Baked Chicken Thighs

by Sabrina Snyder

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26 Comments

5 from 10 votes
6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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Baked Chicken Thighs are easy, and they have the crispiest skin ever. They can be seasoned any way you want, and they’re done in 40 minutes.

When you don’t have time to make a whole Perfect Roast Chicken, this recipe will save the day and your kids will go crazy for the crispy skin.

Sabrina’s Baked Chicken Thighs

Don’t let how simple these Baked Chicken Thighs are fool you, this chicken recipe is full of flavor. Dinner tonight is going to be crispy, juicy and delicious. If you need an easy recipe for a weeknight dinner, it doesn’t get much easier than this (the cook time is the longest part). Also, don’t be tempted to use skinless chicken thighs, the crispy skin is delicious.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe

Baked Chicken Thighs are easy, simple and perfectly crispy. They can be seasoned any way you want and they’re done in 40 minutes.
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Chicken thigh in a baking dish
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 6 chicken thighs , bone in and skin on
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Make sure your chicken thighs are dry and season with salt, pepper and thyme.
  • Place into baking dish and roast for 35-40 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.003g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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About this Recipe

All you have to do is make sure that your chicken thighs are dry, and season them with salt and pepper. Then, put them in a baking pan and you’re ready to roast them. No, seriously, that’s all you have to do. 35 to 40 minutes later, your chicken is done and ready to eat.

If there’s a big question mark in your mind about how a recipe that’s so easy can be so good, we’ve got some answers for you. Baked chicken may not be as much of a classic American dish as fried chicken, but it is better for you and has just as much flavor. Baking chicken is a great way to get flavor without having to use oil or adding extra fat, and the blend of salt on the skin helps the meat stay moist and flavorful. Plus, this is a great chicken thigh recipe to try if you’re limiting your carbs.

How to Store

  • Serve: don’t leave your chicken out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
  • Store: in an airtight container, cooked chicken can last in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: your Baked Chicken Thighs will last for around 6 months.

Ideas to Serve

Here are some delicious side dishes to try for dinner tonight.

  • Twice Baked Potatoes: twice baked potatoes are a favorite because of how rich and creamy the insides turn out while the outside stays crisp.
  • Mashed Potatoes: this is an absolute classic for a reason, and they go great with practically any dinner.
  • Green Beans with Bacon: these are green beans that your whole family will eat. The bacon adds a different kind of crunch to the savory green beans.
  • Roasted Vegetables: Roasted veggies make a delicious and healthy side that round out the dinner nicely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What meat is on a thigh?

Chicken thighs are mostly dark meat. The meat is great for baking, and for tenderizing with rubs and marinades. Unlike chicken breasts that are mostly white meat, chicken thighs have a richer, deeper flavor because it has a slightly higher fat content.

When is chicken cooked through?

When you cook chicken thighs, remember to test them with a probe thermometer before you eat them. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F (73.9 degrees C).

Variations

When you know how to bake chicken thighs, you can easily modify the recipe to fit specific occasions. Even just experimenting with different seasonings can give your chicken a whole different taste. Try it with garlic powder, paprika, or Italian seasoning to match the occasion. This is a fun, simple way to change up the dish without affecting the prep or cooking time. If you want to try a blend of seasonings, try mixing them together in a small bowl before spreading it on the meat so that it is thoroughly mixed.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

Two photos of baked crispy chicken in a collage

Photos used in previous versions of the post

Crispy chicken thighs
Plated chicken with vegetables and rice
Roasted chicken on a baking dish

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  2. Hello I was wondering if the baked chicken Thighs recipe if the thighs were on some kind of gravy. Thanks just wondering

    Reply

  3. These look divine. I knew I could find a good crispy chicken thigh recipe on your site! 🙂 I’m wondering… I have a lot more thighs to cook than six. Could I put them on a sheet pan, instead, or should I just do batches in a dish? Thanx!

    Reply

  6. Simple to prepare and delicious. I tried this recipe last night as I needed a quick, last-minute dinner idea. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. Thanks, Sabrina, for this winning recipe!

    Reply

  7. The easiest recipe ever. Flavor is amazing. My husband has lost much of his sense of taste with chemo therapy, but this recipe has enough flavor for him to taste and enjoy. So glad to have given this a try. Make it all the time now.

    Reply

  11. I am always looking for new chicken thigh recipes and this was a huge hit with my family! There weren’t any leftovers!

    Reply