Chicken thighs are a fairly inexpensive part of the chicken and you can save more money by removing the bones yourself than buying boneless chicken thighs. Here's how to do it.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Removing the Chicken Thigh Bone
Step 1. Separate the chicken calves
If the shank or chicken feet are still attached to the thigh, you will need to slip a cutting tool between the connecting joints to cut it. Cut the meat in that section to separate the entire thigh and calf of the chicken.
- Bend the chicken feet to determine the connection between the thigh and calf. Try to bend in several places until you succeed. The point where the chicken feet bend is the joint.
- Place the thigh skin-side down and cut at this joint, cutting all the way through to separate the chicken halves.
- If you accidentally cut the bone while trying to separate the thigh and calf, move the knife until you find the exact point, which should be fairly easy to cut.
- All this work should be done on a clean cutting board if possible. Using a clean cutting board minimizes the risk of transferring bacteria from the worktop or work surface to the chicken while minimizing the risk of accidentally damaging the countertop by cutting tools. In addition, cutting boards are easier to clean than kitchen counters, thereby reducing the risk of catching salmonella bacteria or other bacteria and viruses that come from food as a result of their spread.
- There are several cutting tools that can be used. Some people find a knife with a long, narrow blade such as a filet knife to work well. Others find clean kitchen scissors the easiest to use. Instead, you may also be able to use a small knife or a special knife to remove the bone.
Step 2. Remove the skin, if desired
If a recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, you can remove the skin by cutting the membrane between the skin and muscle. Use your fingers to loosen the skin as you cut the membrane.
Note that you can also remove the skin after removing the bone and trim the thigh if necessary. Some cooks prefer to do this step beforehand, while others wait afterward. However, there is no exact time to do so, so this is purely a matter of personal choice
Step 3. Cut the chicken bones
By cutting off the bottom of the chicken thigh, make an incision from the top end of the thigh down, cutting as close to the bone as possible.
- The side of the thigh that is still there or there is no skin should face down during this process.
- The cut should be deep so that the bone is as visible as possible. Do this carefully, as you should not cut it all the way to the other side of the thigh.
- Cut both sides of the thigh with the bone on to make it as visible as possible.
Step 4. Remove the cartilage at the top or bottom of the bone
Use a cutting tool to cut away the tough cartilage that joins the bone to the meat at the top or bottom of the bone.
If you don't want to remove the cartilage, you can't remove the bone from the flesh to slip the cutting tool between the two halves
Step 5. Cut the bottom bone
Move the cutting tool from one end of the bone to the other, slicing the joint membrane that holds the bone to the meat.
- If using kitchen shears or regular shears, cut the muscle and membrane directly. If you're using a knife, you'll need to cut it using a sawing motion.
- Keep the knife as close to the bone as possible to avoid cutting more meat than necessary.
- Do not cut towards the fingers as you could accidentally cut your own hand.
- Grasp the bone and pull up from the thigh meat as you cut it.
- It will take a few tugs before you can get the bone off the thigh.
- Use short, scraping motions to finish separating the bones from the flesh.
Step 6. Remove the fat
Once the bone has been removed, examine the fat layer on the thigh. Use a cutting tool to remove this layer of fat.
It is better to wait until the bone has been removed and the thigh has been exposed before removing this layer of fat. More of the thigh meat will be exposed at the end of the bone-removal process than at the beginning, and the easier it is to see the thigh meat, the easier it will be to locate the fat and thus remove more fat
Step 7. Examine the remaining cartilage and bone fragments
Occasionally, fragments of bone and cartilage may remain, even if you have removed the femur properly. Check the chicken thighs for any residue like this and remove them before using the chicken thighs.
At this stage, the chicken thighs have been removed from the bone and are ready to be cooked. You can use it for any recipe you like
Part 2 of 2: Improving Process
Step 1. Remove the chicken thigh bones in bulk and freeze the rest
Buying chicken thighs in bulk can save you money, and if you prepare chicken thighs ahead of time to use in several dishes, you can minimize the amount of time spent in the evening preparing dinner.
- Wrap the thigh meat in a special freezer-grade plastic wrap, special bacon paper, or strong aluminum foil. Place the thigh in a freezer-safe plastic container or a sealed plastic bag. Vacuum sealed plastic bags are preferable if used.
- Store chicken thighs in the coldest part of the freezer.
- Freezing raw chicken thighs at -18 degrees Celsius will keep food safe indefinitely, but for the sake of quality, it is highly recommended that you use frozen chicken thighs within 9 months.
Step 2. Save the bones to make chicken stock
The thighbones and scraps of meat attached to the bones were inedible, but they had a lot of flavour. You can use this flavor by using bones and scraps of meat for a broth that can be used in soups, stews, gravy, and other recipes.
- If you want to use the bones for the broth but don't have enough time to remove the bones from the chicken thighs, you can wrap them in a strong aluminum sheet or store them in a plastic bag that can be sealed and is safe for freezer. Store bone and meat scraps for up to 3-4 months before use.
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You can prepare a simple broth by placing the bones from 900-1800 grams of chicken thighs in a large saucepan and soaking them in cold water.
- Add the chopped celery, onions, carrots, and parsley to the water, along with 1 teaspoon salt and teaspoon black pepper.
- Boil all the ingredients.
- Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer slowly, and do not cover the pot, for four hours or more. Always discard any foam that appears.
- Strain the broth from the bones and vegetables and save the broth.
- This broth can be used immediately or stored for the next serving.
Step 3. Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts
Since chicken thighs tend to be more moist than chicken breasts and tougher if cooked too long, people prefer to use chicken breasts. If you have extra chicken thighs and the recipe you're using doesn't require chicken thighs, you can use them instead of chicken breasts in other recipes.
Note that if you're using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, you'll need to cook them longer than the time required in the original recipe directions because thighs take longer than chicken breasts
Warning
- Clean hands and work equipment after handling raw chicken.
- Chicken meat has been known to contain salmonella bacteria, which causes serious health risks. Scrub the counter, knife, and hands with hot water and antibacterial soap when you're done preparing the chicken thighs.
- When dealing with raw chicken, you also shouldn't touch anything with unwashed hands as you may forget to clean them later. Remove rings, bracelets, or watches before starting work, and don't open cupboards or drawers when dealing with chicken.
