Chicken Thighs Are the New Bacon? Yes, According to Jeff Mauro

Grilled Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs

The new year is full of uncertain futures and vast possibilities, and often with those come predictions for what will be especially hot topics and what will be old news over the next 12 months. Mere days into 2014, Jeff Mauro revealed on last week's premiere episode of The Kitchen that among the year's food trends, he thinks chicken thighs will gain huge popularity — and perhaps even replace the ever-present bacon.

While few eat an entire plate of bacon for supper, chicken thighs are indeed a meal in and of themselves, and, best of all, they're simple to cook and easy on the wallet. Since thighs tend to be a bit fattier than chicken breasts, they're far more flavorful, and can be prepared in any number of ways. Try roasting them with garlic, grilling them with fresh herbs and citrusor braising them in a rich sauce. No matter how you cook chicken thighs, you can be sure you'll end up with juicy, tender meat that the whole family will enjoy.

Check out a few of Food Network's favorite chicken thigh recipes after the jump, then tell FN Dish in the comments below what food trends you're hoping to see in 2014.

Chicken Thigh Recipes:

Tune in to an all-new episode of The Kitchen on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 11am/10c.

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