How To De-Bone A Chicken Thigh

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Learning how to de-bone chicken thighs makes it possible to enjoy boneless chicken for a fraction of the price from the store!

Whether you like to eat your chicken with or without the skin, there is no denying that boneless chicken is easier to eat, faster to cook, and often more convenient than bone-in chicken.


As a bonus, if you are anything like my family, you will love being able to leave the skin on the chicken and still enjoy a boneless piece of meat!

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It hasn’t been all that many years since I discovered the juicy, crunchy, ever-so-delectable joy of chicken skin. I was a die-hard boneless skinless chicken breast girl for at least 10-15 years.

When I finally tried a perfectly cooked, crisp and juicy chicken thigh, I was in heaven. I could wax poetic about just how much we love chicken now compared to our mild tolerance of it in the past, but I’ll spare you any more of my ramblings on the subject of chicken.

Side note: A few years ago, I swore to myself that I would never post a photograph of raw meat on this blog. However, today’s post requires that I share pictures of raw chicken.

I know it isn’t the most appetizing thing to look at, but you can thank me later. Just wait until you are sinking your teeth into a boneless skin-on chicken thigh that is crisp and juicy and incredibly easy to eat!

Deboning chicken is so much easier than I thought it would be! I did this for the first time a month or two ago and I’ve deboned chicken several times since then.

I promise you that if this reformed boneless skinless chicken breast-buying girl can learn how to do this, anyone can!

How To De-Bone A Chicken Thigh by Barefeet In The Kitchen

How To Remove The Bone From A Chicken Thigh

  1. Place the chicken, skin side down, on a cutting board. You should see the bone running through the center of the meat.
  2. Use the tip of a knife to score a line through the chicken, along the length of the bone.
  3. Use the knife, in short little strokes, to slice the chicken away from the bone.
  4. Using your fingers, pull the bone away from the meat. Facing the knife away from you, slide the knife under the bone and free the end of the bone.
  5. Turn the meat around and repeat on the other side of the bone. That’s all there is to it!

Make the most of your boneless chicken thighs in any of these recipes!

Sriracha Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Beer and Garlic Grilled Chicken

Indian Chicken Bits

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Kung Pao Chicken

Spicy Chinese Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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10 Comments Leave a comment or review

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    • Mary says

      The thigh should not include the pelvic bone. I have never once seen anything more than the single bone in a chicken thigh. If you are cutting up an entire chicken, then yes, you will have far more than a single bone to deal with before you're done.

  1. cheryl says

    i’ve never deboned a chicken thigh. I understand they are very taste, but I don’t like the fat or the bone. I would generally pay for a boneless chicken breast or thigh. I am excited to learn how to do this.

  2. Donna Wink says

    Thank you so much for showing us how to debone a chicken thigh. I love the skin and I can have both now. Boneless and skin.