This Easy Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe makes juicy chicken thighs that are perfectly crispy on the outside. With only 3 ingredients they’re simple enough for anyone to make!
I love this simple recipe for a super satisfying weeknight dinner idea. You know, when you want comfort food but don’t have a ton of time or energy to spend in the kitchen!
An Easy Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
Have you tried baked chicken thighs before? My goodness, you will fall in love with this super simple, 3-ingredient recipe. You just need some bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, season salt (my favorite homemade recipe is in the notes of the recipe card below — it’s so easy), and melted butter. That. Is. It! The butter helps the chicken skin to toast and get really crispy, while baking the chicken legs with foil on at first keeps the moisture locked in perfectly.
I’m a fan of this dish when it’s been a long day and I just want a comfort meal, without spending hours putting together something elaborate in the kitchen. Prepping baked chicken thighs only takes about 5 minutes, and then they bake for a total of about 50 to 60 minutes. Bada boom, bada bing, you’re all set! I also left notes for how to serve the pan juices with the chicken (it’s so flavorful and hearty thanks to the butter, spices, and chicken juices). Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans for a Southern comfort meal, or black beans and corn salad for more of a Southwestern spin!
Ingredients for this Chicken Thighs Recipe
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: The bones and skin help develop a more juicy chicken tenderness, capture more developed flavors, and the skin gets nice and crisp.
Season salt: My favorite season salt is made using salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, and optional cayenne pepper. It has the best flavors.
Melted butter: Butter helps the chicken to get nice and crispy, and adds an even richer flavor.
How to Bake Chicken Thighs in the Oven
- Make a batch of homemade season salt; recipe is in the notes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Brush each side of chicken with melted butter.
- Sprinkle each side of chicken thighs with season salt.
- Place chicken thighs on rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover baking sheet with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- You can serve the pan drippings with dinner; see notes for more info.
How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs
Bake chicken thighs for 40 minutes covered with foil on a baking sheet. This traps in the moisture and allows the juices to stay intact. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes to finish the chicken and allow the skin to get crispy. An instant-read thermometer will register 165 degrees F. when finished.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Thighs
You can serve SO many things with baked chicken thighs! It’s such a versatile meal. Try serving with:
- Green beans
- Mashed potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- Fresh fruit
- A simple side salad
- Baked beans
- Corn salad
- Cole slaw
- Potato salad
- Roasted beets, broccoli, zucchini, or another favorite roasted veggie
How to Store Baked Chicken Thighs
Store baked chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
What to do With Leftovers
You can use leftover baked chicken thighs in anything you’d use cooked or shredded chicken in! Add to soups, burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken casserole, enchiladas, or anything else that features cooked chicken.
How to Reheat Baked Chicken Thighs Without Drying Them Out
To reheat baked chicken thighs, place them on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know When My Chicken Thighs Are Done Cooking?
Chicken thighs are done cooking when they’re golden-brown, crispy on the outside, and register 165 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer. The inside should also no longer be pink when you cut into the chicken thighs.
How Can I Make the Chicken Skin Crispy?
This recipe automatically yields a nice and crispy skin thanks to the use of butter and finishing the thighs with the foil removed. If you want it extra-crispy, you can remove the foil after 30 minutes (instead of 40) and finish the chicken for another 20 to 30 minutes uncovered.
Baked Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Made with just 3 ingredients, baked chicken thighs are so easy, juicy, and perfectly crispy on the outside, and they’re simple enough for anyone to make!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons homemade season salt*
- 3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Make a batch of homemade season salt if you don’t have any on hand. Recipe is in the notes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the packaging. If the skin is very long or overhangs the chicken meat, trim the skin.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Brush each side of the chicken with melted butter.
- Sprinkle each side of the chicken thighs with the season salt.
- Place the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover the baking sheet with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven, and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- You can serve the pan drippings with dinner; see notes for more info.
Notes
- *Make my favorite homemade season salt by combining 1/4 cup kosher salt, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional.
- Feel free to use any of your other favorite seasonings like lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, or Everything Bagel seasoning for this recipe.
- The drippings left on the pan are delicious. I highly recommend serving them with your meal. You can remove the chicken from the pan and simply pour the pan juices into a bowl to serve with the meat (au jus style).
- Or you can add the pan drippings to a small sauce pan. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cold water and stir to combine. Add this to the pan drippings, whisking to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and thickens, about 3 minutes. Serve as a simple gravy.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken thigh recipes, baked chicken thighs, easy chicken thigh recipe, how to bake chicken thighs, oven baked chicken thighs
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These 3-ingredient baked chicken thighs are SO fun, easy, juicy and tender inside, and mouthwateringly crispy on the outside!
About Melissa
I have a lot going on, and I’d much rather spend my time enjoying my messes than fretting about what I’m going to make for dinner. Over the past few years, I’ve nailed down a few strategies that helped me keep my kitchen running like a well-oiled machine, so I started Bless This Mess to help other mess-loving parents solve the nightly dinner delimma—no stress, no drama, just really great food your whole family will love. Read more...
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