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:
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Love, love love this recipe. The only thing I did I different is I just added the spices one at a time on the chicken. Will use the juices to make gravy and the bones to make soup. Keep up the good work?
Very yummy! My son is a picky eater and he loved it!
I did it with fresh garlic and onion though and half of salt and pepper… Delicious!
I was looking for a simple recipe to use for chicken thighs, and this fit the bill. It was truly easy, quick and really tasty. Clean-up is also streamlined by using foil on the pan (although I love the idea one person had, above, about saving the juices and bones for soup!).
Thanks for sharing your tried and true recipes!
Amazing
Made these and they turned out exactly like the pic and they were excellent. Easy to put together and cooked and turned out perfectly.
This was just as advertised! Simple easy fast a super tasty. Thanks for sharing.
This looks so good. It would be wonderful on one of these chilly nights, tucked in watching TV. Thank you for sharing!
And I do it in a glass baking dish without foil, then after eaten, save the bones & re-bake them. Then throw all that bottom goodness in a big pot with water, carrots, celery, onion & make bone broth. Yes, you can make more with the leftover bones!
Terrific. So easy, so yummy!
Can you put veggies on the tray with the thighs? Or will this defeat the recipe with the crispy skin?
They may not crisp up because of moisture in the chicken. Why not put the veggies around instead of on top? Veggies may take less time at the temperature
Made it tonight. Beautiful. As good as advertised. It splatter a lot of fat/juices throughout the oven though. I wonder if lightly covered with foil would negatively affect things?
It’s just my husband and I at home and we usually buy chicken thighs in a four pack and figure out what to do with them later. Finally got around to trying this recipe and it turned out great! Since we only had four thighs instead of eight; I quartered some small red potatoes, lightly tossed them in a bit of oil, and then sprinkled them with the left over spice mix and threw them on my baking tray with the thighs! Popped em in the oven exactly as written and it turned out great! Served with some sautéed green beans and you have a perfect dinner!