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By Taylor Stinson | 108 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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These are the Best Oven Baked Chicken Thighs! Get crispy and juicy chicken every time, whether you’re using bone-in or boneless thighs.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken thighs – you can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs with or without the skin for this recipe, just keep in mind the cooking time will alter.
Spice blend
- Paprika – cayenne or chili powder would also work here.
- Onion powder – substitute for garlic powder or onion salt (leave out the rest of the salt if you use onion salt).
- Garlic powder – freshly minced garlic or extra onion powder can be used instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Optional Mediterranean sheet pan meal
- Yukon gold potatoes – use any kind of potatoes of your choice.
- Red pepper – or another colour bell pepper like yellow or orange pepper.
- Red onion – white onion, yellow onion or shallots would all be good instead.
- Olive oil – substitute for another neutral cooking oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lemon or even lime juice can be used.
- Salt & black pepper – to taste.
- Lemon – leave this off if you don’t have any fresh lemon.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Kalamata olives – use another kind of olives or capers.
- Parsley – basil or oregano will provide a similar flavor.
- Feta – swap out for another cheese of your choice or leave this off for a dairy-free option.
How to bake chicken thighs
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables.
Toss the potatoes, red pepper and red onion with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Season the chicken thighs.
Mix together the teaspoon paprika, teaspoon onion powder, teaspoon garlic powder, and half teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken thighs with the spice blend.
Step 3: Bake the chicken thighs.
Place chicken thighs and lemon slices on the sheet pan, then bake in the oven.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Remove from the oven and assemble Mediterranean bowls if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect baked chicken thighs
When it comes to making baked chicken thighs, there are a few tips and tricks to ensuring you get the juiciest meat every time. Here are some of my top suggestions:
- Choose your cut of chicken: For juicier meat, use bone-in chicken thighs. For a leaner option, go for boneless thighs.
- Pat the chicken dry: Make sure you pat the chicken dry with paper towels first to remove any juices. This will ensure the chicken gets nice and crispy.
- Use a parchment-lined baking sheet: This will minimize mess and make cleanup easier. You could also place the chicken on a wire rack on top of the sheet to drain some of the fat.
- Don't add extra oil: While some recipes call for extra oil, there's no need to add any. The chicken thigh meat contains enough fat on its own.
- Broil for crispy skin: If you want the skin to have a nice crispy finish, broil it in the oven for a few minutes after cooking.
- Let the chicken rest: After cooking, let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes so the chicken holds its juices and stays nice and moist.
- Use a meat thermometer: Check that the chicken is done using an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should read 165°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Yes! You can use this recipe to make both bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you opt to make boneless skinless chicken thighs, bake them for 12 minutes, then flip and bake for another 8 minutes.
How do you get crispy skin?
If you want crispy skin on your baked chicken thighs, throw the chicken skin up under the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes. You will have to pay close attention here and make sure the chicken doesn't burn. This part of optional but makes the chicken so good!
What do you serve with chicken thighs?
If you're looking for side dish ideas, these juicy and tender baked chicken thighs would be delicious served with a healthy salad, broccoli or green beans, rice, mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries. You could also try making it into a Mediterranean sheet pan meal following the recipe card instructions.
Can you make them in the air fryer?
I'd recommend following my air fryer chicken thighs recipe to make the juiciest air fryer thighs. There are instructions for both bone-in and boneless thighs!
How do you know when the chicken is done?
The best way to tell when your baked chicken thighs are done is to use a meat thermometer. They should have an internal temperature of 165°F.
Storing and reheating
Like most chicken recipes, you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. When you’re ready to reheat, sprinkle on some water and lay a damp paper towel over top to avoid that leftover chicken and taste and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
Freezing this recipe
You can store a big batch of baked boneless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs in the freezer for up to 3 months. After the chicken has finished cooking, let it cool down to room temperature then transfer the leftovers to glass containers or Ziploc bags.
You can reheat the chicken directly from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes on defrost time using the damp paper towel trick. Alternatively, you can let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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Meal Prep Tools
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Best Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
These are the Best Oven Baked Chicken Thighs! Get crispy and juicy chicken every time, whether you’re using bone-in or boneless thighs.
4.89 from 457 votes
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 545kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Ingredients
BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Spice blend for both types of chicken thighs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Optional Mediterranean sheet pan meal
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 lemon sliced (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
Instructions
BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Pat chicken thighs dry then cover with spice blend.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs, skin facing down. Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on your size of thigh, then flip over and broil on high for 1-2 minutes if you're looking for extra crispy skin (optional…watch closely to make sure they don't burn!) The chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 F. Serve and enjoy!
BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs with bottom area facing down. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake 8 more minutes. The chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 F. Serve and enjoy!
IF MAKING SHEET PAN MEAL
Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss potatoes, red pepper and red onion with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend, then place on sheet.
Add lemon slices, then bake for 35-38 minutes if using skin-on, bone-in thighs. If using boneless, skinless thighs, bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and mix garlic into veggies, then garnish with kalamata olives, parsley and feta. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
NOTE: Nutritional info is for the Mediterranean sheet pan meal using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
Use a wire rack so any extra fat from the chicken drains from the rack onto the baking sheet.
Serve with a healthy salad,rice,mashed potatoesorsweet potato fries.
Make these chicken thighs in theair fryer.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days. Sprinkle some water and add a damp paper towel over top, then microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Freeze the cooked chicken thighs for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave from frozen for 6-7 minutes or defrost in the fridge then reheat as normal.
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal (27%)Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)Protein: 34g (68%)Fat: 38g (58%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 194mg (65%)Sodium: 404mg (18%)Potassium: 787mg (22%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1433IU (29%)Vitamin C: 55mg (67%)Calcium: 81mg (8%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
Reader Interactions
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Dan Reid says
Thanks for sharing this and other recipes. My family isn’t big on potatoes, do you still have the original recipe where this was cooked with broccoli, carrots and zucchini posted somewhere?Reply
Taylor Stinson says
Unfortunately I don’t but it’s quite easy to remember. You do the spice blend for the thighs, place on a baking sheet and roast for the time listed below (either the bone-in or boneless heading). In the last 15 minutes of remaining cook time, you add thinly sliced carrots, zucchini and broccoli that has been tossed with a bit of olive oil and salt & pepper. You can do any veggies you’d like but those are the ones I remember. Hope that helps!
Reply
Claudia says
These were so good. I prepped them on the cookie sheet and covered them in the morning. It was so quick to take them from fridge to oven with a tray of veggies for a whole meal. Picky kids even ate some.Reply
Dominique says
What a life saver! My household loves the thighs cooked this way. I have a gluten allergy so this is my go too for chicken. Thank you so much for sharing.Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy it’s one of your go-tos 🙂
Reply
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