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Free: 5 Secrets To Fast Healthy DinnersGet It Now This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure) For a long time, I was a little intimidated by oven baked bone-in chicken thighs. I’ve been making juicy baked chicken breast for years and years, but chicken thighs were a newer thing. I didn’t like meat with bones growing up, so it took some time to come around. Let’s just say I’m glad I did, because this crispy baked chicken thighs recipe has become one of my favorite ways to make chicken! The good news is, baking chicken thighs is easier than you might think. This recipe is pretty much foolproof, so you can do it whether you’ve never oven baked chicken thighs or done it a hundred times. Chicken is one of my favorite dinner protein options, so I’ve got no shortage of options here on Wholesome Yum! If you love chicken thighs, be sure to try my air fryer chicken thighs, baked balsamic chicken thighs, garlic chicken thighs, or cilantro lime chicken next time. Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for oven baked bone-in chicken thighs, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below. Chicken Thighs:I prefer to use organic chicken, but the most important thing is that your chicken thighs are bone in, with skin. This is imperative for extra crispy baked chicken thighs! This recipe won’t work with boneless skinless chicken thighs, since we’ll be placing butter underneath the skin. If you want to use boneless skinless thighs, try my recipes for balsamic chicken thighs, creamy garlic chicken thighs, or Mediterranean chicken instead, all of which use the boneless version. Compound Butter Underneath The Skin:Butter underneath the chicken skin ensures super juicy chicken thighs and adds loads of flavor, while the skin protects the butter and fresh herbs from the high heat of the oven.
Seasoning Over The Skin:Seasonings over the skin ensure that the skin has lots of flavor, and we use oil instead of butter here since it has a higher smoke point and will be exposed to direct heat.
This section shows how to make baked chicken thighs in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
TIP: You can use other versions of compound butter here. I’m using the simplest version with garlic, salt, and fresh herbs.
TIP: Run your hands under the chicken skin to separate it from the chicken underneath, so that you can easily spread the compound butter.
TIP: Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken thighs are done. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.
I recommend baking chicken thighs at 450 degrees F, because the high temperature will make the skin super crispy and the inside juicy. You can also bake them at 400 or 425 degrees F, but it will take longer. I actually don’t recommend oven baked chicken thighs at lower temperatures like 350, or even 375. Not only does it take longer, but in my testing the meat was less tender and the skin less crispy. Oven baked chicken thighs at 450 degrees F will take 22-28 minutes, but it’s best to use a meat thermometer to cook it perfectly. No, baking frozen chicken thighs is not recommended, as they do not cook evenly. Some parts will be dry by the time everything cooks through. Thaw your chicken thighs before baking.
Serve up these crispy oven baked chicken thighs with an easy side dish:
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh Nutrition Facts Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above. Calories 446 Fat 35.4g Protein 29.9g Total Carbs 0.7g Net Carbs 0.5g Fiber 0.2g Sugar 0.1g Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy. © Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂 How long does chicken have to bake at 425?At 425 F degrees (220C) chicken breasts will bake in about 20 to 25 minutes. Of course it depends on the thickness of your breasts, so thicker breast will take a bit longer and thinner breasts will take a bit less time. That's why the best way to tell when your chicken is done is to use a meat thermometer.
How long does it take to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs at 425?How Long To Bake Boneless Chicken Thighs At 425? Your Boneless Chicken Thighs will take around 20-25 minutes to bake at a temperature of 425°F preheated oven, and the internal temperature of chicken thighs should reach 165°F when done. Allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Is it better to cook chicken at 400 or 425?You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 425?It all depends on what you are looking for. For extremely tender, fall off the bone meat and soft skin, roast between 300 and 350 degrees. For firmer meat and crisp skin, roast the chicken around 425 degrees F. In our recipe below, we roast a 5 to 6 pound chicken at 425 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours.
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