Baked Chicken Thighs

Baked chicken thighs sheet pan dinner. No standing over a hot stove, no sink of pots and pans to clean. On top of the easy-factor, sheet pans give you plenty of roasting space, so you can pile on your favorite ingredients, season them to your liking, and voila—in under an hour, you have a full dinner, perfectly roasted and ready to go.

Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are great for sheet pan roasting because the bones infuse the meat with extra flavor, and the skin helps keep the chicken moist by basting it with juices as it crisps up.

The result is incredibly tender roasted chicken thighs with cravable crispy skin—without the hassle of deep frying. One more thing I love about the recipe is that you’re also using the sheet pan to help you build the dressing. Lemon quarters and garlic cloves get roasted during the last half of cooking, then go right into the dressing while the chicken rests.

How to Make Baked Chicken Thighs 

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Place chicken thighs skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine asparagus, tomatoes, lemon quarters garlic, lemon zest, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, tossing to coat.
3. Remove chicken from oven; add asparagus and tomatoes to baking sheet. Return chicken to oven; bake until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes more.
4. Remove chicken from oven; let rest 5 minutes. While chicken rests, prepare Roasted Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette. Spoon over chicken and vegetables.
5. To Make the Roasted Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette
   In a small bowl, mash 4 roasted garlic cloves (from sheet pan) with a fork. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until a chunky paste forms.
6. Whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (from roasted lemons), 1 teaspoon honey, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest.

Why Choose Chicken Thighs Over Breasts

Although I love both cuts of meat this particular recipe is perfect for chicken thighs and here’s why; this sheet pan dinner is designed to take all the hassle out of busy weeknight meals and chicken thighs are much easier to cook without drying out.

Not only do chicken breasts need a little more attention when they’re cooking but there’s no crispy skin to give you extra flavor and give you the most delicious flavored veggies and vinaigrette.

Finally, chicken breasts are so much more expensive so by choosing thighs you’ll have yourself a super easy, delicious but cost-effective meal the whole family will enjoy!

The Trick to Getting Extra Crispy Chicken Skin

A great tip for ensuring your chicken skin is extra crispy is to pat the skin dry with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture. Also, make sure to sprinkle the olive oil over the skin so it gets nice and crisp as they bake.

Top Tips for Making Baked Chicken Thighs

• Choose the highest quality chicken you can get your hands on for best flavor and results.
• I always recommend using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs as the meat is so much more flavorful and the skin gets nice and crispy.
• The dressing is made when everything is cooked it gives the chicken a chance to rest which is super important for juicy and tender chicken.
• Make sure to season the meat and vegetables well with salt.
• You can easily adapt this recipe with fresh or dried herbs, choose your favorites and rub them over the chicken or lay around the vegetables.
• Not sure your chicken is cooked through? If you’re unsure you can use a meat thermometer it should read 165F when cooked.
• Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and eaten cold in salads, sandwiches or reheated until piping hot all the way through.
• You can also freeze leftover chicken if desired.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes You Might Like:

• Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Crispy Orange Chicken
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Spinach Stuffed Chicken