Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs – loaded with flavor and super easy to make with only 10 minutes prep time PLUS other homemade seasoning variation to try. You won’t believe they are baked! Dinner couldn’t be any easier.
When I am shopping at a grocery store, I usually gravitate towards the poultry aisle to check if there is a sale going on, more often than not there is one. For only $5 you can have enough chicken to feed a family of 4 and still have leftovers. Chicken thighs are always on sale, like once a month or every other week , if you are a super shopper.
So I grabbed a super value pack, stock up and give this chicken try thigh a go.
And since we’re on the busiest time of the year, I’m bumping up this easy baked chicken thighs recipe for more visibility and updated it with other homemade seasonings to try. Yes! You can swap it with other seasonings for a variety. So get ready to rake in all the compliments!
These super crispy creole thighs are super easy to make. Just combine the spices and generously rub on the meat and you’ll have a mind-blowing tasty chicken meal right before your eyes. It is one of my favorite ways of using chicken thighs – you can easily get dinner on the table with minimal prep time.
Other Homemade Seasonings you can use
Aside from my homemade Creole, you’ll also get the same “awesomeness” using my other homemade seasonings below. And trust me, your family will be begging for more of this come dinner time.
- Italian Seasoning – aromatic and more of an herb-flavored seasoning
- Poultry Seasoning – with pine-like aroma and warm, citrusy, sweet notes
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning – warm, sweet, pungent flavor from allspice with notes of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg,
- Taco Seasoning – spicy and savory Mexican flair from chili powder, cumin, and crushed pepper flakes among others
How to Get a Crispy Baked Chicken Thigh?
To get really crispy chicken skin, you have to crank up the temperature. Start with 450 F for about 20 minutes then lower it, and finish cooking the chicken. Make sure the chicken is dry – use a paper towel to wipe it prior to seasoning and air drying them in the fridge.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Thighs?
- Sauteed Kale
- Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Green Beans and Bacon
- Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
- Black Beans and Rice
More Easy Baked Dinner Recipes
How to Bake Chicken Thighs
Wash chicken thighs, wipe with a paper towel. Salt chicken.
Combine spices (onion powder, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, white and cayenne pepper bouillon powder). Mix well. OR use any of our suggested homemade seasonings above instead.
Sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of the spice blend.
Place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, you can let them sit in the fridge overnight. Do not cover them; let them air-dry them or proceed with baking.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 475 Degrees F°. Bake chicken thighs in the preheated oven starting at 475 degrees F for the first 20 minutes then drop to 400 degrees F. Bake until the skin is crispy, thighs are no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Watch How to Make It
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This post was first published in February 2014 and has been updated with new photos, a video, and some cooking tips and notes.
Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 ½ - 3 pound (1135g-1362g) chicken thighs (about 5-6)
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons (7.5g-10g) salt (to salt chicken)
- 2 teaspoon (4g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5g) dried thyme or oregano
- 1 teaspoon (3g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (1g) white pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1g) bouillon powder (you may replace with salt)
Instructions
- Wash chicken thighs, wipe with a paper towel. Salt chicken . Combine spices(onion powder, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, white and cayenne pepper bouillon powder , mix well.
- Sprinkle both sides with generous amount of the spice blend place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, you can let them sit in the fridge overnight. Do not cover them; let the air-dry them or proceed with baking.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 475 Degrees F°.
- Bake chicken thighs in the preheated oven starting at 475 degrees F for the first 20 minutes then drop to 400 degrees F. Bake until skin is crispy, thighs are no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Tips & Notes:
- Other flavors you can try. Aside from the spice blend above, you may replace it with my other homemade seasonings: Italian seasoning, Poultry seasoning, Jerk seasoning and Taco seasoning.
- Can you make this with boneless chicken thighs? Yes you can. Only the time changes – cook for about 20 minutes or more instead or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- What to do if the seasoning burns when baking? Try covering the chicken in foil, as you do a turkey or a pie crust, once it gets as brown as you want and continue baking!
- Can these same instructions be used for other chicken parts on the bone as well? The cooking times would be the same. I usually start taking out the other parts about 5-7 minutes before the chicken thighs, depending on their size. Watch out for the breast it dries out quickly.
- Can I use this on whole chicken? One of our readers has trued using the same instructions for a whole spatchcock chicken (cut open along the spine and laid flat). Cook it at 20 mins at 450 F and 40 mins at 400 F.
- Swap chicken bouillon with salt if you don't have any.
