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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Resting time 5

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 338kcal

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

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.

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.