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. 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
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 substituted smoked paprika bur otherwise followed the recipe. These are incredibly flavorful and tender. Can't wait to make them again.
Fantastic
Very simple, yet super tasty recipe!! Thanks for posting it
I have made these thighs aat least a dozen times and just love them. My go to for sure when I want something easy yet so flavourful and classic.
Did you have a problem with the juices spilling out of the baking sheet?
Made this for my picky husband and he loved it. So easy.
Can I make this dish using bone in skin on frozen chicken thighs?
You will want to thaw them first 🙂
I have made chicken thighs countless times as they are my favorite part of the chicken. I was never able to achieve crispy skin, despite many efforts. This was fantastic! Served with roasted cauliflower and mashed potatoes. Thank you!
I usually turn on the broiler for 5 minutes at the end!
I made it! This recipe is now my favorite. It tastes great just plain. I can easily turn it into barbecue chicken, just by adding my favorite barbecue sauce and baking for the last 7 minutes. I can also use it as roasted chicken mole for a Mexican meal. The ideas are endless.
This was amazing!! And so easy to prepare. Followed recipe as written. Next time I will probably cut the salt in half, since we are watching our sodium. Fantastic chicken!!
Followed recipe exactly. It turned out awesome. Hubby raved they were my best baked chicken thighs I've made. Poured the drippings into a pan full of chicken gravy mix from a packet and it totally amped up the gravy with all that spice. Love it and will make many more times.
In Hawaii when something tastes good we say ONO, and this recipe is the epitome of ONO😊 I hardly bake chicken simply because I never had a good recipe but after reading the reviews I thought why not🤷🏽♀️ I’m so happy I did! Not only was the insides moist but the skin, dude the skin! It was so tasty and so crispy!! My husband was very pleased with the results that it will be put into my rotation of dinners. Thank you for making this recipe sooooooo EASY & oh so tasty!!!
My family’s FAVORITE recipe and it is so easy to make. Every so often I prepare a big batch of the seasoning miss and keep it in a spice jar to make prep that much easier. I even put some in a bag and traveled to Maui with it so we could have this for dinner in our condo!
We love this recipe. So quick and easy for so much flavor! Thanks for sharing.
Amazing!! We cooked ours on a wire rack over the baking pan and made the recipe exactly as written. Would definitely make these again.
Thanks for the simple and tasty recipe. I like to leave the salt to the cook to decide.and take chicken package out for one hour before preparing so that the chicken isn't too cold when entering the oven . The chicken cooks evenly and perfectly.
An absolute winner - sometimes we buy the bone-in skin on chicken thighs because they are a bit cheaper, but I have always struggled with what to do with them. This spice blend is so flavourful and can be paired with anything. Love it!
Delish! Will definitely make it again!
Great recipe!
Will use again, but with half the amount of salt.
Thanks!
I had to modify the recipe a little. I used Italian salad dressing and a little extra virgin olive oil and made a liquid slurry and spooned it the thighs. I also cooked them to 175 degrees.
They were the best thighs I’ve ever eaten.
I bought a pack of 18 and fixing all of them tomorrow. I’ve never fixed thighs in the oven, just on the grill. Your instructions sound delicious….thanks
We love this recipe! So flavorful and easy! It’s the only chicken thigh recipe we use!