Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs have delicious crispy skin with a tender and moist inside. Only a short prep, then bake for 30 minutes in your oven. Your chicken dinner has never been so easy.
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😊Why you will love this recipe
- Economical baked chicken thighs are delicious, moist, and flavorful.
- Quick and easy with only 5 minutes of preparation and about 30 minutes of baking time. Just follow the step-by-step photo instructions.
- Your convection oven will make the skin extra crispy, or use a regular oven if you don't have convection.
- For better texture, it uses a rack to get the thighs out of the draining fluids and fats.
- Simple spicing and no marinades are needed.
- It has excellent moist and tender meat from cooking to 185° internal temperature to melt the connective tissue.
- A great easy dinner that the whole family, even picky kids, will love.
👨🍳How to bake chicken thighs
- Pat dry and trim chicken thighs.
- Season both sides of the thighs with salt and pepper or All-Purpose Seasoning, which adds garlic, or use the seasoning of your choice.
- Place them on a baking sheet with a rack and a heavy spray of PAM.
- Bake in a 425° convection oven until an internal temp of 185°F—about 30-35 minutes of cooking time.
- Rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.
⏰ How long to bake chicken thighs
The best oven temperature to bake chicken thighs is 425° convection which will take about 30 minutes to reach 185° (the best internal temperature). This will vary by the weight and thickness of the thighs and your oven.
- Chicken thighs at 350°F conventional – about 50-55 minutes—will dry more
- Chicken thighs at 350°F convection or 375°F conventional – about 45-50 minutes
- Chicken thighs at 375°F convection or 400°F conventional – about 40-45 minutes
- Chicken thighs at 400°F convection or 425°F conventional – about 35-40 minutes—recommended.
- Chicken thighs at 425°F convection or 450°F conventional—about 30-35 minutes—recommended.
Times are approximate and are provided for planning only. Cook to a final internal temperature of 185° and use an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer.
ALWAYS COOK TO A FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE. PLEASE, NEVER BY TIME ALONE.
🐓Chicken Thighs
This recipe assumes bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. Just trim any loose fat and pat dry.
If using skinless boneless chicken thighs, give them a brush of vegetable or olive oil. They will tend to be smaller and thinner, and there is no bone to absorb heat. Cooking time will be faster, generally by 5-10 minutes. But remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature of 185°+ and not by time.
Seasoning tips
- For seasoning, a good sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper will be enough. I usually use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2.
- Feel free to season to your taste. Typical seasonings include paprika, oregano, thyme, Italian spice mix, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spice rubs.
- To make great baked BBQ chicken thighs, skip the seasoning and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
🌡️The best final internal temperature
The best final internal temperature for chicken thighs is 185°+. You are melting some connective tissue, and cooking up to 195° will still be okay, according to American Test Kitchen (subscription required).
The USDA's minimum safe internal temperature is 165°. But there is a difference between safe and done. Pork butt is safe at 145°, but you sure won't want your pulled pork to be cooked to 145°F. It would be terrible. 165° is perfect for white meat like chicken breasts, but dark meat with connective tissue will still be stringy and tough.
❓FAQs
No. It will interfere with the crisping of the skin. So no aluminum foil or lids.
It is not needed, and I don't. Thighs are high in fat, and that will generally be enough. But you can, and the skin will still be crispy but a little thicker and with a different texture. So brush a few and see which you like.
A baking rack is highly recommended. There will be rendered fat drainage, and the rack will get the thighs out of the drainage for better texture. You can cook this without a rack, but you will be happier with a rack.
Use the rack on a baking tray with sides since there is drainage during cooking. Add aluminum foil to help clean up.
Most toaster ovens will be able to cook chicken thighs. The oven must have a controlled higher temperature and account for drainage. And like in bigger ovens, you are cooking to a final internal temperature and never by time.
Smoking ovens have been an issue for some due to high temp cooking. I haven’t had a problem, BUT it is probably related to multiple factors.
1) If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
2) Use a pan with some side to keep any splatter contained.
3) If your oven has a convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode. Or skip the convection entirely.
