Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs

Everyone loves oven-roasted chicken thighs, and my recipe, using seasoned oil, makes delicious, tender, juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin that your whole family will love.

 

Made with simple ingredients, my easy oven-roasted chicken thigh recipe is hard not to love. It’s a simple recipe that you’ll enjoy making and that your family will love eating.

Roasting at higher temperatures is key to achieving delicious, crispy skin, so don’t be swayed by other recipes that recommend a lower temperature. Using high heat is the best way to cook oven-roasted chicken thighs.

If you enjoyed our crispy baked chicken thighs, make sure to try our baked chicken legs.

Ingredients

Gather the ingredients to prepare our oven-roasted chicken thighs recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”

Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.

Can I use different seasonings?

Absolutely! The secret to finding joy in the kitchen is cooking foods you enjoy eating. And that means seasonings, too. You can add dried oregano, chili powder, cumin, or any of your favorite seasonings. For a touch of heat, add cayenne pepper, and for a sweet taste, add a little brown sugar to the mixture.

You can also use any of your favorite seasoning blends. Lemon pepper, Cajun, Jerk seasoning, BBQ seasoning, rotisserie seasoning, and even Old Bay are delicious options.

How to make Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make oven-baked chicken thighs in your home kitchen.

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Allow the chicken thighs to come to room temperature while you prepare the seasonings.

• Add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.
• Add the olive oil to the spices.
• Mix the olive oil with the spices and blend thoroughly. *You can blend the spices together before adding the oil, but I’ve found it really doesn’t make a difference.

• Pat dry the bone-in thighs with paper towels.
• Using a pastry brush (or your hands), coat the chicken thighs with the seasoning oil mixture. Make sure the chicken skin is well-coated to ensure crispy skin. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, leaving room between them.

Place the baking pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. Use a meat thermometer stuck in the thickest part of the meat. Based on the time and oven temperature, the internal chicken temperature will likely be higher than 165 degrees, but please check to ensure it’s safe to eat.

*I buy pasture-raised chicken from small farms, and the size varies depending on the time of year. These bone-in chicken thighs were running a little small, and it took 40 minutes for the skin to get crispy. Your cooking time may vary, as grocery store thighs run larger and may take 10-15 minutes longer to cook.

You can use boneless chicken thighs to make this recipe, but the cooking time will be shorter.

Remove the oven-baked chicken thighs from the oven, and for best results, let them sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This will give the juices time to reabsorb and redistribute into the meat.

Wouldn’t you like to sit down to these delicious oven-roasted chicken thighs? They’re crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and full of flavor!

Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to two months in a freezer-safe container.

Can I air fry these chicken thighs?

You sure can. They will cook in less time and have a nice crispy exterior.

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
• Add the chicken thighs in a single layer, skin-side down, leaving room between them so they don’t touch. If there isn’t enough room, you may need to cook in batches.
• Air fry the chicken thighs for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Cook the chicken until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of it reads at least 165°F.
• Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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