Oven baked chicken thighs always come out juicy, tender, and delicious.
This recipe couldn’t be easier to prep, bone-in thighs are seasoned, baked, and then popped under the broiler for crispy crunchy skin and juicy meat.
Baked Chicken Thigh Perfection (And Here’s Why!)…
- This recipe has really fast prep and needs just a few staple ingredients.
- They’re so delicious, with tender, juicy meat and crispy skin (the best part!).
- They can be made ahead and enjoyed all week long.
- I use a simple seasoning blend, but you can experiment with your favorite seasoning blends, spices, and herbs.
The Essentials for Baked Chicken Thighs
Chicken: This recipe uses bone-in chicken thighs. Since chicken thighs are dark meat, they’re extra flavorful and tender. Boneless and skinless thighs, legs, or drumsticks will also work; adjust baking time as needed (use this recipe for chicken breasts). Thaw frozen thighs before using.
Seasonings: The savory flavor in this recipe comes from poultry or Italian seasoning. Taste test your seasoning before adding additional salt as this can differ by brand!
One Recipe, Endless Possibilities
- Replace the chicken seasoning in the recipe below with 2 to 3 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning blend premade chicken seasoning blend.
- Brush on your favorite BBQ for the last 15 minutes of cooking time to make them sticky and delicious.
- Toss in dill and lemon zest for a refreshing twist, or try homemade Lemon Pepper.
How to Bake Chicken Thighs
This chicken recipe is easy to make and will disappear in minutes!
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a clean paper towel.
- Drizzle with oil and season generously.
- Bake the thighs until they reach 165°F.
- Broil to crisp the skin if desired.
Serve with roast potatoes and green beans for a perfect meal.
Save It for Later
Keep leftover oven-baked chicken thighs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy them cold or reheat portions in the microwave. Use leftover chicken thigh meat to make chicken salad, or buffalo chicken dip.
Freeze-cooled thighs in zippered bags for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Holly's Favorite Chicken Thigh Recipes
Did your family enjoy these Baked Chicken Thighs? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs approximately 6 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon paprika or ¼ teaspoon each sweet paprika and smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or dried rosemary or basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and place a baking rack on top.
- Dab the chicken skin dry with a paper towel to remove any moisture.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season generously with the seasoning, salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning and oil into the chicken skin.
- Place the chicken thighs on the rack, skin side up, and bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Turn the broiler on high and broil the skin for 2-3 minutes to crisp if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
came out so delicious! the only thing I did differently to give flavor to the meat itself was lift up some skin and sneak in some spices. great recipe!
Simple and quick! Tasty, too!
Easy and delicious.
Made it tonight for supper and it was delicious!! I will definitely make it again!!
Delicious . You can add any additional seasoning or herbs and it is just delicious and, not dry.
Cooked perfectly in 40 minutes. I placed some sliced limes under the skin and added some shallots and lime juice. So pleased with this recipe–it’s a keeper.
yes, we enjoyed the moist and flavorful chicken thighs with crispy skin. I’m not a chicken fan because the meat, especially white meat, is so dry. anyway its a great recipe that my daughter made it for her family as well.
This is the best recipe I’ve ever used and it was delicious!
Not for me I guess. Very little flavor and the higher heat makes the chicken stink up the house. I could probably have doubled the seasoning and maybe had better results. I only had 5 thighs but they were on the larger side.
Excellent, easy recipe that has lots of flavor. Thank you for sharing!
This sounds delicious. How would I adjust using chicken breast’s?
I use this recipe for boneless breasts and I love this recipe for split chicken breasts (bone-in).
Could you do these in an air fryer? Sounds great!
Absolutely, we use this air fryer chicken thighs recipe.
We cook a lot and are known for great food, and I have to say my husband kept commenting about how good this chicken was and how much he liked it. I think he ate three pieces himself. Prepared as per recipe. Very easy and pretty fast. I think the recipe is going into frequent rotation.
Hi Holly!
Just had to drop you a few lines to tell you how much I love & enjoy your recipes. My hubby would have especially loved this one too! I have never had one that I didn’t keep the recipe for…..so I have quite a stack, I just cut them down for one person, or make the whole thing & store in the deep freeze!! Thank you Holly!!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Elaine! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes—it means so much to me! ❤️ I love that you adjust them to fit your needs or save extras for later—such a great idea. Thank you for being here and following along!
We are big fans of dark meat and love recipe looks delicious and know family will love this.
Also, liked the seasoning blend you used here below. Will make tomorrow for dinner.
Let us know how it goes!
Holly I’ve done this recipie once before.It’s been a while,but smelling it cooking now brings back memories.I love crispy things.And this chicken is both crispy,and juicy.Thank You for creating fabulous simple,recipies.I’m now reminded of your Banana Bread,made with mayonnaise.That’s one of my favorites.I will hopefully make it for Christmas.Do you have a cornbread recipe?I have a good one,from my Aunty Jane,who passed away,long ago.It’s a family favorite,but I’m always on the hunt,for new updated versions.Thank You Holly,I’m a fan for life!♥️
I’m so glad you loved this recipe and the banana bread! I do have a cornbread recipe here, I hope you enjoy it!
I finally made this tonight for dinner. Everyone loved this recipe and loved the seasoning
blend, I knew they would. We will be making this again and again!
I’m not a big fan of chicken thighs, but this is so easy and tasty. I use my cookie cooling rack on top of my tray to keep out of grease.
Yummy . Just recent getting into chicken thighs.
Chicken was insanely juicy and skin was crispy. Pleasantly surprised!
Perfect outcome, enjoyed by all! TY