Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
by Katie Webster
March 15, 2019 (updated 9/25/23) 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 baked chicken thighs recipe and I am so excited for you to try it.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Baked Chicken Thigh Recipe
We return to this simple baked chicken thigh recipe over and over. In addition to our Seared Salmon, it is one of our favorite go-to recipes that we make several times a month. When I was on Public Radio recently I told the host that it was my family’s favorite dinner recipe and the one I return to over and over all fall and winter.
Now that the weather has turned cool for the season, we have already made this recipe a couple times! When it is too cold to grill chicken thighs, let the oven do all the work and make these crispy skin chicken thighs all fall and winter.
Recipe Highlights
Here are some of the things love about this recipe, and once you try it, you’ll love them too!
- Only takes about 5 minutes of prep work before popping them into the oven
- Can be customized with your favorite seasoning blend
- Kid-friendly (this recipe works with drumsticks too, FYI)
- Goes with a variety of side dishes, from classic roast chicken sides like steamed broccoli to more adventurous gourmet creations (like this Parsnip and Carrot Mash I paired with it with today) – it is a chameleon and fits right in with whatever you pair with it.
- With our high-heat roasting method, the chicken skin gets ultra-crispy and the meat is tender- practically falling off the bone
Ingredient Notes
Bone-in Chicken Thighs
While I love quick baking boneless chicken thighs for quick recipes like my Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs this baked thigh recipe uses bone-in chicken thighs. You’ll want to use whole chicken thighs with the skin and bone for baking. They stay ultra moist and the skin gets super crisp.
Seasonings
You will need some simple kitchen staples to season them. Here are our tips on the best way to season chicken thighs before roasting them:
- Salt: You’ll need a generous amount of salt to season these thighs because it doesn’t penetrate through so you have to compensate by seasoning the outside of the thigh only. I like the way coarse kosher salt makes a bit of a crust on the chicken skin. You can use regular table in half the amount, simply read this post about subbing in a different salt.
- My Favorite Spices and Herbs for Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs: I use all different store bought herb and spice blends to make these baked thighs, and really you cannot go wrong! A couple faves are this Montreal Seasoning and Shepherd Herb Mix. But Za’atar spice, Italian Seasoning and Herbs de Provence are also excellent. I also love the Greek Seasoning by McCormick, which is available at most grocery stores. Check out our FAQ section for how to mix your own spice and herb blend instead.
How to Bake Bone-In Chicken Thighs
Baked bone-in chicken with crispy skin is so simple to make. If you follow these steps you will have amazingly crispy skin, perfectly cooked through tender chicken leg meat, and a happy family every time you make it.
Step 1: Prep Pan and Preheat Oven
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.
Step 2: Season Chicken
Lay chicken thighs in a heavy 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.
Step 3: Bake Chicken Thighs
Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is very crispy, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve hot.
What To Serve with Roasted Chicken Thighs
- We have a list of our favorite recipes to pair with Roasted Chicken here.
- Baked chicken thighs and Classic Caesar Salad are great together or Garden Salad and Dinner Rolls is also a yummy combo with these.
- Our Cooked Baby Carrots and Garlic Mashed Potatoes are classic compliments to baked chicken.
- Simple Skillet Green Beans are always easy and my kids love them.
- For dessert classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies or this fall variation Oatmeal Apple Cookies cannot be beaten.
FAQs and Expert Tips for Roasted Chicken Thighs
We like to bake these thighs until the skin is nice and crispy and the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone. This takes about 50 minutes to an hour.
To make the skin crispy, bake them in a hot oven. If you have a convection setting on your oven set it to 425 convection. Or for a still oven set it to 450 degrees.
The skin will be nice and crispy, the chicken will no longer be pink in the center when tested with a knife and an instant-read digital thermometer will register at least 165 close to the bone.
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!
Leftovers, Make Ahead and Reheating
Make Ahead: This recipe preps so quickly for the oven that you do not need to do any make ahead steps. Do not season the chicken with the salt in advance. It is important to pat it dry just before seasoning and baking.
Leftovers: Leftovers can be kept up to two days in the refrigerator. Keep in an airtight container. Remove the skin, pull the meat off the bone and use the chicken for a recipe like buffalo chicken burritos, chicken pesto pizza, chicken sesame lettuce wraps or my Mexican Chicken Casserole.
Reheating: The skin doesn’t stay crispy once they chicken is refrigerated. To reheat, microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes (per thigh) and then remove the skin. Make sure they are heated through before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
Chicken Drumsticks: 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 delicious!
Custom Spice Blend: In addition to salt and black pepper you can get creative with your seasonings. Instead of the purchased herb blend mix together: 1/2 teaspoon each of dry thyme, garlic powder, paprika and dried oregano. Or come up with your own idea for your own custom spice blend.
Boneless Thighs: If you have boneless chicken thighs, you can also make this recipe, but it will be done in about half the time. We also suggest that you brush the boneless skinless chicken thighs lightly with olive oil before sprinkling with the seasonings, salt and pepper.
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 Baked Chicken Thigh Recipe
- 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
- 1/2 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
Leftovers:
Leftovers can be kept up to two days in the refrigerator. Keep in an airtight container. Remove the skin, pull the meat off the bone and use the chicken in another recipe.
Reheating:
The skin doesn’t stay crispy once the chicken is refrigerated. To reheat, microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes (per thigh) and then remove the skin. Make sure they are heated through before serving.
- 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
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.
Why can you not use baking powder to cook your chicken thighs? I also wrote a post about crispy chicken skin, but it’s made on a Z Grills pellet grill. Here’re the 7 secrets of crispy chicken skin. To make crispy chicken skin using a pellet smoker, follow these steps:
1.Preheat the pellet smoker to 375°F.
2.Dry the chicken skin with paper towels and then sprinkle some kosher salt over the skin to help it become crispy.
3.Place the chicken skin side up on the smoker rack.
4.Cook the chicken for about 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
5.If the skin is not crispy enough, increase the temperature to 425°F for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
6.Check the chicken frequently during the cooking process to make sure it does not overcook.
7.Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
By following these steps, you should be able to achieve crispy chicken skin using a pellet smoker. .zgrills.com/how-to-get-crispy-chicken-skin-on-a-pellet-grill/
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!