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Crispy Bone-In Chicken Thighs

5 from 53 community reviews

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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 perfectly 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!

Close up view of golden brown baked  bone-in chicken thighs on a sheet pan, with a fork inserted into one of them.
Oven-baked bone-in chicken thighs with the skin are crisp and juicy.

Baked bone-in chicken thighs are so good, with puffy, deliciously crispy skin I can’t stop eating ๐Ÿ˜‹. I created this recipe to be very streamlined, perfect for busy nights when you don’t have too much time to cook.

Bone-in chicken thighs (with skin) have an unbeatable rich and savory taste that comes from the combination of the meat, skin, and seasonings baked in a hot oven. 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

Ingredient overview

Eight chicken thighs with skin arranged on a sheet pan around a dish of seasoning.
Make the best bone-in chicken thighs with just three ingredients.
  • Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Chicken thighs naturally contain more fat than white meat parts (breasts), which adds flavor and helps keep the chicken moist while it cooks. Unlike baked chicken breasts, chicken thighs are much less likely to dry out or become overcooked. Chicken thighs with bone and skin are often sold in packages in grocery stores. You’ll need 6-8 individual pieces 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 use everything seasoning sprinkled on chicken because it’s an all-in-one mixture that literally has a little bit of “everything” โ€” 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.
  • Olive oil: Olive oil is essential for crisping the skin and adding flavor.

Prep and cooking steps

Crisp-skinned roasted chicken thighs on a sheet pan, with a spatula in the process of serving.
Juicy chicken thighs with crispy golden-brown skin and plenty of pan juices.
Close up view of golden brown baked chicken thighs on a sheet pan, with a fork inserted into one of them.

Crispy Bone-In Chicken Thighs

Karen Tedesco
This 25-minute, three-ingredient recipe for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs is a game changer. They come out of the oven with perfectly 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!
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5 from 53 community reviews
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Chicken
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 (1.3 kg) bone-in chicken thighs, 6-7 ounces each, with skin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (30 6) chicken seasoning, or your favorite all-purpose seasoning (I used everything seasoning)
  • 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 โ€” microwaving will make the skin less crisp.
  • I like everything seasoning sprinkled on chicken because it’s an all-in-one mixture that literally has a little bit of “everything” โ€” garlic powder, dried onions, salt, pepper and crunchy seeds. Use your favorite spice blend for poultry, including seasonings such asย herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, curry spices, or Southwest mixes.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal Carbohydrates: 0.4g Protein: 23g Fat: 24g Sodium: 308mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

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.

5 from 53 votes (50 ratings without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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 350โ„‰ oven or left frozen? if frozen, using a cold-start oven? If defrosted, how? overnight in refrigerator?/cold water in plastic bag?

    1. 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.

  2. Is that baking pan your using really non stick? What brand is it? I really would like to use less foil.

  3. 5 stars
    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!

    1. I agree wholeheartedly!

  4. 5 stars
    these are so easy to make! i love the crispy skin!