Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs are roasted perfectly in 30 minutes and seasoned to your taste. Using a convection oven for crispy skin, these moist and tender chicken thighs will become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs
Seasoning—salt, black pepper, and garlic powder mixture (All-Purpose Seasoning) OR
Optional seasoning of your choice
Jump To (scroll for more)
- Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Bake Chicken Thighs—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- ⏰ How long to bake chicken thighs and oven temperature
- 🐓What chicken thighs to use
- Seasoning tips
- 🌡️The best final internal temperature
- Related chicken recipes
- Serving chicken thighs
- What to do about smoking ovens
- Storing and reheating leftovers
- Food safety
- ❓FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
Featured Comment from Gretchen :
"This is by and far my FAVORITE recipe. I’ve always hated chicken thighs, and now I know why… the internal temperature. I generally will modify a recipe to my liking, however yours is hands down sensational."
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There are only a few secrets to making the best baked chicken thighs:
- Cook to the proper internal temperature of 185° to melt the connective tissue—don't stop at 165*.
- Use high heat in a convection oven for crispy skin—425° preferred, but other oven settings will work.
- Finally, using a rack to brown all sides and get the thighs out of the fatty drainage while they cook is best.
Make this recipe for chicken thighs in the oven with the easy step-by-step photo instructions with only 5 minutes of preparation and about 30 minutes of baking time. Cook along with baked chicken legs at the same temperature and time.
You can also fire up the gas grill for Grilled Bone-in Chicken Thighs or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks.
👨🍳How to Bake Chicken Thighs—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F convection or 450°F conventional.
2. Pat dry and trim off any loose skin with no meat. Also, remove any fat that is easily removed.
3. Prep a sheet pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Add a rack and a heavy coat of PAM cooking spray.
4. Spice both sides with the seasoning of your choice. Place on tray with the skin side up and tuck any skin under the thigh.
5. Bake until internal temp of 185°F—about 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰ How long to bake chicken thighs and oven temperature
The best oven temperature to bake bone-in chicken thighs is 425° convection, which will take about 30 minutes to reach 185° (the best internal temperature). This will vary by the weight and thickness of the thighs and your oven.
Chicken thighs baked at 350°F conventional takes about 50-55 minutes—will dry more.
Chicken thighs baked at 350°F convection or 375°F conventional takes about 45-50 minutes.
Chicken thighs baked at 375°F convection or 400°F conventional takes about 40-45 minutes.
Chicken thighs baked at 400°F convection or 425°F conventional takes about 35-40 minutes—recommended.
Chicken thighs baked at 425°F convection or 450°F conventional takes about 30-35 minutes—recommended.
Times are approximate and provided for planning only. Cook to a final internal temperature of 185°, using a meat or instant-read thermometer.
ALWAYS COOK TO A FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE. PLEASE, NEVER BY TIME ALONE.
🐓What chicken thighs to use
This recipe assumes bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. Just trim any loose fat and skin, then pat dry. Bone-in skinless chicken thighs will work fine but cook faster since they are thinner, and there is no bone to absorb heat.
If using skinless boneless chicken thighs, brush them with vegetable or olive oil. They tend to be smaller, thinner and have no bone to absorb heat. Cooking time will be faster, generally by 5-10 minutes. But remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature of 185°+ and not by time.
Since there is no skin, if you want crispy skinless boneless thighs, they will need some breading like Panko breadcrumbs or a coating like oven-fried chicken breasts, but not this recipe.
Seasoning tips
A good sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning will be enough. I usually use my All Purpose Seasoning, which has kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
You may use other spices like paprika, oregano, thyme, Italian spice mix, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spice rubs.
Make great baked BBQ chicken thighs with a BBQ dry rub and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Or make some tasty marinaded chicken thighs with my butter, garlic, and lemon chicken marinade or any marinade you love.
🌡️The best final internal temperature
The best final internal temperature for chicken thighs is 185° to 195*. You are melting some connective tissue, according to American Test Kitchen (subscription required).
The USDA's minimum safe internal temperature is 165°, perfect for white meat like chicken breasts, but dark meat with connective tissue will still be stringy and tough.
Related chicken recipes
For other inside quick chicken recipes, check out Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Seared Chicken Breasts, or Chicken Breasts in a Convection Oven.
Serving chicken thighs
Serve with one-pot mac and cheese, Stovetop French fries, Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, and vegetables like a fresh spinach salad, green beans with almonds, or microwave corn on the cob. Finish the meal with Fresh Strawberry Pie with Jello or Old Fashioned Apple Crisp.
What to do about smoking ovens
Smoking ovens have been an issue for some due to high-temperature cooking. If you do have a problem, here are a few tips.
- If there is trimmable fat, trim it along with excess skin.
- The oven should be clean so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
- Use a pan with some side to keep any splatter contained.
- Use the bake mode if your oven has a convection roast and convection bake. Or skip the convection entirely.
- You could turn down the oven by 25°-50°. This will increase the cooking time some and may cause some drying out. Remember to cook to an endpoint, not by time.
