These crispy and juicy baked chicken thighs make for the perfect weeknight meal. They’re incredibly easy to make, packed with flavor, have the crispiest skin, and are much healthier than traditional fried chicken. So much to love!
As a kid I loved KFC chicken, but my favorite part was the crispy skin that was full of herbs and flavor. In fact, I may have eaten the skin more than the meat!
Today, I no longer eat KFC (for obvious reasons) but I still love tender, juicy chicken with crispy, flavorful skin. And that’s where my baked chicken thighs come in. With a drizzle of oil and a generous amount of dried herbs you can create crispy baked chicken that the whole family will love. And you can feel good knowing it’s healthier.
So if you love the crispy, golden skin on my roast chicken, and the spiced flavor of my baked chicken breasts, you’re going to really love these baked chicken thighs!
Baked Chicken Thighs Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Grab yourself a package of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. And while yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, I do feel that the skin locks in the moisture and bone-in chicken just tastes better. It’s also cheaper!
- Chicken seasoning: A simple blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper gives the chicken so much flavor.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Bake Chicken Thighs
Make the seasoning. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and remove the chicken thighs from the fridge, allowing them to come to room temperature. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry and remove any condensation. Then, in a small bowl, mix all of the herbs and spices together.
Season the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and two thirds of the spice blend, and use your hands to coat all sides of the chicken, including under the skin.
Prep the chicken for baking. Place the chicken thighs on a rack on top of a baking sheet. Then, sprinkle the remaining spice mix on top of the chicken. Feel free to gently pat down the seasoning so it sticks to each chicken thigh.
Bake the chicken. These will cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F. To make the skin extra crispy, you can also turn on the top broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Once done, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
What to serve these with? If you’re looking for a few tasty side dishes, try my mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes), roasted Brussels sprouts, garlic sauteed spinach, steamed broccoli, or green beans with shallots and lemon. Lots of options!
Common Questions
I think it’s best. The rack allows the air to circulate around the chicken, making it crispier. If you don’t have a rack, use a larger baking sheet with space between the chicken so that any juices spread out from the chicken.
Absolutely! The key to this recipe is using lots of herbs and spices (just under one teaspoon of herbs and spices per chicken thigh). But, if you’d like to switch up the flavor profile, by all means, have fun with it.
The good news is that it’s really hard to overcook chicken thighs. The darker meat just stays juicer. And in fact, you want to cook chicken thighs about 5 to 10 degrees higher than chicken breasts, as this allows the connective tissue to breakdown more, resulting in the most tender meat.
Storage Tips
- To store: Leftover chicken thighs will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: To enjoy crispy skin again, you can bake them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through. If you have an air fryer, you can also reheat them at 350°F for about 3 to 4 minutes.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
Are you a chicken thigh lover like me? Get inspired by these reader-favorite chicken thigh recipes.
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken: This is one of the most popular recipes on the website!
- One Pan Chicken and Rice: It’s hard to beat this one pan meal.
- Balsamic Chicken: Sticky sweet balsamic chicken roasts on a sheet pan with veggies.
- Greek Lemon Chicken: This bright and flavorful chicken hits all the right notes.
- Cilantro Lime Chicken: A Mexican inspired recipe that’s bursting with flavor.
I hope you love these crispy baked chicken thighs! If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Baking Sheet This one won't warp or bend!
- Baking Rack You can use this for cooking and cooling.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the seasoning. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Then, In a small bowl, mix all of the herbs and spices together.
- Season the chicken. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and ⅔ of the spice blend. Use your hands to coat all sides of the chicken, and even get it under the skin.
- Arrange the chicken. Place the chicken on a rack on top of a baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix on top of the chicken.
- Bake the chicken thighs for 35 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F. You can also turn on the top broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to make the top extra crispy. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. 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.
Recipe originally posted February 2019, but updated to include new information and photos for your benefit!
Made these and the second time I made them I put them in my air fryer so delicious
Yes, they’re great baked in the oven or air fryer!
This is the best tasting chicken recipe, and it couldn’t be any easier! I love that the ingredients are few and what you would already have on hand.
I’m so glad you’re loving these crispy baked chicken thighs, Kelly.
I do not have a baking rack. Are there some other options to get the same crispiness?
This is the best chicken
Glad you found a new favorite chicken recipe!
Delicious! The thighs came out super crispy. Make sure to season well under the skin. Family approved. Also did some drumsticks in the same fashion, came out great. Thanks, Lisa!
Happy to hear your chicken turned out perfectly with this recipe, Carla!
This was So Good! Crispy, flavorful and tender.
Will definitely make again! Thanks!👍
Hi Liz – Happy to hear you loved these baked chicken thighs!
Can you also do drumsticks with the thighs?
Yes, you can do that.
Yes you can, I’m cooking 9 chicken legs and 10 thighs using this recipe right now.
I only had boneless skinless thighs but the recipe still worked. I ate it with stick-of-butter rice and it was delicious. The leftovers were even better. The seasonings on the chicken intensified in the best way overnight in the fridge. Will definitely make again
So happy you loved the recipe, Wilson!
This is my 3 year old son’s favorite chicken and I’ve made it quite a few times! We all love it! Really enjoy your healthy recipes, thanks so much!
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear your little one loves it. He has good taste. ;)
This was so delicious! Instant family favourite; my husband said, “I want more”. Haha!
