Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
The easiest roasted chicken thigh recipe — hard to imagine a better (and more economical!) weeknight meal.
Servings: 4 People
Ingredients
- 8 chicken bone-in, skin-on thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or foil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Rub the chicken thighs with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil. Place them on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (an internal temperature of 165 F). Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.
Notes
| Oven Temperature | Cooking Time |
| 350 degrees | 1 hour |
| 375 degrees | 50 minutes |
| 400 degrees | 45 minutes |
| 425 degrees | 40 minutes |
- An instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer will help you know for sure when your chicken is done. Chicken thighs are safe at the internal temperature of 165 degrees, but they won't be fall apart tender. Cooking chicken thighs a bit longer ensures that they won't be stringy or chewy. I like to cook them to an internal temp of 180 to 185 degrees, which ensures an ideal tenderness. But don't cook them too long, or you will run into those issues. 195 is the maximum internal temperature you should be looking for.
- If you don't have an meat thermometer, you want to make sure to cook the thighs until the juices run clear, rather than pinkish, when you cut into them.
- With poultry, dark meat is more forgiving than white meat in terms of not drying out and staying moist. If the chicken is cooked, but you want to keep it warm for a bit, you can just turn off the oven and leave it in there for another 20 minutes or so to keep it warm. It will still be nice and juicy when you are ready to eat it!
- Make sure the chicken is baking in the middle or top part of the oven, close to the heat source on top, to ensure the crispiest skin.
- While olive oil, salt, and pepper are all you need for perfect, simple baked chicken thighs, there are also tons of potential variations. Try:
- a mixture of paprika, dried thyme, and dried basil
- minced fresh rosemary and lemon zest
- za'atar
- a blend of chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder
Nutrition
Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 592mg | Vitamin A: 225IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg