Chicken Soup With Thighs Recipe – Easy Chicken Thigh Soup – How to make easy homemade comforting broth with thighs – with the video tutorial. Simple one-pot meal that’s budget friendly, hearty and perfect for cozy lunches and dinners.
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Chicken Soup With Thighs
This chicken soup with thighs recipe is an easy, hearty homemade soup made with tender chicken thighs, carrots, onion and garlic. It’s a simple chicken thigh soup that’s comforting, flavorful and perfect for an easy family meal.
Using chicken thighs instead of chicken breast gives the soup plenty of flavor, and you can make it with bone-in chicken thighs for an especially rich broth. It’s also a budget-friendly way to make homemade chicken soup.
The soup is delicious served as it is, or you can add noodles, rice or extra vegetables to make it a more substantial meal. (For more inspiration, here are 5 Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes.)
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Thigh Soup
- Easy to make: Everything cooks together in one pot.
- Budget friendly: Chicken thighs are an economical alternative to chicken breast.
- Hearty and filling: Tender chicken, carrots, onion and garlic make a satisfying soup.
- Make it your own: Add noodles, rice, potatoes or extra vegetables.
- Great for leftovers: The soup can be refrigerated and enjoyed the following day.
How To Make The Simple Homemade Soup
Start by gathering your simple ingredients:
- 1kg/2.2lbs Bone in Skin On Chicken Thighs
- 1 Medium Onion, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 Large Carrots, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Butter, for cooking
Open up the packages of chicken thighs and season them well with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you’d like, to taste. You can use more chicken if you’d like, depending on the size of the pot you’re using.
Heat your pot on the stove top over medium to high heat, then add in coconut oil, olive oil or butter to heat.
Once the pot is hot, add in the chopped onion and garlic to start soften. You can add in more oil or butter if needed.
When your onion and garlic has softened, add in the chicken thighs and cook, tossing frequently, until it’s browned on all sides.
Add in the chopped carrots, give everything a good toss through then pour over water to cover.
I find that the vegetables and chicken provide plenty of flavor, so there’s no need for stock, but you can feel free to swap some of the water for chicken stock instead.
Add in further seasoning to taste, along with the apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar adds a little acidity and helps balance the rich chicken broth.
Bring the pot of soup up the boil, then reduce it down to a simmer and gently bubble for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the meat is cooked through, tender and falls from the bones easily. You can cook it for longer if you’d like, I regularly cook the soup for 2 hours or more for even deeper flavor.
You can enjoy the soup straight away, served as is or with noodles for a chicken noodle soup meal. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool then store in the fridge overnight and serve the following day for an even richer flavored soup.
It’s up to you whether you leave the chicken meat on the bones and serve with the skin on, or remove the thighs from the soup, de-bone and remove the skin, before return only the chicken meat to the soup to serve.
You can even turn the versatile soup into a cream of chicken soup by stirring heavy cream, sour cream or cream cheese through the cooked soup.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes, you can make chicken soup with boneless chicken thighs. They cook more quickly and are easier to shred or chop before serving.
If using boneless thighs, start checking the chicken earlier than you would with bone-in thighs, as the cooking time will be shorter.
Bone-in chicken thighs can give the broth more flavor, while boneless thighs make the finished soup particularly easy to eat.
Chicken Thigh Soup Variations
There are lots of easy ways to change this homemade chicken soup depending on what you have available.
Chicken Noodle Soup With Thighs
Add your favorite noodles during the final stage of cooking and simmer until tender.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Stir cooked rice into the finished soup, or add uncooked rice during cooking according to the cooking time required for the rice.
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Add extra vegetables such as celery, peas, green beans or potatoes for a heartier soup.
Creamy Chicken Thigh Soup
For a creamy version, stir a little heavy cream, sour cream or cream cheese into the finished soup.
Chicken Soup With Thighs Recipe
This easy homemade chicken soup uses chicken thighs, carrots, onion and garlic to create a simple, flavorful broth. The chicken slowly simmers until tender, making this an especially comforting one-pot meal.
For the richest flavor, use bone-in chicken thighs. You can remove the skin and bones before serving, or leave the meat on the bone if you prefer.
- 1kg/2.2lbs Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs
- 1 Medium Onion, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 Large Carrots, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Butter, for cooking
- Heat coconut oil, olive oil or butter in a large soup pot over medium to high heat.
- Meanwhile, open the chicken thighs and sprinkle over a few shakes or salt and pepper, to taste.
