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!
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:
- How long do I cook chicken thighs in the oven and at what temperature?
- How do I cook chicken thighs in a pan but make sure they turn out crispy on the outside?
- 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!
Let’s go directly into tips for success when making baked chicken thighs:
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Chicken thighs, About 6-8
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you’re looking for other tasty chicken recipes for dinner try these:
If you’re looking for baking recipes, these are some of my readers favorites:
I made this last night and my boneless, skinless chicken thighs were so flavorful. Next time I’m using half the salt as there was plenty of seasoning. Very quick meal to pull together…ingredients are staples in the kitchen.
Love this recipe! Any ideas on how to keep the skin crispy when reheating in a microwave(work lunches haha)?
Microwave it then throw it in an oven or toaster oven for like 5 minutes on broil. Should crisp it right up!
OMG, I made this chicken tonight and let me just say it was a big hit!! I did change one thing in the recipe and that was mixing some Fig Balsamic Vinegar In with my Olive Oil. I didn’t use a lot of it but it was oh so good and it looked just like yours in the picture when it was done. I do believe this recipe has even converted my other half to liking roasted chicken because he ate 3 pieces. This will definitely be a main go to recipe for me. Thank You!
This is such a great Easy recipe!
have made it often this past year … I put a “little oil” in a big bowl
Roll chicken in oil , then I have spices ready in a Tupperware container( keep any remaining in fridge) pour spice mix in on chicken in same bowl
I lay them on lined cookie sheet…
I have a batch in now smells wonderful
Love this recipe! So does my family! website is easy to navigate also!
Thanks Nichole!
My boyfriend and I have made this chicken once or twice a week for the last few months. Neither of us enjoy cooking after working a full day, so this is perfect set-it and forget it food for us. We do a few things to make dinner as simple as possible: we just keep a big batch of the rub in a tupperware, use the spice mix on veggies as well, and then roast veggies & chicken on the same sheet pan. This makes such an incredibly easy, delicious dinner. Thank you!!
Loved the recipe!! Chicken thighs were truly delicious! I only changed the amount of black pepper to just under a half teaspoon, because being older we’re a little more sensitive to the spice. I liked the fact I had all the ingredients in the recipe. Thanks!!
My kids can’t eat fried chicken due to celiac’s but these are about as close as you can get. They are delicious and my boys eat them like crazy. I have to make more than three pounds just to be sure I get some. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Quick easy and delicious.
I have Celiac, and use cornstarch in place of wheat flour when frying chicken, or fish. Season the cornstarch if desired.
Simply delicious! I used skinless boneless thigh and baked for 25 minutes. Juicy, tender, and so so tasty!
This is now my go to roasted chicken thigh recipe. Perfect every time.
Also, I want to add that I really appreciate the “jump to” feature in your recipes. It just makes prep go a little faster.
The food really appealed to me, I just finished it, its taste was great. wish you could also taste it so that tooimootj comment … anyway thank you sincerely. Your recipe is awesome