This recipe for the Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs shows you how to cook juicy chicken, whether you're using boneless or bone-in chicken thighs.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken thighs – you can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs with or without the skin for this recipe, just keep in mind the cooking time will alter.
Spice blend
- Paprika – cayenne or chili powder would also work here.
- Onion powder – substitute for garlic powder or onion salt (leave out the rest of the salt if you use onion salt).
- Garlic powder – freshly minced garlic or extra onion powder can be used instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Optional Mediterranean sheet pan meal
- Yukon gold potatoes – use any kind of potatoes of your choice.
- Red pepper – or another colour bell pepper like yellow or orange pepper.
- Red onion – white onion, yellow onion or shallots would all be good instead.
- Olive oil – substitute for another neutral cooking oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lemon or even lime juice can be used.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Lemon – leave this off if you don’t have any fresh lemon.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Kalamata olives – use another kind of olives or capers.
- Parsley – basil or oregano will provide a similar flavour.
- Feta – swap out for another cheese of your choice or leave this off for a dairy-free option.
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How to bake chicken thighs
Step 1: Prepare vegetables.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss potatoes, red pepper and red onion with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Season chicken thighs.
Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend.
Step 3: Bake chicken thighs.
Add lemon slices, then bake for 35-38 minutes if using skin-on, bone-in thighs. If using boneless, skinless thighs, bake for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Remove from oven and mix garlic into veggies, then garnish with kalamata olives, parsley and feta. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect baked chicken thighs
When it comes to making baked chicken thighs, there are a couple tips and tricks to ensuring you get the juiciest meat every time. Here are some of my top suggestions:
- Whether you use boneless or bone-in thighs depends on your preference. For juicier meat, opt for bone-in. For a leaner dinner, go for the boneless. Personally, I prefer boneless as they are less messy to eat and still end up being very tender.
- Use a parchment-lined baking sheet as the chicken will produce some juices – you can lay the chicken flat on the sheet or use a wire rack to drain some of the fat.
- Don't add extra oil! It's not needed with chicken thighs as they contain enough fat on their own. Parchment paper will prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reads 165°F.
- You can use the broiler setting on your oven once the chicken is done cooking to get a crispy outside.
- Let your chicken thighs rest for 5 to 10 minutes after they are baked to ensure they hold their juices.
Frequently Asked Questions
The time it takes to cook chicken thighs will vary, based on the oven temperature and whether the thighs are boneless or bone-in. In general, it does take a few minutes longer to cook bone-in chicken thighs than it does to cook baked boneless chicken thighs. For this baked chicken thighs recipe, the oven temperature is the same for bone-in and boneless at 425°F. It takes about 20 minutes to cook boneless thighs and 25 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs. Regardless of what type of chicken thigh you use, always make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F degrees.
When it comes to how long to bake boneless chicken thighs and bone-in chicken thighs, I actually like to cook them in the oven at 425°F. It ensures they’re nice and juicy with a bit of a crispy finish!
If you want crispy skin on your baked chicken thighs, throw the chicken skin up under the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes. You will have to pay close attention here and make sure the chicken doesn't burn. I've seen some recipes that say 5 minutes on broil but that is far too long – you need to keep a close eye to make sure you get the perfect crispy skin. This part of optional but makes the chicken so good!
Because chicken skin is very fatty, some people prefer to remove it. It really comes down to your personal preference on texture and meat. However, it can be beneficial to leave the skin on because there's often more flavour, and the extra fat helps to keep moisture inside of the meat as it cooks. Chicken bones also release moisture, so when you’re making baked boneless chicken thighs, keep in mind that they tend to dry out more quickly, so you really have to watch your cooking time.
These juicy and tender baked chicken thighs would be delicious served with a healthy salad, rice, your favourite vegetables, roasted potatoes or even a simple pasta dish. In the last 10 minutes of cook time, I usually add a blend of mixed vegetables to the baking sheet. In this case, I used broccoli, sliced carrots and zucchini. Toss the veggies with about 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover baked chicken thighs in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in airtight containers. When you’re ready to reheat, sprinkle on some water and lay a damp paper towel over top to avoid that leftover chicken and taste and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
Freezing this recipe
You can store a big batch of baked boneless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs in the freezer for up to 3 months. After the chicken has finished cooking, let it cool down to room temperature then transfer the leftovers to glass containers or Ziploc bags.
You can reheat the chicken directly from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes on defrost time using the damp paper towel trick. Alternatively, you can let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers in the fridge.
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- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're marinating the chicken then freezing it.
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Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs {Bone-In or Boneless}
Ingredients
BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Spice blend for both types of chicken thighs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Optional Mediterranean sheet pan meal
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 lemon sliced (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
Instructions
BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Pat chicken thighs dry then cover with spice blend.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs, skin facing down. Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on your size of thigh, then flip over and broil on high for 1-2 minutes if you're looking for extra crispy skin (optional…watch closely to make sure they don't burn!) The chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 F. Serve and enjoy!
BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs with bottom area facing down. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake 8 more minutes. The chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 F. Serve and enjoy!
IF MAKING SHEET PAN MEAL
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss potatoes, red pepper and red onion with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend, then place on sheet.
- Add lemon slices, then bake for 35-38 minutes if using skin-on, bone-in thighs. If using boneless, skinless thighs, bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and mix garlic into veggies, then garnish with kalamata olives, parsley and feta. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Elizabeth says
Yup 2nd time I’m makin this
no wonder they say less is more , definitely true fit here
wonderful , my picky daughter even liked it
and that’s hard to do ! lol
thank you for sharing
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Alex says
Fast easy & delicious!!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Chelsea says
This was spot on! Thank you. I used boneless thighs and a chicken rub (from traeger) and it’s perfect.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Robin says
Loved your informative video! Going to make these boneless skinless thighs tonight. I’ll check out your other recipes! Thanks…
Celeste says
461 calories???
Virginia says
Watching your video, I realized that there is another way of applying rub to chicken – tossing the chx in it. What a concept! This is the first recipe I have found where chicken really did turn out crispy. Also it was the first time I used parchment paper. I thought it was for chefs and cooks that had a lot of experience in high-end cooking. Such is not the case. It’s a very good thing. Finally, my husband & I loved the recipe and broccoli came out great. Thank you for this.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Troy King Jr. says
Tastes amazing, make sure you season to taste though if you want to go for more POPPIN’ flavors. But this serves as a great template. I would recommend adding a bit of cayenne and smoked paprika.
Barbara says
Great video
Shay says
Perfect, simple dinner for a busy weeknight. Thanks for sharing!
Kim says
Quick, simple and tasty!
Jess says
Hi. Debating with my boyfriend. He thinks the chicken should be cooked on a wire rack but I say directly on the baking sheet. Does it matter? Who wins?!!
Taylor Stinson says
I personally like the baking sheet because there’s less mess and I have not noticed a difference in the crispiness of the chicken but I suppose it’s all a matter of personal preference 😉 But in my opinion, you win LOL