4) You could turn down the oven by 25°-50°. This will increase the cooking time some and may cause some drying out. Remember to cook to an endpoint, not by time.
5) The oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
6) Adding some water to the pan under the rack will prevent the smoking issue. It will cool the fat when it drips. This always works, but the moisture may interfere with some crispiness.
Serving and Leftovers
Serve with macaroni and cheese, French fries or other potato dishes, and vegetables like a fresh salad, green beans, carrots, or peas.
Store leftovers sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
To reheat leftovers, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Leftovers will have a much better texture when reheated in the oven at 350° for about 15 minutes. An air fryer works well, also. A microwave can be used but tend to adversely affect the texture.
📖Related Chicken Recipes
Oven Baked Chicken Legs—Quick and Easy
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks —Quick and Easy
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F convection. If you don't have convection, use 450°F.
Pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Trim off any loose skin with no meat. Also, remove any fat that is easily removed. Rinsing chicken is no longer recommended due to the health risks of splattering the work area. See Chicken… To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more information.
Prep a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil, and add a rack and a heavy coat of PAM cooking spray.
Place thighs skin down and sprinkle lightly with the spices of your choice. Flip and tuck in any thin parts underneath and sprinkle the skin side. Just coarse salt and black pepper are fine, or the seasoning you like. We use our homemade 7:2:2, which adds some garlic.
With skin side up, bake until internal temp of 185°F—about 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.
Recipe
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- chicken thighs - do as many as you want
- coarse salt and pepper to taste - or seasoning of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F convection. If you don't have convection, use 450°F.
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Trim off any loose skin with no meat. Also, remove any fat that is easily removed.
- Prep a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil, and add a rack and a heavy coat of PAM cooking spray.
- Place thighs skin down and sprinkle lightly with the spices of your choice. Flip and tuck in any thin parts underneath and sprinkle the skin side. Just coarse salt and black pepper are fine, or the seasoning you like. We use our homemade 7:2:2, which adds some garlic.
- With skin side up, bake until internal temp of 185°F—about 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Rest for 5 minutes or more before serving.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- DO NOT SKIP THE PAT DRY, or you will not have crispy skin.
- Trim off any trimmable fat or extra skin.
- Get the thighs up on a rack to let the rendered fat drain. It also gets them out of the drained fat. You can do this without a rack, but it is nicer with a rack.
- Cook at high temp and use a thermometer to be sure you get to 185°+. Do not guess. Thighs are safe to eat at 165°F but tender at 185°F.
- A convection oven is recommended but not required. Options for other oven temperatures are in the blog post above.
- Spice as you want. I often add a touch of Cayenne.
- Scale to any amount you need.
- This recipe can also be done in a toaster oven or an air fryer which is just a small convection oven.
- Skip the seasoning and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes to make great oven-baked BBQ thighs.
- If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
- Use a pan with some side to keep any splatter contained.
- If your oven has a convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode. Or skip the convection entirely.
- You could turn down the oven by 25°-50°. This will increase the cooking time some and may cause some drying out. Remember to cook to an endpoint, not by time.
- The oven should be clean so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
- Adding some water to the pan under the rack will prevent the smoking issue. It will cool the fat when it drips. This always works, but the moisture may interfere with some crispiness.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editors Note: Originally Published January 24, 2014. This recipe is part of my family of chicken recipes. There have been updating photos and added information since the original version.
Robert Powers
Hey Dan
Tried this 4 years ago. It’s my go to comfort food. Just so much easier and neater than frying.
Thanks again.
Your awesome.
Rob
CLP
Since I came across this recipe & pinned it well over a year ago, it's my "go to" for plump, juicy, CRISPY thighs-( especially when I sprinkle with a pepper blend I came across in N'Orleans called "Slap Ya Mamma"...much appreciated!
drew sauder
I am a very lazy cook on a budget. So I make them way different. I season them before I freeze them, I was told that doing it that way, the seasoning is pulled into the meat as it freezes. Then I defrost in hot water, don't worry about the seasoning, it has done it's job. I then put it in a baking dish, with Spaghetti sauce. cook most of the way through, then throw a slice of Parmesan cheese on top, spoon some spaghetti sauce over the top. and it is like chicken Parmesan well kind of. The other non related trick, is to cook it in cream of mushroom soup, brown chicken first to remove the oil, that could curdle the cream. But I know a little off topic, Just thought I would share difference varieties, so you don't get board. Oh I find with Pork chops, season them with just salt and pepper before freezing. They are much more tender that way. The salts breaks down the fibre of the meat to make them juicy. This way lower priced chops taste like the more expensive cuts. Happy savings and eating everyone
Kidd
Thanks about the tenderness on pork chops.. I didn’t know that
Svend
Best ever chicken thigh recipe!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Svend,
Welcome to the site.
