For Perfectly Tender Chicken Thighs, Overcook Them.
Throw the chicken-cooking rule book out the window.
'We all know the golden rule of cooking chicken: Don’t overcook it. Doing so leads to dry and leathery meat. And since undercooking it is an even worse fate, many of us overcompensate and pay the price.
But there’s an exception to this rule: dark meat. Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook.
That’s because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender. The longer it cooks, the more that connective tissue breaks down.
Chicken thighs, whether bone-in or boneless, are good at an internal temp of 175 degrees Fahrenheit, but they’re even better at 195.
Knowing this, what’s the best way to cook thighs and drumsticks? The key is to cook them slowly. Gentle techniques—such as braising at a relatively low heat and grilling over an indirect fire—work best. The goal is to keep the meat at an internal temp between 140 and 195 degrees—the collagen breakdown sweet spot—for as long as possible. (That discovery is what led to the supple meat in our Mahogany Chicken Thighs and Grilled Spice-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks recipes.)
There’s a wide spectrum of doneness for dark meat depending on how you’re cooking it, but keep these temperature guidelines in mind. (And don't go past 210°F. At that point, the meat gets stringy and loses its chicken-y flavor.)
The best way to temp your chicken thighs is to use an instant-read thermometer. Unlike relying solely on cooking time or feel, an instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking, telling you exactly what’s going on inside your food. . .
ATK’s preferred instant-read thermometer is the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE.'>>>
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/3115-best-internal-temp-chicken-thighs-drumsticks?
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