Crispy Bone-In Chicken Thighs (3 Ingredients)
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This 25-minute, three-ingredient recipe for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs is a game changer. They come out of the oven with crispy skin, juicy meat, and lots of flavor in every bite. Follow a few basic steps for preparing this mouth-watering chicken thigh recipe that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Baked bone-in chicken thighs are so simple and good — that puffy, deliciously crispy skin is really hard to stop eating. I created this recipe to be super streamlined, perfect for busy nights when you don’t have too much time to cook. Once you’ve moved beyond baking chicken breasts, it’s time to try thighs.
What readers say:
“Thank you, Karen: Beautifully written, easy to follow recipe and the chicken thighs are delicious. The best!“
NINA
The ingredients that make a difference
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Unlike baked chicken breasts, thighs are much less likely to dry out or become overcooked. Chicken thighs have fat under the skin that renders as the chicken cooks. That is the *key* to crackling skin and juicy meat. You’ll need 6-8 individual thighs for 4-6 servings, totaling about 3 pounds.
- Seasoning: Along with salt and black pepper, use 2 tablespoons of whatever chicken seasoning blend you enjoy to enhance the flavor of the chicken thighs. I sometimes use everything seasoning because it’s an all-in-one mixture that literally has a little bit of “everything” — garlic powder, dried onions, salt, pepper and crunchy seeds. Some of my other favorite spice blends for poultry include grilled chicken rub, herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, curry spices, or Southwest mixes. Note: Some seasoning blends already contain salt, so adjust the amount of total salt to taste.
Prep and cooking steps
1. Pat the chicken as dry as possible on all sides with paper towels. TIP: This step is essential. Drying the skin removes surface moisture and helps to melt the fat evenly. 2. Use a medium rimmed baking sheet (about 13″x9″). If your pan isn’t nonstick, line it with parchment or foil for easy clean-up. Sprinkle salt, pepper and seasoning on both sides of the chicken thighs. 4. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and arrange them skin side up on a baking sheet. The sweet spot oven heat is 425 degrees, high enough for the skin to brown but not burn.
Crispy Bone-In Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 8 (1.3 kg) bone-in chicken thighs, 6-7 ounces each, with skin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning, *I used everything seasoning, but you can use any dried herb blend like herbs de Provence, or your favorite rub. Check the label to be determine if yours has salt, and if so, reduce the amount to season the chicken.
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
- Choose a rimmed baking sheet pan just large enough hold the chicken without crowding (approximately 13"x9"). Line it with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up.
- Pat the chicken as dry as possible on all sides with paper towels (this step helps the skin crisp). Put the chicken thighs on the sheet pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the seasoning blend evenly on both sides of the chicken. Arrange the pieces skin-side up and drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over them.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until the skin is puffed and golden brown. The internal temperature of the chicken should register 165-175 (76C) degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Serve the chicken with the pan juices spooned alongside.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature is 165-175 degrees.
- Make ahead: The seasoned, uncooked chicken can be prepped and stored in the fridge up to one day ahead. Baked chicken thighs will keep refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen in an airtight container for 1 month. It’s best to reheat the chicken in a 350 degree oven until heated through — microwaving will make the skin less crisp.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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Made these last night wth huge thighs and were awesome. Easy, quick and a big hit. For reheating tonight, can we use the air fryer instead of the oven? Which one will keep them the juiciest? Many thanks – this recipe is a keeper!
Hey Chris! Yes, you can reheat in the air fryer – just keep your eye on them to make sure the skin doesn’t burn. So happy these thighs were a hit!
Thank you, Karen: beautifully written, hence easy to follow recipe and the thighs are delicious. The best! I have made them several times, but am now thinking of doing a ‘batch’ and freezing them. Should they be defrosted before putting in the 350℉ oven or left frozen? if frozen, using a cold-start oven? If defrosted, how? overnight in refrigerator?/cold water in plastic bag?
Happy you enjoy them Nina! For the best results, I suggest defrosting overnight in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried the cold water method, but that process could work too. Be sure to place them into sealed, heavy-duty freezer bags and immerse in cold water until they’re thawed. Then reheat at 350F just until they are warmed through.
Is that baking pan your using really non stick? What brand is it? I really would like to use less foil.
Hi Lisa – Yes, the baking pan is nonstick. You can find it here and a similar one https://bit.ly/3RN9tMO
I don’t understand the boneless-skinless fixation, which has relegated chicken cuts like this to the back row. Good food is a matter of texture and flavor, and beginning with the main ingredient, this recipe extracts the maximum on all counts!
I agree wholeheartedly!
these are so easy to make! i love the crispy skin!