Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

They’ll emerge from the oven browned and gorgeous, with wonderfully crispy skin and succulent meat. A true delicacy! Chicken thighs - tender, Juicy, and very flavorful, are my second-favorite chicken part. The favorite is chicken wings, which happen to have the perfect ratio of skin to meat. 😍

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients when baking chicken thighs. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: In fact, they are so good, that these days, when I buy chicken, I almost always choose bone-in, skin-on thighs. And today I’ll share with you the best way to cook them. Chicken thighs: I use bone-in and skin-on pieces in this recipe. I get them either at my local supermarket or at Whole Foods. Seasonings: I like to use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. If using fine salt, you should use less of it. And do make sure your spices are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.

Instructions

Baking chicken thighs in the oven is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: Your first step is to arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, you sprinkle them with seasonings. The final step is to bake the chicken until the meat is juicily cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy. How long to bake? It should take about 45 minutes in a 400°F oven.

Expert tips

If your pan accommodates this in terms of space, I highly recommend flattening out the chicken thighs before placing them on the pan. I also like to take the skin that’s usually folded underneath each piece and spread it out on the pan. This ensures even cooking and wonderfully crispy skin. If you do flatten the thighs, they will likely cook faster - so check them after 40 minutes.
I used to spray the chicken pieces with olive oil before baking them, as you can see me doing in the video below. But I have found over the years that the skin actually crisps up better if I don’t spray it with oil. I do make sure to stretch the skin so that it covers the meat completely. Otherwise, the exposed meat could dry up.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

The best way to vary this recipe is to use different spices. You can experiment with cumin and chili powder in addition to the other spices. Dried herbs are a bit more challenging, as they tend to burn in a hot oven, so I don’t recommend using them in this recipe.

Serving suggestions

This is such a versatile main dish. It goes with anything! I often serve roasted chicken thighs with one of the following side dishes:

Broccoli salad - it makes for an easy meal because I can make the salad in advance.Cauliflower steak - baking both in the same oven and baking the cauliflower for a little longer if needed.Baked pumpkin - again, baking both dishes in the same oven and baking the pumpkin for slightly longer.Roasted frozen cauliflower - another easy side dish that requires a 400-degree oven.

Storing leftovers

Baked chicken thighs keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Although the skin won’t be as crispy. Leftovers are delicious cold, or gently reheated in a low oven. My personal preference is not to reheat them, as that sometimes dries them out. Sometimes I shred cold leftovers and mix them into a salad the next day for my lunch.

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