I do love simple recipes like this.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Tap Into Yourself
Agreed! Tastiest and *easiest* crispy chicken leg-quarter recipe ever! Thank you for making my meal prep so much easier, Dr Dan.
Candice Grubbs
well, i made ten thighs...lol
So is taking a bit longer. Glad i have my handy dandy thermometer. I did some cayenne. We will see if the kids can hang... they liked it, but i shouldve seasoned a bit more. I cooked like 45 min and did bbq sauce for 5 more min. They came out at just past 180 degrees.
Jeanette
Easy and looks and tastes great! Crispy skin and juicy meat
Catmac
I made this chicken tonight with well priced chicken thighs. (SCORE!!!!$7.68 for 12 chicken thighs) I trimmed the fat. I hate that big long chunk of fat on the thigh. It never occurred to me to just cut it off 🙄 I patted them dry after trimming, salt, peppered and cayenne peppered them before theiwing them in my preheated 400° oven on convection for 30 minutes. DELICIOUS!!! THANK YOU!!! This will be a staple at our table now!! 👏👏
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Catmac,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I do like simple things. People complicate things like this too much.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Heather C.
I discovered this gem of a recipe about 2 years ago or so and it has genuinely had a significant increase in the quality of my chicken dinners (which, by the way, it’s just my husband & I—no children—and we’re on a budget lol. So we have chicken thighs *very* often)! Since the first time I applied this recipe (in particular the high oven temp, but much quicker cook time compared to how I used to bake chicken), my husband always refers to my BBQ oven-baked chicken thighs as his “beloved favorite” ❤️ I’ve got to say that I’ve never had more tender & juicy chicken before discovering your recipe! And now I’m a huge fan and follower of your 101 cooking for two page! So, on behalf of my husband and I, thank you so much for spreading your amazing cooking tips that will last me a lifetime!! xoxo
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Heather,
Glad you enjoy the thigh recipe. It is part of the family of chicken recipes which are the core of the blog. I do love simple recipes like this.
Thanks so much for the rating and the comment. It makes my day.
Dan
mark b
DrDan, you are THE man. Very much enjoy all of your recipes. Thank you.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Mark,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed this and the other recipes.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Shirley
I made this last night with Kirkland organic bone-in thighs. I used the spice recipe for the crispy baked breasts and it was very tasty! I followed recipe instructions exactly and they turned out great. It did take the extra time to cook the bone-in (45+ minutes on larger pieces) to get to the 185 temp at the bone (I agree an under-cooked chicken thigh is plain yucky). I used a deep cake pain lined with foil for easy clean up, added water, rack, and baked the chicken. Turned out great. Love the tip on adding the water to reduce smoking.
DrDan
Hi Shirley,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed reply.
It is amazing how easy this is. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Sherry
I made this chicken tonight and followed your directions, high temp, on a rack , pat the chicken dry and add my own seasonings. I used lemon pepper , season salt, paprika, pepper and garlic salt - I shook a little of each spice on the skin of the chicken. This was delicious! I am not used to cooking chicken at the high temp in my convection oven and was wondering if it would overcook. It was cooked perfectly after 30 -33 minutes , I did check the internal temp and it was around the temp you recommended. The chicken was moist and tasty.
DrDan
Hi Sherry,
Welcome to the blog.
I used Lemon Pepper on almost everything for many years. I think I got burnout and I don't think I even have any in the house. Maybe it is time again.
The high-temperature thing does work very nicely. And I know it is a bit odd but combined with a rack, it delivers solid repeatable results.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Aleah
Would this recipe work with out the rack?