Hi Michaela – Happy to hear the whole family loved these baked chicken thighs!
Made mistakes with this recipe but it still turned out great! Had only boneless/skinless chicken thighs, mixed in olive oil with the spices, didn’t have a small rack for baking it.
And it came out like a shwarma dish. Served it over polenta and it was great!
Hi Mike – Good to know your chicken thighs still turned out delicious! Definitely give it a try with skin-on, bone-in thighs next time!
Hello! This is 2nd time I’ve made this recipe and we love it! I really like that I always have these ingredients handy and that I don’t need to go to the store to get anything. Such a delicious and flavorful dish. Thank you!
Hi Virginia – Happy to hear you’re loving these baked chicken thighs!
Didn’t think I would like a dry rub but it was very good and will be making it again.
Glad this recipe exceeded your expectations, Irma!
It’s a big hit with the family! My granddaughter complimented me by saying I outdid myself! It came out crispy and juicy with lots of flavor. It’s a keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful, Stella! Sounds like you’ve got a winning chicken recipe you can come back to every time.
I add turmeric to the spices. It’s healthy and gives the chicken a slightly yellow tint. I make this in the air fryer and it comes out great!
I am a big fan of you, Lisa!
Glad these chicken thighs turned out perfectly in your air fryer, Linda! The addition of turmeric sounds great as well.
I used skinless chicken thighs and they still turned out AMAZING! Already prepping to make them again.
Amazing! Good to know these still turned out great with skinless thighs, Elizabeth. Enjoy!
This is so delicious! I make enough to have leftovers for other recipes, or to snack on cold, right out of the refrigerator.
It really does make for tasty leftovers and meal prep. I do the same thing! Great minds, Grace. :)
This has become a family favorite, kid approved! Consistent, great results and in our regular rotation.
Great to hear the whole family is loving these baked chicken thighs, Marcy!
I hardly ever cook but this was very easy and turned out super good. Definitely love the crispiness.
Glad you’re enjoying this way of making baked chicken thighs, Christian!
I make a variation of this recipe often and everyone loves it! I like to add cumin, coriander, Chinese 5 spice, cayenne and a touch of sugar to the recipe to make it a Jerk variation. So crispy, tasty and devine.
Your variation on this sounds amazing, Kelly! Thanks for sharing with us.
This is now my “go to” chicken thighs recipes. It is so full of taste, juicy and crispy skin. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Wonderful! I’m glad this has become your go-to chicken recipe, Kerry.
I love this recipe. It is so good.
Happy to hear you’re loving these baked chicken thighs, Maryann!
Love this recipe! Seasonings were just to our liking, and the chicken was so juicy. Recipe was easy to follow, and accurate with bake time. Skin was nice and crispy,which I have never really been able to do in the oven. DH said to make chicken thighs with this recipe from here on out, so that makes it a winner! Thank you!
I’m so glad you found a new go-to chicken recipe, Carol!
Our go to chicken recipe. Easy to make and comes out perfectly.
I’m so glad this has become your go-to chicken recipe, Bill!
These are so simple and taste absolutely delicious
I’m so glad you’re loving everything about these baked chicken thighs, Beki!
This is absolutely delicious and very easy. I love eating it cold in sandwiches or on salads.
Happy to hear you’re enjoying this baked chicken recipe in so many ways, Gwen!
This was the BEST baked chicken recipe EVER!!! So easy, using ingredients that are readily available in most every pantry, and all prepped and cooked in under an hour!
But the best thing??? This is melt in your mouth chicken, so moist and flavourful. Enjoy!!
Amazing! Happy to hear you’re loving everything about this baked chicken recipe, Donna.
Made this last night – easy and very tasty – even the fussy eaters loved it and wanted more!
Thrilled this chicken recipe satisfied even the pickiest eaters, Michelle!
Brilliant
Glad you love these chicken thighs, Ian!
It’s absolutely delicious!!😋
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these crispy chicken thighs, Karen!
Super easy and very tasty. Will make again! I posted the pic on Pinterest and tagged downshiftology.
Awesome, thanks so much, Michelle! I’m glad you enjoyed these baked chicken thighs. :)
I will definitely post a picture on IG and tag you. I have made this with bone in/skin-on (yes, more flavorful) and boneless/skinless. I have searched many times for chicken thigh recipes and I always go back to this recipe, i honestly dont know why i bother searching anywhere else. Tonight I have some skinless chicken thighs and will be doing this recipe then I am going to slice them up to go with my baby spinach & feta cheese. My favorite thing you do is the rack. It is my favorite way of cooking certain meats. I also love your photography in this recipe. I am so picky about that, you nailed it!
Hi Carly – It’s always a good feeling to find the perfect chicken recipe you can come back to time and again! Glad this recipe has become a staple, and thanks for all you feedback!
Entire house is filled with smoke. Googled it, pretty much a guarantee baking chicken thighs at 425 apparently? Why isn’t anyone mentioning this? Am I in the twilight zone right now?
Hi Greg – you should definitely not have your oven smoking cooking chicken at 425F, unless there was something previously spilled in your oven (and that got burned off). I’d also recommend grabbing an oven thermometer to double check the internal temp of your oven. Sometimes ovens are calibrated incorrectly and can actually cook hotter. Hope that helps, and thanks for giving my recipe a try!