- Adding water to the pan under the rack will prevent smoking. It will cool the fat when it drips. This always works, but the moisture may interfere with some crispiness.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store leftovers sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
To reheat leftovers, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Leftovers will have a much better texture when reheated in the oven at 350° for about 15 minutes. An air fryer works well, also. A microwave can be used, but it tends to affect the texture adversely.
Food safety
Raw chicken and other poultry should be considered contaminated and handled with care. Wash your hands carefully before and after touching raw chicken. We do NOT wash raw chicken routinely due to water splatter. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more information.
You must cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165° for safety—see the USDA for more information. You need to check this with an instant-read thermometer.
❓FAQs
No. It will interfere with the crisping of the skin. So, no aluminum foil or lids.
It is not needed, and I don't. Thighs are high in fat, and that will generally be enough. But you can, and the skin will still be crispy but a little thicker and with a different texture. So brush a few and see which you like.
A baking rack is highly recommended. Fat drainage will be rendered, and the rack will get the thighs out of the drainage for better texture. You can cook this without a rack, but you will be happier with a rack.
Use the rack on a baking tray with sides since there is drainage during cooking. Add aluminum foil to help clean up.
Most toaster ovens will be able to cook chicken thighs. The oven must have a controlled higher temperature and account for drainage. And like in bigger ovens, you cook to a final internal temperature and never by time.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
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Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs - do as many as you want
- coarse salt and pepper to taste - or seasoning of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F convection. If you don't have convection, use 450°F.
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Trim off any loose skin with no meat. Also, remove any fat that is easily removed.
- Prep a sheet pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Add a rack and a heavy coat of PAM cooking spray.
- Place thighs skin down and sprinkle lightly with the spices of your choice. Flip and tuck in any thin parts underneath and sprinkle the skin side. Just coarse salt and black pepper are fine, or the seasoning you like. We use our homemade 7:2:2, which adds some garlic.
- With skin side up, bake until internal temp of 185°F—about 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- DO NOT SKIP THE PAT DRY, or you will not have crispy skin.
- Trim off any trimmable fat or extra skin.
- Get the thighs up on a rack to let the rendered fat drain. It also gets them out of the drained fat. You can do this without a rack, but it is nicer with one.
- Cook at high temp and use a thermometer to be sure you get to 185°+. Do not guess. Thighs are safe to eat at 165°F but tender at 185°F.
- A convection oven is recommended but not required. Options for other oven temperatures are in the blog post above.
- Spice as you want. I often add a touch of Cayenne.
- Scale to any amount you need.
- This recipe can also be done in a toaster oven or an air fryer.
- Skip the seasoning and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes to make great oven-baked BBQ thighs.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
Editors Note: Originally Published January 24, 2014. Updated with re-edited photos and added information since the original version.
A Villarreal says
Made this last night in our convection oven. Smoked up the house so I spent the night trying to get rid of the smell. Cleaned the whole oven this morning. Meat registered 185 when the 35 minutes was done. Personally I found it a little too juicy, pulled the skin off and ate it. Next time I think I will use chicken breast with skin removed and more spices. Hopefully it will be less likely to smoke up the house. Recipe was quick and have been looking for one that will provide us with a quick flavorful meal so will try again.
DrDan says
Sorry you had the smoke issue. See the recipe write-up and the notes in recipe card for hints about the smoke. If you repeat with chicken breasts, they only need to get to 165. If you use 185, they will be dry since there is very little fat.
Dan
Paul Hammond says
Cooking chicken thighs couldn't be easier. We do four thighs at a time in a toaster oven on a rack with foil underneath. We set the timer for 60 minutes in a 400 degree over. Also heavily spice both sides of the chicken, but don't over salt. The chicken comes out crispy and tender every time. It's our favorite go to dinner.
arthur says
put onions under the thighs to avoid sticking
gail victoria says
I always remove chicken skin and fat underneath to spare myself those calories. Then I do whatever I can to roll the chicken pieces, mostly thighs and legs, around whatever type bread crumbs I have in the pantry which varies from Panko to sourdough to coconut flour to finely minced seeds as sesame or pumpkin, leftover chips which I finely grind, again whatever I have in the pantry. Then always bake. The problem is when I flip the pieces over so the bottom will bake as crispy golden brown as the top, the crumb mixture comes off the pieces originally bottomside and gummy, not crispy dry as the initial topside. Anything I can do to achieve two sided baked crispy skinless chicken?
DrDan says
Hi Gail,
My suggestion: if you remove the skin, give the chicken a light brush of mayo or yogurt (Low or non-fat should be fine). A little seasoning salt Lowery's or similar, garlic powder, and pepper in the mayo/yogurt. Add the coating of bread crumbs or other (just a nice sprinkle should do, not heavy). Then cook on a rack on a rimmed baking tray in a convection oven if possible. Don't flip. The rack is key here. Your local stores should have a rack or Amazon. Be sure it is oven safe and not just a cooling rack. The bottom won't be as crispy as the top but acceptable.
