Crispy Skin Chicken
by Katie Webster
March 15, 2019 (updated 11/28/22) Jump To Recipe
If I were to ever have the need to use the beloved millennial phrase “on repeat” about something I cook, it would be about Crispy Skin Chicken. For my entire adult life, I have made this chicken recipe over and over (and over on repeat). It is THE BEST CHICKEN, friends and I am so excited for you to try it.
Table of contents
Last year, I had the honor of being a guest on Vermont Public Radio to talk about cooking. Within the first two minutes of the interview, the host, Jane Lindholm, asked if I had a go-to recipe for this time of year. Without hesitation, I knew the answer would be my Crispy Skin Chicken. You can hear what I said here (If you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, fast forward to minute 1:55.)
Yet, I’ve never shared the recipe here. And that reason has to do with Jane’s response to my description of the recipe, she says “But you’re not supposed to eat the chicken skin!” That’s really what the hold-up has been. I didn’t want to put a recipe for skin-on chicken on Healthy Seasonal Recipes because, well, it wasn’t particularly healthy.
But if you listen to the interview, you know my response to Jane was, “It’s the best part!” My family and I have been enjoying this, in fact I would say it is Our Favorite (with a capital F) dinner. As you know my whole philosophy about what healthy means anyway is everything in moderation. So a bit of chicken skin now and then (aka “on repeat”) is okay! And really chicken skin isn’t so bad for you.
How to Make Crispy Skin Chicken
Crispy skin chicken is SOOOO SIMPLE to make. It is just four ingredients and if you follow these steps you will have amazingly crispy skin every time you make it.
Use Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- You’ll want to use bone-in chicken thighs. If you have never had chicken thighs or prefer white meat chicken, this recipe is definitely the gateway to loving dark meat chicken. They are succulent and tender on the inside and stay super juicy.
- While I love quick cooking boneless chicken thighs for recipes like my Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs or Grilled Greek Boneless Chicken Thighs, this recope uses bone-in chicken thighs. The reason you want bone in thighs is they don’t dry out. So you can cook them until the bottom is crispy, the skin is crispy and the meat is steaming hot and tender and just pulls right off the bone. What I love about that is you can be a slacker and not be super precise about pulling them out of the oven right at the perfect moment. Chicken thighs don’t turn to sawdust the way chicken breast does.
- I also make this recipe with chicken drumsticks, especially when my kids were little. They cook a little faster but are still just as crispy yet juicy and delcious!
Use A Hot Oven
- Get you oven a-blazing! The most important part of getting the skin really crispy is having a good hot oven. That means preheating it to 425 degrees on convection.
- Convection baking circulates the air around the outside of the chicken as it cooks, so that it cooks faster, and allows it to become much crispier. It’s almost like searing the outside of the chicken!
Choose A Heavy Roasting Pan
I use a heavy handled roasting pan. The thickness of it helps to ensure even cooking and even distribution of the heat. I also love the fact that it is stovetop safe, so clean up is a breeze! (See more on that below.) I spray the pan with cooking spray before I lay the chicken down in it so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
Pat the Chicken Dry
Remember that moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, you want to make sure your chicken is not wet from the packaging. (Blot it dry with a paper towel if you need to.) And also take care so it is not crowded in the pan.
How To Season Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Salt: I use a heavy hand with the salt on these. Since the chicken meat itself doesn’t get any seasoning on it, you have to kinda over season the outside of the chicken. It also helps to form a nice crust on the outside. I use coarse kosher salt for this. If you’ve missed it, here’s what you need to know about subbing in a different salt.
- My Favorite Spices and Herbs for Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs: Then comes the decision time for the seasoning. I am a giant fan of Teeny Tiny Spice Company blends and have an entire shelf of my spice rack dedicated to these incredible small-batch Certified Organic blends. I have 17 cans of them right now. No lie. My two favorites to use for Crispy Skin Chicken are the Montreal Seasoning and the Shepherd Herb Mix. But I also love their Hot Italian and the Za’atar spice as well in this recipe. Really you can’t go wrong!
- Other Herb Blends: I have made this with other spice blends as well. Regular old Italian Seasoning works awesome, as does Herbs de Provence. I also love the Greek Seasoning by McCormick, which is available at most grocery stores.