- When the large pot is hot, add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook until softened, adding more oil or butter as needed.
- Once the onion and garlic have softened, add in the raw chicken thighs and toss frequently to brown on all sides.
- Add in the chopped carrots and cook until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Pour cold water over to cover the chicken and vegetables, add the apple cider vinegar, more salt and pepper to taste, and bring the soup up to the boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a low heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the chicken is softened and soup flavored to your liking.
- Enjoy straight away or cool the finished soup completely, place in the fridge overnight and enjoy a more flavorful soup the following day, storing leftovers in an airtight container to enjoy within a couple of days.
Tips For Making Chicken Soup With Thighs
Use bone-in thighs for extra flavor. Bone-in chicken thighs work particularly well in homemade soup and give you tender, flavorful meat.
Don’t rush the simmer. Cooking the chicken gently gives the meat time to become tender and allows the flavors of the vegetables and broth to develop.
Remove the bones before serving if preferred. Once the chicken is tender, remove the thighs from the pot, take off the skin and bones, and return the meat to the soup.
Make it ahead. Chicken soup can be made ahead and refrigerated, making it a convenient meal for the following day.
Add noodles just before serving. If you’re making chicken noodle soup, adding the noodles toward the end helps prevent them from becoming overly soft.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Here’s the video where you can watch the easy homemade chicken soup with thighs being prepared, step by step. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Chicken Soup With Thighs Recipe
Chicken Soup With Thighs Recipe – How to make easy homemade comforting broth with thighs – with the video tutorial.
Ingredients
- 1kg/2.2lbs Chicken Thighs
- 1 Medium Onion, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 Large Carrots, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Butter, for cooking
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil, olive oil or butter in a large soup pot over medium to high heat.
- Meanwhile, open the chicken thighs and sprinkle over a few shakes or salt and pepper, to taste.
- When the large pot is hot, add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook until softened, adding more oil or butter as needed.
- Once the onion and garlic have softened, add in the raw chicken thighs and toss frequently to brown on all sides.
- Add in the chopped carrots and cook until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Pour cold water over to cover the chicken and vegetables, add the apple cider vinegar, more salt and pepper to taste, and bring the soup up to the boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a low heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the chicken is softened and soup flavored to your liking.
- Enjoy straight away or cool the finished soup completely, place in the fridge overnight and enjoy a more flavorful soup the following day, storing leftovers in an airtight container to enjoy within a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make chicken soup with chicken thighs?
Yes. Chicken thighs are excellent for homemade chicken soup because they stay tender during longer cooking and have plenty of flavor. You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs depending on your preference.
Is chicken thigh soup better with bone-in or boneless thighs?
Both work well. Bone-in chicken thighs can add extra flavor to the broth, while boneless thighs are easier to prepare and serve. If using bone-in thighs, remove the bones and skin before serving if desired.
How long should you cook chicken thighs in soup?
Chicken thighs should be simmered until the meat is tender and cooked through. Bone-in thighs generally benefit from a longer, gentle simmer, while boneless thighs cook more quickly.
Can I add noodles to chicken thigh soup?
Yes. Add noodles toward the end of cooking and simmer until they are tender. You can use egg noodles, pasta or another noodle of your choice.
Can I use frozen chicken thighs?
Yes, but the cooking time will be longer if the chicken is added frozen. For best results and more even cooking, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator before making the soup.
Can I make chicken soup with thighs ahead of time?
Yes. Chicken soup is a great make-ahead meal. Allow the soup to cool, refrigerate it promptly and store it in an airtight container. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
How do you store homemade chicken thigh soup?
Store leftover chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within the recommended safe storage period for cooked chicken and leftovers.
Can I freeze chicken soup with thighs?
Yes. Allow the soup to cool before transferring it to freezer-safe containers. If adding noodles, you may prefer to cook and add them when reheating because noodles can become soft after freezing.
Helpful Equipment For Chicken Soup
You don’t need much equipment to make this easy chicken thigh soup, but a few basic kitchen tools make the process easier:
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven – useful for browning the chicken and vegetables and then simmering the soup in the same pot.
- Wooden spoon – handy for stirring the vegetables and scraping any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Large ladle – makes it easy to serve the finished soup.
- Sharp chef’s knife – useful for chopping the onion, garlic and carrots and removing the chicken meat from the bones.
Updated in September 2026 with new recipe tips, variations, FAQs and serving suggestions.
Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.
