With Turkey Day still a few weeks away, chicken thighs give weeknight dinners plenty of room to change. These 19 options range from sheet-pan meals and curries to noodles, rice bowls, skewers, and crisp skillet favorites. Each brings its own seasoning and serving style, helping dinner stay varied through the stretch before the holiday meal.
Chicken Korma
Dinner takes a fragrant, creamy turn with Chicken Korma, a six-serving curry that takes an hour from start to finish. Chicken thighs simmer with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, onions, cashews, and warm spices for a sauce made to spoon over rice or naan. It brings a rich change of pace to weeknight menus before the Thanksgiving cooking begins, and leftovers can cover another meal.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Korma
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Veggies
A full tray of golden vegetables makes Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Veggies an easy fit for the weeks before Turkey Day. Four servings take 55 minutes total, with chicken thighs, potatoes, peppers, asparagus, red onion, lemon, and balsamic on the pan. The mix brings a complete dinner together in one round of roasting, leaving less stovetop work for a regular weeknight.
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Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers
Smoky grill marks and a peanut dipping sauce give Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers a lively spot between the usual roasts. Four servings take 65 minutes total, including prep, with chicken thighs, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, red curry paste, lime, and a creamy peanut sauce. Set the skewers over rice for a weeknight dinner with a different shape and plenty of bright, savory flavor.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers
Sticky Chicken Thighs
A glossy glaze clinging to each piece gives Sticky Chicken Thighs their dinner-table appeal. The four-serving batch takes 85 minutes total, including a 30-minute chill, and pairs bone-in thighs with honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar. Serve them with rice and a green vegetable when a sweet-savory main can help fill the weeks before the holiday roast arrives.
Get the Recipe: Sticky Chicken Thighs
Chicken Masala
On a cooler evening, Chicken Masala brings a deeply spiced curry to the table, ready to ladle over rice or flatbread. Six servings take 50 minutes total, with chicken thighs, tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, yogurt, and ground spices building the sauce. It adds an Indian-inspired option to the pre-Thanksgiving rotation, especially for nights when dinner needs a break from familiar casseroles.
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Chinese Steamed Chicken
Aromatic steam and tender mushroom pieces set Chinese Steamed Chicken apart from oven-roasted dinners. Four servings take 30 minutes total, pairing chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, ginger, green onions, light soy sauce, and sesame oil. Spoon the juices over rice and serve it on a busy night when a simple stovetop meal sounds right, while the holiday menu is still a few weeks away.
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Chicken Chow Mein
Takeout-style noodles bring a different kind of weeknight dinner with Chicken Chow Mein. The 30-minute dish makes four servings with chicken thighs, chow mein noodles, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and a savory soy and oyster sauce. It fits the stretch before Turkey Day when everyone wants a filling meal, but the kitchen needs something quick and familiar without a long cleanup.
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Lemongrass Chicken
Citrusy, fragrant chicken adds an aromatic note to the weeknight lineup with Lemongrass Chicken. Six servings take 65 minutes total, with chicken thighs marinated with lemongrass, garlic, lime, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Serve it with rice and a crisp side for an easy contrast to heavier holiday dishes, while November’s big meal is still on the horizon.
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Chicken 65
Crunchy edges and tangy seasoning make Chicken 65 a bold change from the usual chicken dinner. Six servings take an hour total, with thigh pieces coated in rice flour and cornstarch, marinated with yogurt and spices, then fried and tossed with curry leaves. Add rice or a cooling yogurt dip, and this Indian-inspired dish fills a weeknight before turkey season gets underway.
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Sheet Pan Maple Chicken
One pan brings a sweet-savory finish to Sheet Pan Maple Chicken, thanks to maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and smoky bacon. Four servings take an hour total with chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and red onion. The pan covers the plate with protein and vegetables, making it a useful supper during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and keeping cleanup simple afterward.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Maple Chicken
Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey
With a savory glaze and a hint of citrus, Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey makes a distinctive skillet dinner. Four servings take 30 minutes total, combining chicken thighs with white miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon, orange, butter, and honey. Serve it with rice or noodles on a busy night when a quick pan meal can break up the wait for Turkey Day.
Get the Recipe: Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Golden skin under a sticky glaze makes Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs an inviting main for a weeknight plate. Four servings take 70 minutes total, including marinating time, with bone-in thighs, honey, garlic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and green onions. Pair them with rice or roasted vegetables for an easy dinner that keeps the family menu varied until the holiday spread arrives.
Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
When the evening is packed, Instant Pot Chicken and Rice puts the main dish and its side together in one pot. Six servings take 27 minutes total, using chicken thighs, long-grain rice, broth, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and frozen vegetables. Spoon it straight into bowls after a busy day, when you want a complete meal without adding another side before the Thanksgiving countdown.
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Butter Chicken
Creamy tomato sauce gives Butter Chicken a warming place among these dinners. Four servings take 40 minutes total, with chicken thighs, Greek yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, tomato paste, butter, and cream. Ladle it over rice or scoop it up with naan for a weeknight meal that brings fragrant Indian flavors to the table before Turkey Day, without needing a long afternoon of prep.
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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Set over rice with creamy corn and crumbled cheese, Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl brings a fresh spin to dinner. Four servings take 40 minutes total, combining chicken thighs with lime, cumin, Tajin, grilled corn, sour cream, mayonnaise, cotija, and rice. It makes a colorful weeknight option when Thanksgiving dishes are still weeks away and another hearty bowl sounds good.
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Crispy Chicken Thighs
Crunch from a Parmesan coating gives Crispy Chicken Thighs the texture many weeknight dinners miss. Four servings take 35 minutes total, with chicken thigh fillets dipped in egg, then coated in breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper before frying. Add a green salad or potatoes for a familiar plate that can help carry the menu until the holiday turkey comes out.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Chicken Thighs
Chicken and Waffles
The contrast of crisp chicken and soft waffles makes Chicken and Waffles a welcome change from a standard supper plate. Six servings take 55 minutes total, using chicken thighs, buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, and waffle mix. A drizzle of syrup brings the savory and sweet sides together, making it a hearty dinner for one of the evenings before Thanksgiving.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Waffles
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
When dinner can cook while you handle the rest of the day, Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs earns its place on the schedule. Six servings take 4 hours 15 minutes total, with bone-in thighs, Italian seasoning, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, broth, cream, and Parmesan. The creamy sauce gives the chicken a hearty finish, and leftovers can stretch into lunch before the Thanksgiving rush.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Baked Chicken Thighs
An appetizing aroma drifts from Baked Chicken Thighs as apples, potatoes, onions, and herbs roast alongside the chicken. Six servings take 75 minutes total, with bone-in thighs, garlic, rosemary, and oregano rounding out the pan. Everything cooks together for a full dinner, making this a good choice for the weeks before Thanksgiving when you want an oven meal without making a turkey.
Get the Recipe: Baked Chicken Thighs