- What About Spices: All of the blends I have mentioned are heavier on dried herbs and lighter on dried spices. Spices tend to darken a little too much, so when I use them for Crispy Skin Chicken I try to keep the spice mostly on the top of the chicken. But I still salt and pepper the bottom of the chicken.
How Long To Bake Chicken Thighs
Bake the chicken for 50 minutes to an hour. Don’t worry, you won’t over cook it. I think it’s even better if you go for the full hour because the meat starts to fall off the bone a little bit! Succulent!
How to Clean The Roasting Pan
To clean up, if you have a stove-top safe pan, you’re in luck! Just add an half-inch or so of warm water and a couple drops of dish soap into the pan. Then set it on the stove and bring it to a boil. Once it boils. Turn it off and let it sit about 10 minutes. It will come clean super easily!
Leftover Baked Chicken Thighs
Sorry to say that if you have leftovers the skin will not be crispy once it is refrigerated. So when you have left-overs, reheat the chicken, then remove the skin. Or you can remove the skin, pull the meat off the bone and use the chicken for a recipe like these chicken lettuce wraps or my Mexican Chicken Casserole.
What To Serve with Crispy Skin Chicken
- My daughter’s absolute favorite Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon
- Overnight Kale Caesar is also a yummy combo with this chicken
- Last week I shared our new fave Mashed Carrots and Parsnips. The orange flavor rocks with oven-roasted chicken!
- Simple Skillet Green Beans are always easy and my kids love them.
- For dessert, Oatmeal Apple Cookies cannot be beaten.
More of My Favorite Simple Chicken Recipes
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Crispy Skin Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
The Best Crispy Skin Chicken! These crispy baked chicken thighs are so easy to make! Simply bake them with salt, pepper and spice in a hot oven for an hour! It is so easy and kid friendly.
Ingredients
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, about 4 pounds
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons purchased herb and spice blend, see note*
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees convection. Lightly coat a heavy large roasting pan with cooking spray or brush with oil.
- Lay chicken thighs in roasting pan. Sprinkle with about half of the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the dry spices. Flip over, and sprinkle the other side with the remaining salt, pepper and spices. Turn chicken skin side up and transfer to the oven.
- Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is very crispy, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve hot.
Notes
Note*: This recipe works with virtually any purchased herb and spice blend. An example would be Montreal Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Greek Seasoning or Za’atar. Spice blends like curry powder, Cajun seasoning or Mexican seasonings are also a great option, though they can get dark, especially on the bottom of the chicken. If using a spice blend, err on sprinkling the spice heavier on the top (skin side) of the chicken. Please note that some herb and spice blends also contain salt and pepper. If yours does, use less salt and pepper.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 0
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 17 g
Keywords: crispy skin chicken,baked chicken thighs,baked chicken,crispy baked chicken thighs
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
I love this. I use garlic powder, paprika, dried dill, salt and pepper. Makes a delicious rub and gives nice color too.
Love Love LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it EVERY week since i came across it. It’s now my kids favorite!
i have 3 in college and it’s also their go to because it’s so easy. They can stick it in the oven and get homework done while it cooks. No complicated rubs or marinades and it doesn’t require constant babysitting. Winner Winner!!
This is on my weekly rotation, it’s delicious!
★★★★★
Just make this. It’s a no-brainer. Perfect for family or entertaining. Simple and delicious!
★★★★★
I am so glad you tried this one Claire! Yay! Now it will be your go-to as well.
I made these this week. They are always a hit for the whole family. And so easy!
This is one of my favorites!! So easy and SO delicious – I never eat chicken skin, but it is so flavorful and crispy and adds so much to the dish. We eat this regularly during the long cold winter months with some rice and green veggies!
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear you like it Abby! That’s awesome! My kiddos request this one all the time.
This recipe is so easy and a crowd – pleaser! It comes in handy to have a recipe like this for a quick weekday dinner.
★★★★★
Thank you so much Karen! I am so happy you love it as much as we do! Have a great week!
I completely agree, the skin is the best part especially when it’s perfectly crispy like this!
★★★★★
It is pretty spectacular!
looks delicious, I’ll have to try your tips for making skin crispy
★★★★★
It works so well, and the spices can take this in a number of directions!