
Incredible Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Buffalo Chicken Thighs are perfectly spiced, crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, perfect for Buffalo wing lovers who want more of a meal!
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Two Buffalo Chicken Thighs on a white plate with salad and some carrots and celery sticks.
Barbecue Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs
Barbecue Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs are so easy and delicious! Only a few ingredients, this mix, dump and go recipe is as easy as they come!
Crockpot BBQ chicken thighs on a plate with mashed potatoes.
Easy Chicken and Beans Skillet
Easy Beans, Bacon and Chicken is made with baked beans in tomato sauce, bacon and chicken. Fast and fabulous recipe is perfect for any day of the week!
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A bowl of chicken and beans recipe with bacon on the table topped with cheese.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs
Sweet and sour chicken thighs have the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Made with simple ingredients, this crispy chicken recipe is easy to make in a few quick steps.
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A skillet of sweet and sour chicken with chopsticks stuck in back.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken Thighs
Air fryer fried chicken thighs cook up perfectly every time. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, chicken thighs never tasted so good!
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A small piece of a chicken thigh being held by a fork.
Parmesan Chicken Thighs
Parmesan chicken thighs are coated with panko parmesan breading and then baked to golden brown perfection. They're so easy and so delicious.
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Baked Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron Skillet
These cast iron skillet baked chicken thighs are so easy and absolutely delicious. An easy recipe for crispy skin and juicy chicken, every time you make it!
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Pan and Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
These honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs, are tender, juicy, and loaded with zippy, sweet flavor. They're so easy and so good!
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Bacon wrapped chicken thighs with garlic are so addictive! This chicken thighs recipe with bacon is so easy you won't believe it! And you can cook them in the air fryer or the oven for a chicken thigh full of garlic and bacon flavor and nice crisp edges.
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Bacon wrapped garlic chicken thigh on a plate with mashed potatoes and asparagus.
Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs
Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs are baked in an oven or air fryer, and as a bonus includes the best recipe for a whole, oven baked, crispy honey chicken.
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Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs
Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs
These Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs are a delight! The molasses mixture makes a marinade that turns these chicken thighs into a delicious meal.
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Garlic Chicken Thighs
Garlic Chicken Thighs are easy to make and taste great. If you love garlic, these baked bone-in, skin on, chicken thighs are perfectly flavored with hints of garlic and butter. It's a simple chicken recipe that's big on flavor but easy to make.
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Garlic chicken thigh on a white plate with carrots.
Raspberry Balsamic Baked Chicken
Raspberry Balsamic Baked Chicken is so flavorful and tasty!  A great way to use up your raspberries or a fabulous excuse to buy them! 
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Overhead shot of three cooked Raspberry Balsamic Baked Chicken thighs on a plate with salad.
Easy Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk Chicken Adobo makes the most flavorful bone in skin on chicken thighs perfect for any night of the week and requires less than eight ingredients.
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A corner of a pot cooking Filipino chicken adobo with coconut milk.

Try These Kid Friendly Chicken Thigh Recipes

Whether you make honey garlic chicken thighs, simple pan seared thighs, or any of the other kid friendly chicken thigh recipes on this list, you'll find something that everyone in the family will love. Give these recipes a try and get ready for a peaceful and delicious dinner.

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