DrDan
Hi Aleah,
Welcome to the blog.
It would work but there is a fair amount of fatty drainage that they will be setting in. So I think the rack is a good thing here.
Dan
B> Fleming
This was just what I was looking for; a simple, SIMPLE recipe without sauces, and a whole lot of preparation found on every other online site. And the advice is on and to the point.
Thank you!
DrDan
Welcome to the blog.
I do love simple things. Then if somebody wants to fancy it with special sauces etc, it should still work well.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Cathie Duff
Baking chicken thighs at a high temp has changed my life -- I am generally cooking for one, but by freezing each thigh separately i can have a yummy meal by myself or feed six the same effort. And they are perfect everytime.
DrDan
Hi Cathie,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it works well for you. It is surprising how much the change in cooking temperature helps.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jamie Gronley
Going go give this a shot! Then, heading over to your homemade spice page. Recovering from stroke so looking to keep things simple along with ingredients I have here at home! This recipe sounds wonderful!
And, HUUUGE ANIMAL LOVER HERE! Love the pup pics!
DrDan
Hi Jamie,
Welcome to the blog. Hopefully, my simplistic (lazy?) approach to cooking fits your needs. Watch the salt if you are on a sodium restriction diet and use my seasoning. Just use the seasoning of your choice.
Molly and Lilly say Hi.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Adam
I too added a pinch of smoked paprika, it added a nice flavor layer and some color. Like some of the other readers, this was my first whack at the convection feature, it turned out perfectly (8 pieces) at 35 minutes. Skin was nice and crispy, and the meat was juicy and tender. I ended up brining them for 24 hours, (my wife had to postpone dinner plans due to work so I figured why not?) do you have any comment on that? Do you think it makes much of a difference or are these always pretty tender and juicy right out of the butcher paper? I don’t always have that much time on my hands with two little ones, a yellow lab, and a cat.
DrDan
Hi Adam,
Welcome to the blog.
The convection does help crisp it up more. So definitely worth using if you have it.
On to the brining. There are some that will say brining for more the 6 hours on chicken is too long.
Most experts disagree and I believe they are right. You are good at 1 day and 2 days may be the max. But we do turkey for 24 hours all the time and 2 days frequently.
Did it help the tenderness? For sure it did. But over 12 hours is probably doesn't change things much.
You will get most of the effect in first 2 hours and really get fairly good effect in 30-40 minutes with chicken that is not too thick.
But chicken thighs are really good without brining. So try both ways.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kim
If I'm using confection back what temperature and about how long
DrDan
Hi Kim,
Welcome to the blog.
If by confection you mean convection then that is what the recipe is written for. So at 425 convection, it will be about 30 minutes. If you mean conventional (no fan), I would still do 425 since 450 tends to smoke a lot. It will take about 5 minutes longer.
Remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature, 185 degrees here, and not by time alone. There are variables of your oven, thickness of the chicken and exact starting temperature of the chicken.
Hope that helps. You will find more discussion in the body of the post.
Dan
Kim
Thank you. Sorry for all the spelling errors. Crazy what a couple of glasses of wine will do 😂 going to try the thighs tonight !!!
Patricia Stickler
What is 7:2:1 or 7:2:2? Just curious. I have never heard of that.
Thank you
DrDan
Hi Patricia,
Welcome to the blog.
Those are homemade seasonings. They are linked in the post. It is 7 parts kosher salt, 2 parts pepper and 1 or 2 parts of granular garlic. Here is a link https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/everyday-spice-mix-721-mix/
Dan
MaryKate
Photos of the dogs ruined the recipe
DrDan
Ok, complaint #3 out of 7000 comments. All recipes have dog pictures so it will take months to fix...
I think I will just leave this here for now...
DrDan
Carolyn David
I've made these thighs many times using your recipe and tips, (especially about trimming excess fat and putting water in the pan) and they always come out delicious! I sometimes sprinkle sesame seeds on them if I'm feeling creative! Overall, I'm not much of a cook, so having this sure-fire winner is a big help to me.
Thanks, and a wag of the tail to your gorgeous dogs.