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.
- Instant Read Thermometer My favorite one!
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!
Your recipes are great!
Thanks, Linda!!
I was going to make this recipe the other night but I hurt my foot so my husband made it for us. It was so good! My husband lived how easy it was and said we should definitely keep this recipe in rotation. He also said he wants to flip the chicken over and broil the other side. Thanks Lisa!
Oh no! Hope you’re doing better now. But, glad you all loved this chicken recipe!
Could this chicken thighs be made as well in the air fryer!
Yes, they can! Though, I haven’t tested timing and temperature yet. Will circle back!
It doesn’t get much easier than this! The taste was a hit with a couple of very fussy grandkids (which in my mind is the best compliment)! I served it with basmati rice, which I baked in the oven, and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Easy, quick and most of all, delicious! Thank you, Lisa!
That sounds like the perfect dinner combo! So happy you enjoyed everything, Sheetal!
I’ve made this chicken recipe over and over! It’s my go-to when we have friends over for dinner. So many of my friends and family love it and have asked for the recipe. I made the spice mix for Christmas one year and gave it in little jars to friends and family. Thank you for another great recipe Lisa!
Hi Kaitlyn – I love that you made the spice mix into little Christmas presents! Such a great food gift idea!
I have made this recipe more times than I can count. This has become a family favourite! I love it as well because it’s quick and easy. I would highly recommend this recipe. Delicious!
I’m happy to hear you have this recipe on frequent rotation in your house, Cathy!
My family loves this recipe, thank you. I was defrosting chicken thighs and first thing asked: you’re making them like last time right?
How funny! Happy to hear these have become a new favorite, Linda!
Hi I love the recipe but am confused as to the macros. I put it into MFP and it’s reading as 628 calories per serving? I used 8 bone in skin on chicken thighs from costco. They weighed 1562 grams.
We had stuffing left over from previous chicken, along with 2 uncooked chicken thighs. Cut the seasonings down to just enough for 2 thighs & it was perfect. Served with our reheated stuffing & frozen broccoli. Quick & easy but a big hit. Thank you!
Wonderful! Happy to hear these baked chicken thighs turned out perfectly, Fitzrey.
Welcome to the world of high BP and just touching on a high A1C.
Doc says thats it, time to get all of this under control. I’m pretty close to the world laziest and hopeless chef but I gotta says this was stupid easy to make and no though involved ok ok, i had to set a timer to flip at 20 mins in.
The crunch was killer and using every spice except for salt the taste was great. This is my new go to hands down. With help from AI I use this now on pork chops, thighs, drums and breasts. I love it.
Glad these baked chicken thighs were a hit, Jim!
Used your recipe tonight to make these chicken thighs we got on sale today for 50% off at our neighborhood store. Your five-star recipe looks so delicious. we thought we’d give it a try. Wow! They turned out so tender and juicy and the skin was crispy. Thank you for sharing such a yummy recipe. It was a win-win chicken dinner day!
Yay! Thrilled to hear you loved these baked chicken thighs, Phyllis!
Can I use am airfryer instead of oven?
You can if you’d like!
Yes. I’m making this tonight. Excited to try it
Enjoy, Liann!
The chicken thighs came very flavorful, I wasn’t expecting from dried seasoning. This recipe is definitely is a keeper. Thanks
Happy to hear you loved these chicken thighs, Margaret!
I used boneless skinless thighs because that’s what I had. I mixed the spices with the oil and rubbed all over the chicken. It was delicious.
Hi Sharon – I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe with boneless chicken thighs!
This recipe has become a staple in our house! The seasoning is just right and the thighs turn out crispy and juicy every time! This recipe is definitely a winner!
Hi Suzanne – I’m happy to hear you have these baked chicken thighs on repeat in your house. Enjoy!
I made these tonight and they were a hit. My husband does not care for anything except breast meat. But all I had in the fridge was thighs. I followed the recipe and they smelled so good while baking and looked amazing coming out of the oven, He said, “wow are these all breasts?” I considered a simple answer of yes, but told him, sorry no they are thighs. Well he was hungry so he ate them … and he is still raving about how good they were!!
Amazing! Glad you found a recipe that your husband can rave about, Linda. That’s always a win!
The best baked chicken thighs ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Woot! So happy you loved the recipe, Ray!
Looks good but what about cooking in an air fryer. Can’t wait to try.
Made these last night with your own Cajun seasoning recipe, since the spices were exactly the same. Turned out juicy on the inside, and crispy on the outside!
Great job swapping in the cajun seasoning in this recipe. Once you have the cooking method down, the seasoning options really are endless!
Love, love, love this recipe. 5 stars from all eaters!
Yay, I’m happy to hear that!