One of the most comfortable and most economical barbecue recipes that can be cooked at home is oven bbq boneless chicken thighs. However, this is a bit challenging to cook since it requires an accurate temperature to bake correctly. It may also take some extent before you can enjoy your baked chicken thighs. So, how long to bake bbq boneless chicken thighs at 350?
According to experts, the perfect cooking temperature for meat, including chicken, is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It's good to follow this rule as there are times we tend to overcook our chicken. There are some essential factors for you to consider to avoid overcooking.
Should I Cover My Chicken Thighs When Baking?
There are some precious tips to follow to create juicier and more flavorful baked bbq chicken thighs. For instance, you don't grill your chicken thighs or put them in the oven to bake without searing them first. To develop more flavor, you can use your cast iron grill pan to sear the chicken thighs. Searing the meat using a grill pan or skillet helps make sure the juices stay inside during the baking process.
Both sides must be seared before baking the chicken in your oven for up to 30 minutes. You can cover your chicken thighs when baking so that the bbq sauce remains on the meat. It will help achieve a juicy, flavorful baked bbq boneless chicken thighs that are savory and delicious.
How Long Does It Take to BBQ Chicken Thighs?
The secret to well-baked chicken thighs is in the prep and cooking process. You can rub some homemade bbq sauce all you want, but if you don't bake it at the right temperature and enough time, it won't turn out as expected. Now, how long should you barbecue your chicken thighs?
Some meat takes longer to cook, while others only take several minutes before they can be served. Here are the indispensable steps on how to bake bbq boneless chicken thighs at 350:
1. Grab your spices, then mix them in a bowl. You can follow your measurements for your spices, but it's essential to use the standard guidelines when measuring spices to achieve the best flavor for your chicken thighs.
2. If your spice mixture has some lumps in it, don't worry because it's normal. Just make sure to mix them as much as possible without spending too much time and pressure.
3. Line your baking sheet with foil and place the chicken thighs on the sheet. Make sure both sides are seared before drizzling some spice mixture and olive oil on your chicken.
4. After rubbing the mixture onto your chicken thighs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 40 minutes. Baste the chicken with your homemade bbq sauce, then broil it for at least three minutes. Remember that your chicken thighs must reach 165 degrees internal temperature before serving it on the table.
You can serve your baked bbq boneless chicken thighs with some salad to create a sumptuous meal for the family. A mixture of vegetables or mixed greens are an excellent partner for the chicken thighs, especially if you're attempting to eat a healthy diet. Some serve them with mashed potatoes, cream cheese, or green beans.
Can Chicken Thighs Still be Pink When Cooked?
While the breast part is naturally white meat, the chicken thigh is dark in color since the muscles are used more. If the thigh part is still pink when cooked, you need to put it back on the grill or oven to allow more cooking. A thoroughly cooked chicken with pink color is sometimes a result of a chemical reaction related to heat.
However, doneness does not depend on the color of the chicken thighs when it's cooked. In some cases, the hemoglobin present in the meat tissues remains unaltered and stable from the heat during baking, boiling, sauteing, grilling, or cooking. Make sure you've got the right internal temperature to thoroughly cook your chicken thighs without losing the juices that give flavor to the end product.
Is It OK If Chicken Thighs are a Little Pink?
Chicken thighs that are a little pink after cooking are OK to eat. However, the internal temperature must meet the US Department of Agriculture's recommended temperature. From breast to thigh, all poultry meat has suggested internal cooking temperature. It helps prevent airborne illnesses and other potential spoilage.
Fully cooked chicken thighs, whether it's pink or not, usually have 165 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature based on USDA's guidelines. You can use a thermometer to ascertain your chicken thigh's internal temperature, just press it on the center to see accurate results.
Depending on the cooking method used, smoking usually produces pink meat even when chicken thighs are thoroughly cooked. Usually, liquid and natural smoke flavoring give half an inch pink ring on the cooked meat. Outdoor grilling may also produce the pink ring on chicken meat.
How Can You Tell If Chicken Thighs are Done Without a Thermometer?
Taking your meat off the oven or grill only to find out that it's not completely cooked yet is one of the common issues in preparing home-cooked meals. So before you say dinner is ready, it's essential to know whether the chicken thighs are done or not. But how do you do this without a meat thermometer?
For sure, you have learned some methods to check the doneness of your meat without using any device. Whatever you're using, here are the following tips on how to tell if chicken thighs are done without a thermometer:
Feel the chicken meat
The finger test is one of the standard methods of cooking buffs use at home when checking their meat's doneness. Food safety experts may not recommend this, but it works more effectively on small meat cuts.
Relax your hand and press the flesh below the thumb to feel what a lump of raw meat is like. Press the middle finger against the thumb while pinching it to feel what medium-rare is like. Press the ring finger against the thumb to feel what medium cooked is like. Press the pinkie finger against the thumb to feel what well done is like.
Check the meat size
Determining the doneness of meat may be easy with their exterior color. However, you can also refer to the size to check whether your chicken thighs are already cooked or not. Some meat has those deliciously looking grill marks but still uncooked on the inside.
The size of the meat says a lot about its doneness. For instance, if it has not shrunk yet, then it needs more cooking time. If the meat appears to be smaller and shrunk, it's probably cooked and ready to serve. Now, if it looks too small, chances are your meat is overcooked.
Poke the chicken meat
By poking the meat, you can see whether the juices are clear or red. Thoroughly cooked chicken thighs will produce clear juices when cut into pieces. On the other hand, if there are pink or red juices after cutting into the meat, it needs more cooking.
Some people don't use this method since the juices are wasted after cutting into the chicken thighs to check its doneness. But it helps, especially when you don't have a meat thermometer or any device to determine if your baked bbq boneless chicken thighs are done.
Can You Overcook Chicken Thighs?
The best recommendation when it comes to cooking chicken is to focus on temperature rather than time. With baked bbq boneless chicken thighs, the ideal temperature is 350 degrees, but it can be higher depending on your equipment and meat thickness.
Any meat can be overcooked, especially chicken breast. It is why it's essential to have a thermometer when cooking poultry meat. You can cook chicken breast at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a longer time or at 165 degrees Fahrenheit for a shorter time. For texture reason, some home cooks would cook their chicken at 185 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve dark meat appearance.
It's important to understand that white meat such as chicken can cook fast and quickly dries out. If you want to avoid an overcooked chicken, always be accurate on the baking time or cooking time in general. Overcooked chicken is usually dry and tight in texture. But if it tastes delicious, then rest assured that your chicken is not overcooked.
Being precise about the internal temperature also helps in achieving a thoroughly cooked chicken. Remember, pink poultry meat requires more time to cook while red meat is pretty much easy to manage, especially when grilling. You need to be more careful when cooking white meat as they need to be cooked thoroughly. So are you confident that your baked bbq boneless chicken thighs are well done?
