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:
This has become my go-to recipe whenever I make baked chicken thighs. I’ve made this recipe several times and am making it again tonight. It is so easy and delicious. The seasoning is perfect and the chicken comes out so tender and juicy. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Hi, This sounds delicious. While I love thighs, my kids love breasts. My question, can I make this with thighs & breasts in the same pan, or will it throw off the cooking time? Thanks in advance!
Hi Debbie! The breasts will be done before the thighs, so i suggest if you have it use a digital meat thermometer in the breast, so you know when it is done, and then put the thermometer in the thighs for the same reason. Hope this helps!
Fantastic recipe! I’ve made this over 5 times and it’s a fam favorite! I leave it in the oven for a total of 50 mins to add a nice char. And I know it’s tempting but don’t touch them, keeps the juiciness in tact. Also didn’t have onion powder and instead just doubled the amount of garlic powder- worked great!
** The best ever,** 10 stars.
Simple and tasty. I’ve made it with thighs and breasts now and each time the spouse and children have loved it!
Tried this recipe tonight and my husband and I loved it! SUPER easy to make and the skin came out crispy and the inside was juicy. I will make sure to spread the seasoning around more evenly next time because there were spots that were too salty for me because I did not care to spread it evenly as stated in the instructions. My husband loved it though and the house smelled so good! Thank you for sharing! Will definitely make it again.
Super juicy inside and the outside is so flavourful amd crispy!
This is so easy and turned out delicious with no modifications. It was all stuff I already had in the pantry. Highly recommend!
Excellent dinner. Thank you. So easy and smelled great while cooking. I realized that when I prepare meals,I don’t use enough seasoning. I usually just sprinkle here and there. Your measurements were perfect. So glad I found this recipe.
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! I used melted butter instead of oil but that’s all I changed. It was my first time roasting skin on chicken, as we normally grill it. I put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes after and the skin was perfectly crisp! Served with mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh green beans! Even my picky 4 year old devoured it! Thank you for the recipe!!