Name: Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs (medium, bone in, skin on ); 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

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To make these crispy baked chicken thighs, season them generously and roast them in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes. Easy and delicious!

Crispy baked chicken thighs are served on a white plate.

Chicken thighs - tender, Juicy, and flavorful - are my second favorite chicken part after chicken wings. There's no need for oil! When properly cooked, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will emerge from the oven browned and gorgeous, with wonderfully crispy skin and succulent meat. A true delicacy!

Ingredients and Variations

The ingredients needed to bake crispy chicken thighs.

To make this recipe, you will need bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and a few spices, including kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. See the recipe card for exact measurements.

You can experiment with different spices. Recently, I made two versions, one with Italian seasoning and one with jerk seasoning. I arranged the thighs on two pans, sprinkled them generously with the spice mixes, added a generous pinch of kosher salt, and baked.

You can see the result in the photo below. My husband and I enjoyed the variety, although we both agreed that the store-bought jerk seasoning was a bit too sweet, and it's better to use my recipe for jerk chicken.

Four crispy chicken thighs on a plate, two with jerk seasoning and two with Italian seasoning.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle them with seasonings.

Seasoned raw chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

Bake them until the meat is juicily cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy, about 45 minutes in a 400°F oven. Serve immediately. You can tell from the photo below that the skin turns out perfectly crispy.

Four baked chicken thighs are ready on the baking sheet.

This was unbelievably delicious baked chicken. It actually tasted like fried chicken, only better. My husband and son loved them, and we will be making this often. I have never liked chicken thighs, but this is wonderful.
Cynthia R Smith
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Recipe Tips

Make Them Extra Crispy

If your pan accommodates this in terms of space, I recommend flattening the thighs before placing them in the pan (simply press on them with your hands). I also like to take the skin that's usually folded underneath each piece and spread it out on the pan, as shown in the photo below. This ensures even cooking and wonderfully crispy skin. If you flatten the thighs, they will cook faster, so check them after 40 minutes.

Skip The Oil

I used to spray the chicken with olive oil before baking, as you can see me doing in the video below. But I have found over the years that the skin crisps up better if I don't. I do stretch the skin so that it completely covers the chicken. Otherwise, the exposed meat could dry up.

Cook to 165°F

According to the USDA, chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone and insert it into the thickest part. The "USDA recommends never relying on color, firmness, or time as an indicator to know if your food is fully cooked." However, color can be an extra indicator. As you can see in the image below, the chicken is completely white, with no hint of pink.

A baked chicken thigh is cut to show it's done.

Skip the Skillet

You can go through the trouble of browning the skin in a skillet on the stovetop before baking. I do it when making Moroccan chicken and skin-on chicken breast. But it's quite tedious, and in this recipe, I find it unnecessary, so I never bother. The oven does a great job of browning the skin.

Serving Suggestions

Crispy baked chicken thighs go with many sides. I often serve them with one of the following:

When I bake the thighs with a vegetable that requires a 425°F oven, I simply use a 400°F oven and add 5-10 minutes to the veggie's roasting time. Since most veggies need a shorter time in the oven than the thighs, I place the thighs in the oven first, adding the vegetables later.

The photo below shows a typical plate with two thighs, roasted Brussels sprouts, and kimchi.

Two baked chicken thighs are served with roasted Brussels sprouts and kimchi.

Storing and Using Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, and then reheat them in a 350°F oven.

The leftovers are delicious cold or reheated in a 350°F oven. I prefer not to reheat them in the microwave. Sometimes, I shred or cube the cold leftovers and mix them into a salad the next day for lunch. They make a great addition to this arugula salad. In the photo below, you can see I used the leftovers in a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, chives, and ranch dressing.

A salad made with leftover baked chicken thighs.

If using the leftovers cold, make sure to remove the skin, as shown in the photo below. You can reheat just the skin in the oven or in a dry skillet! Crispy chicken skin is a delicacy.

Removing the skin from leftover chicken thighs.

Recipe Card

5 from 23 votes

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Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

It's easy to make these crispy baked chicken thighs! Simply season them generously and roast them in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Resting time5

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Video

Ingredients

▢ 8 chicken thighs - medium, bone in, skin on
▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
Arrange the thighs in a single layer in the prepared pan. It's best if they do not touch each other. Flatten them and gently stretch the skin to cover the meat entirely.
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the seasonings.
Place the chicken in the oven.
Bake the chicken until the skin is browned and crispy, and an instant-read thermometer not touching the bones reads 165°F, about 45 minutes.
Transfer the thighs to a serving plate. Loosely cover them with foil and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

If your baking sheet accommodates this in terms of space, I highly recommend flattening the thighs before placing them on the pan. I also like to take the skin that's usually folded underneath each piece and spread it out on the pan. This ensures even cooking and wonderfully crispy skin. If you flatten the thighs, they will cook faster, so check after 40 minutes.
I used to spray the thighs with olive oil before baking them, as you can see me doing in the video. But I have found over the years that the skin crisps up better if I don't spray it with oil. I do stretch the skin so that it completely covers the meat. Otherwise, the exposed meat could dry up.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They are delicious cold or reheated in a 350°F oven. I prefer not to reheat them in the microwave. Sometimes, I shred or cube cold leftovers and mix them into a salad the next day for lunch.

Nutrition per Serving

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Ingredients and Variations

Instructions