An easy recipe for crispy baked chicken thighs. Crispy skin, juicy meat and flavorful spices combine to create chicken perfection!
“Mom,” declared The Picky Eater after having a few bites, “These crispy baked chicken thighs are just as good as fried chicken!” Need I say more? 😀
This is the best part of the chicken
Baked chicken thighs – tender, Juicy and very flavorful, are my favorite chicken part. Or maybe my second favorite, right after chicken wings.
They delight with a super crispy, seasoned skin, and with juicy, succulent meat. It’s chicken perfection! In fact, they are so good, that these days, when I buy chicken, I almost always choose bone-in, skin-on thighs.
I don’t buy rotisserie chicken anymore. We just end up fighting over the thighs, and then I get stuck with the dry chicken breast that no one wants. Well, I usually end up using it in this stuffed poblano peppers recipe so it’s not all bad. 🙂
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty main dish (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
- Olive oil spray
- Chicken thighs (bone-in and skin on)
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme
How to make crispy baked chicken thighs
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Arrange the thighs in a single layer on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
- Generously spray the chicken pieces with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with the seasonings.
- Bake until the meat is juicily cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy, 45-50 minutes at 400°F.
If you feel like it, you can go through the trouble of browning the skin in a skillet before baking. But it’s tedious, and I find it’s unnecessary.
How to serve baked chicken thighs?
This is such a versatile main dish. It goes with anything! I often serve it with vegetable stew, with cauliflower steak (baking both in the same oven), or with baked pumpkin.
Is it a healthy recipe?
I believe it is. Chicken is considered a healthy choice. And while in the past we used to discard the skin, thinking it unhealthy, I was happy to read that experts from the Harvard School of Public Health are now saying that it’s fine to eat the skin. How wonderful, as it’s the best part!
What about leftovers?
Crispy baked chicken thighs keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Although the skin won’t be as crispy.
Leftovers are delicious cold, or gently reheated in a low oven. Sometimes I shred cold leftovers and mix them into a salad the next day for my lunch.
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Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 8 medium chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and fit it with a wire rack. Spray the wire rack with olive oil.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on the wire rack. Untuck the skin from underneath each thigh and spread it on the rack, to make crispy skin. It’s best if the thighs do not touch each other, so if you need to, use two baking sheets.
- Generously spray the tops of the chicken thighs with olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasonings. Lightly spray again, then bake until skin is dark and crisp and an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, 45-50 minutes.
- Allow the crispy baked chicken thighs to rest 5 minutes on the rack before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
