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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Thanks so much for this recipe! The first time I made it the family loved it. They requested it again, a week later. I prepared it exactly as it’s weitten above, and it turned out perfectly, crispy and tasty!
One million stars! I bought marked down bone-in, skin-on thighs yesterday and wanted to cook them right away. I followed this recipe exact;y s written and the results were out of this world. I can’t wait to dazzle family and friends with my chicken thigh recipe. Thanks for the share!
OMG!! These are incredibly delicious! We are eating them right now as I type. So easy to fix, easy cleanup. My husband just said, “Put a star ? by that recipe!” So I will…… Thank you for this recipe!
Oh my my my goodness!!
This came out so good and tasty.
And so easy to make.
I’m saving and sharing this one.
Beats rotisserie chicken hands down!!
Wife and son loved it!!
Thank you for sharing.
All be well.
Is that supposed to be 1 teaspoon of onion powder or 2 teaspoons because it says 2 teaspoon? Only asking because somehow we added way too much of something and had to scrape all seasoning off. My daughter was helping so there may have been too many hands in the kitchen.
Hi! Yes, it is supposed to be 2 teaspoons. 🙂
Tastes like southern fried chicken! Easy and delicious!
These came out amazing! But you forgot fresh thyme in your recipe (it looks it’s there on the pic). A great addition to a fabulous recipe.
This will be my second time making these and OMG they are so good. I couldn’t stop eating them. They are finger licking. I paired with roast potatoes that I cubed and boiled before hand and tossed with olive oil salt and parsley then threw them in the oven same temp same time but different pan on the bottom shelf, also added a side of gravy (not the healthiest meal but oh so good).
This is a go to favourite recipe now, since you can really pair with anything.
Tried this recipe it was Amazing. This will be one in Books for me as I transition Thank You so much
Very simple and clever recipe. The chicken turned out surprisingly tender compared to my prior attempts at oven baked chicken. I think the higher 400 degree temperature makes the difference. Next time, however, I will place the thighs on a rack and hope this doesn’t dry them out. Also I would advise using mid-sized thighs. I used large ones and they took much longer. It could be that the often water-infused chicken parts cause the excess in the pan and using organic chicken might work better. The seasoning was good, but I also reduced the total amount of spices, especially the salt. I used bone-in and bone out (no skin) together and both were good. Bone out is more available in my area.