Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

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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!

Crispy baked chicken thighs on a plate.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

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!

Ingredients for 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. 

Mixing seasoning in a bowl.

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.

Adding seasoning to chicken thighs.

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. 

Chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

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!

Crispy baked chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

Common Questions

Do I really need to use a rack?

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.

Can I swap in different herbs and spices?

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.

How do I prevent dry chicken thighs?

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.

A baked chicken thigh on a plate.

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.

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.  

Baked chicken thighs on a sheet pan.

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

4.94 from 209 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Baked chicken thighs are crispy, juicy, flavorful, healthy and make for the perfect weeknight dinner idea. Watch the video below to see how I make them in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

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. 
    A bowl of chicken seasoning.
  • 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.
    Seasoning chicken with hands.
  • 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.
    A sheet pan of chicken thighs.
  • 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.
    Crispy baked chicken thighs on a sheet pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken thigh | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 256mg | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken, baked chicken thighs, chicken thigh recipes
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted February 2019, but updated to include new information and photos for your benefit!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.94 from 209 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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454 Comments

  1. My husband and children and I absolutely loved this. The house smelt amazing. Used boneless thighs. Will definitely do it again. Thank you.5 stars

    1. Hi Mike – You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card (scroll down towards the bottom).

  2. This was quite good, however, I only used 3 chicken thighs (each around 12cm wide) and your spice quantities fell far short of coating them all around. I note the poster below me found the same problem. Next time I’ll be doubling the quantities you specify in your recipe. I was a bit confused also when you referred to a heavy duty “sheet” which suggests something like a sheet of heavy duty aluminium foil. – I assume what you meant was a heavy duty PAN to lay the rack on.

  3. This recipe is so good! I have made it several times and everyone who has tried it has loved it. It is also super easy to make!5 stars

    1. I’m just learning to cook and this was really easy to follow. The salt stood out a bit for me but it wasn’t enough to say the dish was salty. My boyfriend said this was the best meal I’ve made so far and that it was an 8/10. Thank you!5 stars

  4. I’ve made this again tonite, butter corn, with coleslaw, and rice ~ so delicious . thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s my go to recipe for thighs and/ or chicken legs5 stars

  5. Super easy. Super crispy. Amazing flavor and juicy chicken. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Paired with sweet corn. Perfect dinner. Thanks for another great recipe.5 stars

  6. This came out great, especially by using the broiler for a few minutes at the end. Great flavor and crispy. Definitely will be making this again. My husband throughly enjoyed them.5 stars

  7. I usually only use boneless chicken but I thought I would try these. I’m glad that I did. The flavor was excellent and they were perfectly crispy. Will make them again soon. My daughter loved them and she only likes chicken that’s boneless.5 stars

  8. Vow!! I made this last night and it was so flavourful! I shall double the receipe next time and will be in my family weekly rotation. Love all your easy to make and delicious recipes.! Thanks so much Lisa! xo5 stars

    1. With as many people that enjoyed this recipe, it would have been nice if you could have said that it was way too salty for you personally. I just don’t understand people. Not everything is for everyone, but there is a respectful way to express your dislike.

      1. Some people feel important when they put others down. Shame on them! This recipe is even more about technique than ingredients. I don’t like thyme, so I don’t use it. Just keep your positive attitude and your life will be better because of it!5 stars

  9. Bought a pack of 8 chicken thighs for the first time. Coated 4 with your herb-spice recipe and just in case I didn’t like it, 4 with just salt & pepper.
    WoW! the 4 thighs with your recipe just sang! I’ve never eaten such flavoursome chicken. A fabulous recipe – you absolutely made my
    day! Thank You.5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear you loved the seasoning for this chicken recipe! I always say make a double batch to save for the future.

  10. Wow. I made this recipe last night and it is the best one I have ever tried. It is now our go to recipe. The herb seasoning is great. I did switch to “smoked paparika” instead of just paparika but that was a personal preference. I highly recommend this recipe.5 stars

  11. Delicious!

    Your recipes are always so flavorful. I’m a single dad living in South Africa and I’m always looking for quick delicious meals for my son and I, and this is a hit that he asks for over and over! I’ve been following your recipes for a while now and they definitely helped me as I didn’t know how to cook!

    Thank you so much!5 stars

    1. You’re more than welcome, Lee! I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed making my recipes for you and your son. And especially happy that this baked chicken thighs recipe was a hit! :)