- You may use regular baking pan without the wire rack and still get crispy skin, but not as much as the version in the photos.
- Make-Ahead Instructions. If it is the same day, I would undercook the chicken and finish the remaining 10 minutes before serving – using the same temperature (400 degrees F works as well), if chicken is browning too fast.
- Can I grill the chicken? You may grill the chicken thighs and get the same flavors (plus that smokey taste), but it wouldn't be as crispy as the oven version.
- You can cook them immediately after seasoning with skin side up. You may flip them if they are browning too fast.
- If you don't like spicy, omit cayenne pepper.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Veronica R Salomone says
So I made this last week but had to use boneless skinless thighs my husband loved them. I’m making bone in with skin tonight can’t WAIT to try it….
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Veronica! Glad to hear it worked out well.
KW says
I’ve been making this for over a year. It’s a family favorite! I’ve tried some of your African recipes too – they are great! We really like the chicken stew!
Susan Burney says
Do you bake them on a rack on the cookie sheet or just on foil? I noticed a rack in the pictures is the reason I ask
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Susan. Either one of them will work just fine. Looking forward to you trying this recipe :).
Teresa Daniel says
Can the chicken be cooked in an Air fryer. If so what temp. & how long?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes Cook at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Amanda says
Hi, I’m excited to try this, it looks amazing! However, I noticed up in the blog part and down in the recipe notes it says 450° for the first part of cooking but in the actual recipe it says 475°? Which one do you use? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Amanda! If using a a whole spatchcock chicken start at 450°F but if using just the thighs start at 475°F. Hope this helps. :).
Natalie S says
I discovered this recipe at least a year ago and it quickly made it into my regular rotation! I mix up the spices depending on my mood, but the technique of seasoning the chicken, letting it dry out in the fridge, then starting it in the oven at a high heat cannot be beat! The skin gets so crispy without any oil or frying…it’s my go-to chicken thigh method now so I’m lucky that it’s so easy! I typically come home from work, season the chicken then throw it in the fridge for about an hour then preheat the oven and bake. Enough time for it to crisp up!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Nathalie! I am so thrilled you love this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback :).
Judith says
Amazing!!! My restaurant days are over! Thank you sooo much!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hahaha. Nothing compares to home-cooked meals. Glad you enjoyed it, Judith!
Ella says
Is air drying the “secret” or “key” to this recipe? If I won’t have that much time to prep, will it still come out crispy?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ella! I know exactly what you mean about the prep time. It is important for the chicken to be air-dried in order to achieve that really crisp texture. However, you could cheat a little and use a hairdryer to speed up the process 🙂 . Let me know how it works out for you.
Ella says
As it turned out, I did have the full time to dry the wings for the full time. Oh my! Crispy skin but soooooo juicy inside. I now have an easy way to prepare chicken!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!! I am so glad it worked out great for you, Ella!
Barbora says
I looove this recipe ! i’ve been looking for a recipe to make a perfect crispy ‘fried-like’ chicken and this is the one!
Thank you for sharing this recipe xx
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic!! So thrilled you love this recipe, Barbora!
Charles Christian says
Can you do this with wings
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you sure can!
Reese says
Hi! Do I need to cover the thighs at any point during cooking?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Reese. No, you don’t need to cover the thighs at any point :).
Rob says
I cheated, I used a hairdryer to dry the chicken. On half of the thigh’s I used Tony Chachere’s BOLD Creole Seasoning, it has salt, red pepper, black pepper and garlic power…SPICY! On the other half I used Cavender’s all purpose Greek Seasoning, it’s not as spicy as Tony’s but tons of flavor. I also baked them in a convection oven at 475 for 15 min then lowered it to 400. The convection oven cooks faster so I had to keep an eye on them for the remainder of the time about, 22 min. They are amazing.
ImmaculateBites says
So glad to hear it turned out great for you, Rob!
Andrea says
We love this recipe! We’ve shared it multiple times with friends and family. It is now in our book of all time favorites.
ImmaculateBites says
That is Awesome, Andrea! Thank you for sharing. This is one of my favorites too 🙂 !
mark says
Yes 3rd time here….just amazing
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you.
Carol Bauer says
My family loves this chicken recipe! Can’t even count how many times i’ve Made it. We were never big fan of thighs but we r now
ImmaculateBites says
Yay! So happy to hear this.
Lauren says
Do you cover the thighs for the first part of baking? I have to use a 9×13 pan, as a sheet pan will not fit in my oven.
ImmaculateBites says
No I don’t . A sheet pan would do just fine.