Bonless Thighs/Bacon

[reinhard1]

I've done this with boneless breasts before, so I wanted to try this with boneless thighs.  Simply took chicken thighs and took the skin and bone off.  Saved the bones for future soup stock addition.  Seasoned the thighs on both sides.  Put some cheese and a jalapeno pepper half in each one as well.  Secured everything with some tooth picks.  Would have liked to do this in the smoker but it was a spur of the moment idea so not enough time for my smoker.  The jalapeno peppers, I cut them in half, seeded them, and simmered them in water until they were tender before putting them in the thighs.  I wanted to use high temp cheese but used regular block cheese.  Had scalloped potatoes as a side dish.  good luck.

 

 

Boned out the thigh and took the skin off.  Put a piece of cheese and a blanched half jalapeno pepper in the thigh.  Seasoned both sides

 

 

Put the thigh open side up and secured the pepper and cheese with two tooth picks.  Open side up so I don't loose much of the cheese as it melts.  Lost some but not all.  I like high temp cheese for this.

 

 

Cut a slice of thick sliced bacon in half and layed both pieces on top of the thigh.  No wrap around needed with thick slice bacon.

 

 

Thighs ready to go in the oven.  Put them on a jerky rack with a drip pan underneath.  350 degrees until done.  Took about a hour and half.

 

 

Don't worry about leaving some meat on the bone.  Makes a great addition for soup  stock.

 

 

Bacon was nice and crispy and kept the meat tender.  Thighs are much better than breasts for this.

 

 

My plate ready to go!!

 

 

 

[lovebigbluegills]

Wow that looks amazing RH!!!  I'll have to try that pretty soon!! I see you're a big fan of the "burnt skin" on the potatoes too.

[ThunderLund78]

Love it! Nice work.  Thighs are my favorite cut of the chicken and de-boning them would make a perfect "pocket" for the pepper and cheese.  I'll put peppers in mine but I'm going to have to find an alternate stuffing for the wife and kids.  Maybe just a cordon blu type thing with ham and cheese or bacon and cheese.

[reinhard1]

Ya, use your imagination for sure.  For the cheese, high temp is good.  Regular cheese does melt and you will loose some unless you can keep it completely shut which is not that easy.  Thick slice bacon is hard to make a wrap around which would help in the seal, so I just put it on top.  Regular bacon does stretch so you can make a real good wrap around the thigh and then secure with tooth picks.  I just didn't have the regular bacon on hand.  good luck.

[RebelSS]

Wow! El yum! Funny, I just came home with 5lbs of thighs...hmmmmm............

[smurfy]

smurfs thinkin about marinating some chicky breasts in itailian dressing and floppin them on the grill!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

I keep forgetting to try that Italian dressing thing......I do mix that up with soy sauce and some Worcestershire for basting my shish kabobs with, though.  

Edited February 5, 2016 by RebelSS

[bobberineyes]

That is one tasty looking dish reinhard!!! Great idea and thanks for sharing. .

[LindellProStaf]

Ya that looks awesome!!!  I really like thighs too.  I bake them with different seasonings on them often.  Your deal is a great idea.  Man that is some great looking bacon too RH.  You know I have a hard time keeping on track with you RH.  Here I already have my cooking ideas for the weekend and then you throw something else cool at me.  lol  Thanks for the idea. I will do that one too.

[ThunderLund78]

This worked out even better than I expected - THANKS REINHARD!!!  I tried my own twist on this for our valentines day meal.  I'm all about Jalepenos but the wife and kids, not so much.  So my plan was to make theirs sort of a cordon blu with ham and cheddar cheese.  For me, I wrapped the half pepper in the ham and cheese.  Then I wrapped each stuffed thigh in two strips of thick-cut bacon and put cold smoke on them for 2 hrs.  Then in the oven at 350 for about an hour to finish.  Brushed a little BBQ sauce on them to finish them off.  S of a B!!!! These were AWESOME!!!  Here's some pics:

 

Wrapped the peppers/cheese in two slices of deli ham - made nice little packets to go inside the chicken

 

Wrapped each thigh with bacon, criss-cross - helped seal the ends and kept cheese from oozing out - the three on the foam tray are my jalepeno ones

 

First time cold smoking anything in my life - was a little worried because all I had on-hand for the tube was hickory and thought it might overpower the poultry - but it turned out perfect.  Did this for about two hours.

 

Finished them in the oven - put a brush of BBQ sauce on for the last 10 min, or so,

 

Served with a rice blend, brussel sprouts and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

 

Perfection! (remember there's ham in there, it's not undercooked chicken  ) wife and kids gobbled it up!  A winner for sure!  Probably the best thing I've cooked in months.  Thighs are so much better than breast when it comes to flavor, plus once you de-bone them, they lend themselves to stuffing.  No pounding with a tenderizer, etc.  Thanks again for the great idea!

[reinhard1]

That sure looks like a great meal there.  Great stuffing you have there as well.  I like the ham idea also.  good luck.

[Boar]

nice looking stuff guys! and presentation, I'll have to try those chciken bombs again, now that i have my handy dandy cold smoker, did i mention that i got my cold smoker???

[RebelSS]

Boar, have you ever considered getting a cold smoker? 

[smurfy]

me thinks that frigid cold air up on red recurcuited his pea brain a bit!!!!!!!

[Boar]

sooooo what are u trying tosay??

[smurfy]

1 hour ago, Boar said:

sooooo what are u trying tosay??

your a bit off your rocker!!!!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

He's smomed out! Cooked! Toasted! 

I just found out they BOTH are!!!!  Smurf's all bungled up! Sheeesh! Lost in Space! Danger! Danger!

I sure hope a UNION man isn't drinking on the job!!!!!!!

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by RebelSS

[SwivelDigger]

RH, Thunder......Great ideas. I'm not much of a fan of chicken but these look good. Hard to keep up with your culinary skills. I might have to try these out. I know the wife and kids would love for me to make them as they think chicken should make up 90% of your meat diet.

[Boar]

ive made and they are delicious, im gona use large mushrooms stuffe with cream cheese and diced ham.

[smurfy]

3 hours ago, Boar said:

ive made and they are delicious, im gona use large mushrooms stuffe with cream cheese and diced ham.

as if you haven't consumed enough shrooms in your life!!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

29 minutes ago, smurfy said:

as if you haven't consumed enough shrooms in your life!!!!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAAA!     

[smurfy]

dang nabit I gotta get to learn to posting pictures!!!!!!!!!

[RebelSS]

Won't Boar the ham head help ya?   

[delcecchi]

37 minutes ago, smurfy said:

dang nabit I gotta get to learn to posting pictures!!!!!!!!!

Simple, even a caveman could do it. 

If on a pc, click on choose files and select the picture. 

[smurfy]

For this tech challenged auld codger it is