One Way to Stuff a Chicken Thigh

I’m always ready for a new cooking adventure, so the idea of stuffing a chicken thigh entered my mind. I love using boneless, skinless, chicken thighs because they are always tender, juicy, and flavorful. I love them grilled and they respond well to oven roasting too. In fact I have prepared them in many ways, but I’ve never tried to stuff them.

Tasty they may be, but they are not what one would call uniform in size and thickness. There are several muscles at play here  that create a flattening challenge. Patience and the tried and true meat mallet and plastic wrap finally resulted in a pretty even playing field.

A note here about fat. Thighs do have a certain amount of surface fat…juiciness does not occur in a vacuum after all. In a nod to health and fat intake I do remove most of that surface fat, but in another nod to tasting yummy, I leave a little on.

I decided that my filling would be a combination of good and evil. I started with crimini mushrooms and shallots. I sautéed them in a little olive oil until they were reduced to flavorful bits and spread them on the flattened thighs.Here is where the healthy train derailed a bit. I added a modest pat of Garlic Herb Cheese before rolling the thighs into plump torpedos. To help them stay rolled, I wrapped them in a strip of bacon.

I am having an ongoing love affair with sheet pan meals. I love the ease of having everything in one place even if they don’t always cook for the same amount of time. Once my little torpedoes were ready, I centered them on a foil-lined pan (another easy step; cleanup is throwing the foil away). They were surrounded by brussels sprouts, potatoes and onions, and maybe just a little more bacon which had gotten a bit of a head start. Everything was done in about 30 minutes.

The chicken was delicious even though a bit of the cheese oozed out (happily onto the vegetables). This was an elegant meal, suitable for company, but easy enough to be a welcome weeknight supper.

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Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 4 Ounces Crimini Mushrooms Finely chopped
  • 1 Large Shallot Finely chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic Finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Garlic Herb Cheese Like Alouette
  • 2 Strips Bacon
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions

  1. Trim the excess fat off the chicken thighs. Using plastic wrap and  something flat and heavy, pound the thighs to as even a thickness as possible. Try to make them 1/2" thick or less.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook until golden. About 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Set aside.

  3. While the mushroom mixture is cooking, form the Garlic Herb Cheese into small logs. Wrap loosely and put in the freezer. Chilling the cheese will keep it from oozing out too much.

  4. Lay the thighs out smoother side down. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Divide the mushroom mixture between the the thighs. Top each with a garlic cheese log. Roll up carefully and wrap a strip of bacon around each thigh bundle. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.

  5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25- 30 minutes. Serve with sides of your choice.

To Make this a Sheet Pan Dinner
Note: To create a sheet pan dinner, toss brussels sprouts, chopped potatoes, and onions (or vegetables of your choice) with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe a chopped strip of bacon. Roast at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes before adding the chicken to the center of the pan. Continue roasting as noted above.

As the title suggests, this is just one way to stuff a chicken thigh. Grab your meat mallet, use your imagination and create your own tasty torpedos.