Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
454 Comments
Nov 28, 2023
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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!
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.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
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!
My husband and children and I absolutely loved this. The house smelt amazing. Used boneless thighs. Will definitely do it again. Thank you.
Happy to hear the whole family loves this chicken recipe, Carla!
Which of the spices do I use?
Hi Mike – You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card (scroll down towards the bottom).
My go-to now!
Happy to hear you’re loving these crispy baked chicken thighs, Jim!
Super good! Easy to make!
Thank you!
this is exactly what I was looking for!!!!
Happy to hear you loved the recipe!
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.
I halved the spice mix because I was only making 3 thighs. It was not enough.
Hi Karhy – I would stick to making the normal amount of spice next time!
My husband absolutely loved these chicken thighs. Definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you!
Wonderful! I’m glad you both enjoyed this chicken recipe, Michelle.
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!
Amazing! I’m glad everyone is loving these baked chicken thighs, Abby.
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!
Can you make it in the air fryer at the same temperature/time? TIA
I would double check air fryer temperature for chicken thighs.
Picture shows avocado oil, recipe states olive oil. Which to use? Decisions, decisions…
Hi Jacqueline – you can use either oil in this recipe.
I don’t see what one is to do with any oil?!? And it says to pat dry, so…?
Hi Becky, you coat the chicken with oil in step 2.
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 legs
What a delicious meal with these baked chicken thighs, Lise!
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.
Love the idea of pairing this with sweet corn, MaryAnn!
Made this recipe, it was so good. It will be a staple in my meal planning❣️
Thrilled to hear you love these crispy baked chicken thighs, Nancy.
Which side UP?
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.
I’m glad your baked chicken thighs turned out perfectly, Debbe!
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.
I’m so glad you got around to trying these as well, Robert!
My family enjoy this. I make it with potato salad and coleslaw and fried okra. Big hit.
That sounds like a great combo, Pamela!
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! xo
Thrilled to hear you and your family are loving these baked chicken thighs!
Horrible…
Way too salty.
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.
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!
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.
Thrilled to hear you loved the seasoning for this chicken recipe! I always say make a double batch to save for the future.
Gotta say as someone whose been looking for a great chicken thigh recipe this is literally the BEST
Hi Shae – Happy to hear you love these crispy baked chicken thighs!
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.
Hi there – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this baked chicken recipe!
Great recipe! Delicious. Thanks.
Hi Tori – Happy to hear you enjoyed these baked chicken thighs!
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!
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! :)
Made for dinner it was a big hit will definitely make it again
Hi Kathy – I’m so glad you’re loving these baked chicken thighs!