There is nothing easier than making baked chicken thighs for dinner. They’re inexpensive, super flavorful, and the oven does most of the work! It’s the perfect recipe to whip up on a busy weeknight. It’s not fancy, but it’ll hit the spot every time!
The beauty of this recipe is that you only need a few ingredients and this chicken goes well with everything. You can serve this with a starch like roasted potatoes or cacio e pepe, a vegetable like roasted carrots or brussels sprouts, or a crunchy salad like my broccoli salad. Leftovers are great for soups, wraps, or sandwiches as well!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chicken thighs — this recipe uses bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. Keep in mind that if you want to swap them for boneless chicken thighs, skinless chicken thighs, or boneless skinless chicken thighs then the baking time has to be adjusted.
Oil — olive oil helps the skin crisp up. Feel free to use another neutral oil, such as avocado oil.
Seasoning — I use a combination of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper, but you can use your favorite blend of seasonings.
How to Make Baked Chicken Thighs
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
2. Drizzle the chicken with the oil rub to coat them well.
3. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper.
4. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture all over the chicken to coat well. Bake the seasoned chicken thighs on a lined baking sheet for 40 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer registers 165°F in the thicket portion of each piece. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- For even cooking, it’s best to use chicken thighs that are uniform in size.
- It’s essential to dry chicken with paper towels before cooking, especially if it was frozen beforehand, as excess moisture can prevent the chicken skin from browning and crisping up properly. Drying the thighs will also help the seasoning stick to them better.
- To ensure that the chicken thighs are cooked through, it’s important to check the temperature by sticking the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Make sure to avoid touching the bone when inserting the thermometer. Aim to be at least ¼ inch away from the bone.
- Remember that when baking chicken thighs, the cooking time required may vary due to the size of your chicken.
- If you are able to, rubbing the seasoning underneath the skin will yield more flavorful chicken.
- Make sure you set the temperature for the oven high for this baked chicken thighs recipe. The high temperature reduces baking time and seals in the moisture, giving you juicy chicken thighs.
- Do not cover or move the chicken as it bakes. Baking the chicken thighs uncovered helps the skin crisp up, and flipping them will prevent that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover chicken thighs in the fridge in an airtight container. Cooked chicken lasts up to 4 days if properly stored.
You can freeze leftover chicken thighs. You can also freeze the chicken thighs as is, or you can shred them to add to different meals later. Freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
You can gently reheat leftovers in a baking dish or sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until the chicken reaches 165°F or in the microwave. However, if you reheat the chicken in the microwave, the skin won’t stay crispy.
I recommend having your oven temperature hot at 450°F and then turning it down to 425°F when your chicken thighs go in. By cooking the chicken at high heat, it will remain moist and juicy while the skin becomes perfectly golden brown. The initial high heat helps jump-start the crispy skin process!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Baked Chicken Thighs recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Baked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
- Foil
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (960g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Drizzle the chicken with the oil rub to coat them well.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture all over the chicken to coat well. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet leaving some space between the pieces.
- Place the chicken in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425°F.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crispy and the internal temperature registers 165°F in the thicket portion of each piece. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For even cooking, it’s best to use chicken thighs that are uniform in size.
- It’s essential to dry chicken with paper towels before cooking, especially if it was frozen beforehand, as excess moisture can prevent it from browning and crisping up properly. Drying the thighs will also help the seasoning stick to them better.
- To ensure that the chicken thighs are cooked through, it’s important to check the temperature by sticking the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Make sure to avoid touching the bone when inserting the thermometer. Aim to be at least ¼ inch away from the bone.
- Remember that when baking chicken thighs, the time required may vary due to the size of your chicken.
- If you are able to, rubbing the seasoning underneath the skin will yield more flavorful chicken.
- Make sure you set the temperature for the oven high for this baked chicken thighs recipe. The high temperature reduces baking time and seals in the moisture, giving you juicier chicken.
- Do not cover or move the chicken as it bakes. Baking the chicken thighs uncovered helps the skin crisp up, and flipping them will prevent that.
Jay Koolis says
Good recipe but it took a lot less time to cook than indicated. I used s thermometer and it reached 165 in about 20 minutes.