Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Baked chicken thighs that are crispy and juicy make for the perfect weeknight meal! This chicken recipe is incredibly easy to make, packed with flavor and much healthier than traditional fried chicken – you’ll love it. Watch the video below!
If you’re looking for a tasty side dish, try my balsamic bacon brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato, mashed cauliflower, garlic sautéed swiss chard, steamed broccoli, or green beans. Lots of options!
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
As a kid I loved KFC chicken, but my favorite part was the crispy skin that was full of herbs and flavor. In fact, I may have eaten the skin more than the meat!
Today, I no longer eat KFC (for obvious reasons) but I still love tender, juicy chicken with crispy, flavorful skin. And that’s where my baked chicken thighs come in. With a drizzle of avocado oil and a generous amount of dried herbs you can create crispy baked chicken that the whole family will love. And you can feel good knowing it’s healthier.
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe? Of course. But if you’re going for flavor, I do recommend using bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. The skin locks in the moisture and bone-in chicken just tastes better. It’s also cheaper. Win win.
How to Bake Chicken Thighs
For easy baked chicken thighs, just follow these steps (and watch my video above).
- Preheat your oven to 425F. A higher temperature makes the skin extra crispy.
- Pat the chicken dry. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry and remove any condensation from the fridge.
- Mix the chicken, oil and herbs. In a large bowl mix the chicken, avocado oil and 2/3 of the herb seasoning.
- Place the chicken on a rack. A rack on top of a baking sheet allows the air to circulate around the chicken making it crispier. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on top.
- Bake the chicken. Bake the chicken thighs for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
A Few Extra Tips
Reminder: Don’t Wash the Chicken. It’s a common misconception that you need to rinse chicken once you bring it home from the store. As the USDA says, it would be impossible for water to remove all bacteria and rinsing the chicken only cross-contaminates your kitchen and anything nearby (your sink, faucet, countertop, etc). Rest assured the heat from cooking will kill any bacteria present.
Do Use a Rack if Possible. The rack not only allows the air to circulate, it also raises the chicken up from the edge of any baking sheet. If you don’t have a rack, use a larger baking sheet with space between the chicken so that any juices spread out from the chicken.
Use Lots of Herbs and Spices. It may sound like a lot of herbs and spices in this recipe (7 teaspoons) but trust me, it’s the perfect quantity. That’s just under 1 teaspoon of spices per chicken thigh and coats the chicken with garlic, onion, paprika and herbs for the absolute best flavor.
Don’t Overcook the Chicken Thighs. Most people overcook chicken because they remove it from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 165F. But chicken continues to cook once it’s removed from the oven. So remove the chicken at 160F and after 5 minutes of resting you’ll see that the internal temperature is now 165F. Resting also allows the juices to redistribute inside the chicken.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Enjoy
I’m such a fan of chicken thighs and healthy chicken recipes. If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, give these delicious meals a try!
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Roasted Balsamic Chicken
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Herbed Honey Mustard Chicken
- Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe Video
Want to see how I make this recipe? Watch the video below!
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, (or olive oil)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.
- In a small bowl mix all of the herbs and spices together.
- Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and 2/3 of the spice blend. Use your hands to coat all sides of the chicken and even under the skin.
- Place the chicken on a rack on top of a baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix on top of the chicken.
- Bake the chicken thighs for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees fahrenheit. You can also turn on the top broiler for 2-3 minutes to make the top extra crispy. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Lisa's Tips
- Use a heavy duty commercial baking sheet that won't warp or bend in the oven. This is the baking sheet I use. And here's a stainless steel rack as well.
How big is each thigh roughly (weight)?
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I love making a double batch of seasoning and having it for another easy whip-together chicken dish for another night!
This truly is such a delicious meal prep dinner!
Could I substitute for skin on drumsticks Lisa.
Thanks
Joan
Yes, no problem! Though you may need to adjust the cook time.
Absolutely DELICIOUS!
So easy and so good!!! Thank you Lisa❤️
I’m happy you enjoyed the chicken thighs Lori!
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! Just made this rub with boneless chicken thighs (all I had) and will make again and again! Very tasty! I did reduce the cook time to compensate for the boneless chicken but really want to try with bone-in thighs next. Mmmmm!
Hello ,
I noticed that you suggest 170 degrees internal temp in the recipe and 160 degrees in your extra tips
Thanks for pointing that out! It’s supposed to be 165 degrees.
Hmmm…. I read that the temp should be 160 degrees when you take it out of the oven and it will reach 165 degrees while resting.
The spices on the chicken make it a winner. The skin was crispy and the overall flavor of the chicken was amazing. Juicy chicken that I will definately make again!!
Thank you for another repeat worthy supper.
This is A MUST TRY and PUT ON REPEAT! It is always a home run and don’t sleep on the spice mix, I always put together a double (sometimes triple) batch and use it on so much more. She really needs to start “Downshiftology Spice Blends”, this is amazing every time.
This is so nice and easy to make and tastes great!
These are delicious! So easy and better than fast food.
Agreed! This version is way better :)
These are AMAZING! I have little children and everyone from adults to toddlers LOVE these chicken thighs. We never have any leftovers….HIGHLY recommend.