20 Chicken Recipes: Endless Ways to Cook Your Favorite Protein

74°C (165°F) at the thickest point is the food-safety standard for all chicken. For breasts, pull at 71°C and rest 5 minutes — carryover heat closes the gap and the meat stays juicier. Thighs and drumsticks taste better cooked past the minimum, around 80–85°C, because their collagen needs the extra heat to soften.

Thighs. Their higher fat and collagen content gives a wide window between done and dry — overshoot by 10 degrees and they are still moist. Breasts have a narrow margin of a few degrees. Thighs are also usually 20–40% cheaper per kilo, and they suit most recipes in this guide, including adobo, jerk, shawarma, and air fryer preparations.

Depends on the marinade. Yogurt-based marinades like tikka or butter chicken: 4–24 hours. Salt-soy-sugar marinades: up to 24 hours. High-acid marinades with lots of citrus or vinegar: keep under 4 hours, or the surface turns mealy. Bare minimum for any flavor benefit is about 30 minutes; salt is the only ingredient that penetrates deeply overnight.

Dry the skin. Salt the chicken and refrigerate it uncovered 8–24 hours, then cook with dry, high heat: a 200°C oven, an air fryer at 200°C for 22–25 minutes for thighs, or skin-side-down in a cold pan brought slowly up to medium so the fat renders before the skin browns. Moisture is the enemy — never crowd the pan.