Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs – The most amazing oven baked chicken thighs!  These chicken thighs come out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside.  Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make with only a few ingredients and one pan!

Baked Chicken Thighs

Ok, folks!  One of the questions I get asked most often is how to cook chicken thighs. Try these with a side of our Classic Baked Mac and Cheese, so good! They’re so easy to make, and this has become one of my most popular recipes!  If you’re looking for other fun chicken thigh recipes, try these Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs and these Greek Chicken Thighs!  We’re also loving these Grilled Chicken Thighs during the summer months and of course Crispy Baked Chicken Wings all year long!

Questions that I hear about them the most are:

  1. How long do I cook chicken thighs in the oven and at what temperature?
  2. How do I cook chicken thighs in a pan but make sure they turn out crispy on the outside?
  3. Should I use boneless skinless chicken thighs are bone in with skin?

I think people love the thigh meat because it’s super flavorful, but they just aren’t as familiar with cooking them as they are the breast meat.  Luckily, it’s an incredibly easy process that takes only a few minutes of prep and then the thighs bake up to crispy tender perfection on a sheet pan.

And, I am here to answer those questions for you today with my favorite baked chicken thigh recipe ever, plus a quick video that shows just how I make them!

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Let’s go directly into tips for success when making baked chicken thighs:

  • Pat them dry with paper towels before seasoning.  The natural moisture from the chicken can prevent getting a really good sear.  These thighs basically sear right in the oven, so this is an important but quick step to take.

  • How long and at what temperature should you bake the thighs?  You’ll want to bake these at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes without moving or turning them during the process.  This temperature and time ensure that crispy outside and juicy inside we’re looking for.  The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before being consumed.

  • Use a rimmed baking sheet.  The chicken will produce some of its tasty natural juices, and you don’t want those running off the pan into your oven!

  • I use bone in and skin on chicken thighs for this recipe.  I find that it produces the best results.  However, if you have boneless skinless on hand or that is just your preference, they work just fine with this recipe as well!  They may take about 10 minutes less to cook, so just keep an eye on them.

Baked Chicken Thighs

I hope you guys enjoy this simple chicken recipe as much as my family does!  As always, leave me a comment if you have additional questions, I’m happy to answer them!

Be sure to check out our video for this recipe below and follow along on Facebook to see all of the yummy food videos we share!

~Nichole

4.99 from 2185 votes

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs - The most amazing oven baked chicken thighs!  These chicken thighs come out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside.  Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make with only a few ingredients and one pan!
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and set aside.
  • Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange the chicken thighs on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil rubbing the oil into the chicken to coat.
  • In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika.  Sprinkle the spices over the chicken evenly. 
  • Bake chicken in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes.*

Notes

*Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before consuming. 

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 713mg, Potassium: 374mg, Vitamin A: 265IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!

If you’re looking for other tasty chicken recipes for dinner try these:

  1. Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken
  2. Chicken Enchilada Soup
  3. Honey Mustard Chicken Foil Packets

 

 

If you’re looking for baking recipes, these are some of my readers favorites:

  1. Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
  2. One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
  3. Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

 


Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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1,233 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Wow, awesome, this what I was doing to the thighs. Just was going wrong temp. Thanks for putting me right. I was going to low temp. I added maple syrup tonight to. There just sitting maranading at the moment but I can smell them already. Oh yes, I pour the juice over the rice or use it to add to the gravy. I just had the temperature all wrong. Big thanks.

  2. 5 stars
    This is by far the best chicken thigh recipe I have ever made. So crispy and juice. The herb crust was off the chain. This was simple to make. Thank you thank you thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    This is the most delicious chicken recipe I’ve tried. Chicken is often a hard sell for my husband and he loved it! I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks so much for sharing, this is my go to now!

  4. 5 stars
    This is now my favorite way to cook chicken thighs. I have made several times and use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Absolutely so juicy and delicious. I did cut back on the time to bake. Thank you for the recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    This recipe is a complete winner! I made it for the first time last night. I’m already jonesing to make another batch tonight, and my family agrees! I have to admit that I was nervous to leave this chicken facing skin side up for the whole time, so I cheated and roasted the thighs skin side down for the first 25 minutes and finished on the other side for the last 15. I won’t do that again because it’s unnecessary. Nice work with what I understand is the average chef’s favorite chicken part!

  6. 5 stars
    Easy and delicious! Perfect for a quick dinner. Didn’t have onion powder on hand, but still came out great. Will definitely make again. Thank you!!

  7. 5 stars
    Made it for the first time last night and definitely keeping it on hand to make on a regular basis! So easy and delicious. My boyfriend who works as a chef loved it 🙂

    1. It’s hard to please them ?.lol I’ve got one plus his best friend who is also a chef who also went to culinary School