See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/parmesan-mayonnaise-baked-skinless/
Dan
B. says
This recipe was perfect! I didn't have issues with my convention oven. Delicious taste and fast clean up! Thank you!!
Carol Knesebeck says
Instead of using a rack I cut potatoes and carrots into large chunks, halved some mushrooms and added a few onion slices. Placed the trimmed chicken on top and baked as per directions. One pan dinner! The veggies cooked perfectly in the drippings and were so tasty that my kids asked for more carrots! Bestill my heart!
halfadime7 says
Hi Dr Dan... Just wondering why no baking powder in this recipe for the crispy skin like you do with the garlic breasts?
DrDan says
With the high cooking temperature for longer, it doesn't seem necessary.
Dan
Kevrob says
I have used the drumstick recipe many times, and for whole chicken legs, too. I use a poultry rack, the type that allows me to bake a whole chicken above the foil-lined broiler pan it sits in. I did 4 lbs of drummies tonight. Just as I do when I bake a chicken, I pour off all but 2 tbsps and make gravy,using the recipe on my corn starch container. I suppose I could save all the pan drippings and make even more gravy! My seasonings: marinate in lemon soy and olive oil, overnight. Pour it off, and pat dry well. Ground sea salt, ground lack pepper and a generic poultry seasoning I get cheap at a bargain outlet. ($1 a container.) Sides tonight: leftover generic stove top stuffing and a steamed frozen vegetable medley. These are always outstanding, and when I bring them to work for lunch, the ladies, some who can really cook, quiz me on why they smell so good! Thanks,Dr D!
DrDan says
Excellent,
Thanks for sharing.
Dan
The Knitting Archaeologist says
Sigh. This smoked up my entire apartment and set off my smoke alarm even with 4 windows open, my air purifier on, and the front door ajar. The smoke started about 15 minutes into baking... My cooling rack is foldable, so maybe the height was a factor? Also I cooked 4 thighs at 425. Maybe I need to lower the heat more? I made these for the work week, so I haven't tried them yet, but they looked amazing coming out of the oven. Just worried about setting off the alarm next time I make them....
DrDan says
Hi Knitting Archaeologist
Hi Knitting… we are connected to some extent. My wife is a totally devoted knitter since her retirement and has converted the exercise room to her “stash” (it is now full). And I do have a daughter with an archaeology degree.
Now back on task. I have a long paragraph at the end of the recipe card above with suggestions. It has happened to a number of people but most have no problem. In fact, I just did a tray.
So the keys are a clean oven, tray with side, trim all fat that you can, use convection bake and not roast. And decrease the oven temp some if nothing else works. I don't think the cooking rack was the issue unless it was not oven safe.
Please let me know if you have more issues.
Dan
Michael says
If I wanted to reheat the already cooked chicken in the oven the next day, what temperature should I be using to avoid it drying out?
DrDan says
I have no good answer for this. Oven seems to dry and microwave changes texture some. Of the two, I guess I would pick the microwave but the skin will be trash.
Dan
Dave says
Very easy and delicious
I give 4 stars....
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Toni says
Great recipe!
I added red potatoes cut in half with cut side down. Some of the fat browned them. Delicious. Just added green beans to round out the dinner. A real keeper.
Robert Wm Ruedisueli says
I recommend dusting chicken with a little pastry flour. (Whole wheat if you have it).
It shouldn't be enough to form a coating, just enough to soak up a little of the fat and prevent sticking. The starch will allow some of the oil based flavors to mix with some of the water based flavors. Not as much as cooking wine does, but it's a lot cheaper,
It should not be distinguishable from the spices at the proper amount, and if you make your premixed spices you can premix in a small amount flour so it can be used as a drying agent to keep the spices from getting too moist in humid environments.
Katie Flint says
made this for dinner last night - chef error made the chicken a little too dry, but the crispy seasoned skin was a winner! Will definitely be making again!
DrDan says
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Dise says
Thank you very much. This was super easy for someone who's new to cooking and tastes great... way better than traditional soggy baked chicken.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I try to make most recipes easy for the new cooks. Look around and let me know if you have any questions.
Dan
Betty King says
I googled & saw your recipe... I was looking for a basic oven baked recipe SPECIFICALLY for bone in thighs that didn't have a bunch of additional sauces or seasoning. I used salt, pepper & paprika. THIS one looked perfect.. after reading through the comments I learned that since my oven is a standard gas & not. Convection I allowed for extra time. I also realized & expected a bit of oven smoke. It took me an extra 15 minutes (I used my digital thermometer) & turned my oven down from 425 to 400 for the last 10... didn't want my skin to burn. It turned out Perfectly flavored & cooked (juicy not bloody by the bone) & most importantly I was able to use the smoked Pineapple Habanero sauce I wanted as a table glaze/dipping sauce! Thanks for sharing!
DrDan says
Hi Betty,
Thanks for the note. All recipes are just guidelines, so your adjustments are great and thanks for reporting your experience.
Dan