If you want a delicious dinner with minimal time over the stove, these juicy oven-baked chicken thighs are a perfect choice. A few spices and some olive oil is all it takes to make this dynamite dish. This recipe is keto-friendly, AIP-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb!
Nowadays it’s hard to find a truly healthy dish. Sure, we can make better decisions, but even those come back to bite us half of the time. Often, that’s due to misleading information about what we’re buying and consuming. That’s why I like to keep it simple with dishes like these. These baked chicken thighs are packed with flavor, easy to make, and have the crispiest skin.
If you love this recipe, you’re also bound to love my Jerk Shrimp, Chicken and Mushroom Skillet, or my Cajun Salmon and Shrimp. Obviously, I’m all about those delicious recipes, bursting with flavor. However, I’m also all about a simple recipe that takes very few steps to execute. I have no doubt you’re probably the same way, which is why I know you’re going to fall in love with this dinner!
How to Make Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Mix – Mix the spices and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Coat – Cover the chicken thoroughly with the spice mixture.
- Bake – Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
- Broil – Broil for the remaining 5 minutes to get that nice crispy skin.
Tips and Variations
- Storage – Place your chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I, personally, don’t freeze them after I cook them. This is because the taste just isn’t that great. However, if you don’t mind it, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Reheating – To reheat your chicken, you can use the microwave or place them on a baking tray, wrapped in tin foil, and heat them until warmed through. When microwaving, heat with a damp paper towel laid over the top as this will help keep the meat moist.
- Use other seasoning mixes – If you want to go with a different theme for your chicken thighs, go for it! You can try a Mexican spice mix, Greek, Italian, Cajun, etc. Mix up your flavors.
- Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
- Make it spicy – Add some cayenne pepper or chili powder to the spice mixture if you want some heat.
What Can I Serve This With?
It’s really hard to choose the wrong side when dealing with a classic baked chicken dish like this one. Some of my favorite sides for this recipe are Chipotle Baked Beans, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Cheese Garlic Biscuits, Creamed Corn, or Creamy Coleslaw.
Is it Better To Cover Chicken with Foil When Baking?
It depends on the recipe for whether or not you should wrap the chicken in tin foil. For this chicken thighs recipe, you don’t need to wrap it in foil. However, you can wrap it if you really want to. Wrapping chicken in foil simply helps to keep in the natural juices. It also helps keep the heat more evenly around the chicken. This means it might cook faster if wrapped. So, if you decide to wrap your chicken, be sure to check it and reduce the time if need be.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead?
I highly recommend using dark meat for this recipe but if you decide to use chicken breasts, please cut the cooking time in half. Chicken breasts cook a lot quicker than chicken thighs.
Do You Turn Chicken Thighs When Baking?
Again, this is another one of those “you can if you want to” type scenarios. You don’t have to, but it doesn’t really hurt anything if you do. Turning the chicken thighs will give them more of an even crisp all the way around rather than more crispy just on the top. In some recipes, like this Jamaican Jerk Chicken, I flip it, but for this crispy chicken thighs recipe, I don’t.
Did you enjoy these juicy oven-baked chicken thighs? Let me know in the comment section down below! You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt, and olive oil.
- Brush the olive oil and spice mixture all over the chicken. Make sure to get it under the skin as well.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Turn the broiler on and broil for the final 5 minutes.
Notes
- Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
- Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
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