Baked Chicken Thighs

Close-up of baked, seasoned chicken thighs garnished with chopped herbs, served on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

🍗🧡 They have crispy skin, tender meat, and are what easy weeknight dinner dreams are made of! Simple ingredients create the perfect seasoning blend that you just sprinkle on and bake to juicy perfection!

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Course: Chicken, Dinner

Cuisine: Chicken, Dinner

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: baked chicken, baked chicken thighs, bone-in chicken thighs, oven baked chicken thighs

Servings:

Calories: 372cal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed (recommended for flavor and the light caramelization that it creates, although you can omit or reduce if you're concerned)
2 teaspoons paprika (or use a combo of 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for a flavor variation, substitute with ground cumin)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
pinch cayenne pepper optional and to taste if you prefer a tiny bit of heat (or about 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder)
6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each; other types of chicken may be substituted, read blog post for more info)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh herbs such as parsley basil, cilantro, finely minced; optional for garnishing
Lemon wedges optional for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F and either spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray OR spray a baking sheet (and if you'd like like, especially if you're using a baking sheet, for easier cleanup I recommend lining it with foil and slightly curling up the edges to prevent the juices from running off ); set pan aside.
To a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, all the spices, salt, pepper, optional cayenne or chili powder, and mix to combine.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towel. Do not skip this because a dry surface is what helps the skin crisp up while baking.
Place chicken in a bowl and evenly drizzle with the olive oil, rubbing it in a bit on the top of each piece of chicken.
Evenly sprinkle the seasoning blend over the chicken. I mostly concentrate on top and the sides and pat it in a bit with my fingers.
Bake uncovered for about 35-40 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 165F. I recommend rotating your baking pan once midway through baking to ensure even cooking and start checking at 30 minutes, especially if your pieces of chicken are a bit smaller than 6 ounces each.
Baking Tips - It'll probably bake a bit quicker on a baking sheet than in a baking dish by maybe 5 minutes. Boneless chicken thighs and boneless chicken breasts will likely bake a bit quicker too, 25-35 minutes, but it depends on the exact size of the pieces of chicken. Don't go by the time on the clock, go by the internal temperature being 165F.
Optionally, if you'd like to crisp up the skin even more, set your broiler to HIGH and broil on the top oven rack for about 1 minute (maybe 2 minutes), or as needed.
Broiling Tips - Be extremely watchful, don't turn your back on it or get distracted because it can go from crispy to burnt-to-a-crisp in less than a minute!
Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes, optionally garnish as desired, and optionally serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Storage: Leftover chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave if desired.

Nutrition