Baked Chicken Thighs (Juicy with Crispy Skin)
Juicy meat? Check. Paper-thin, crackly skin? Check. These baked chicken thighs check all the boxes for an easy, delicious dinner.
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1¼ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground sage (or 1½ teaspoons dried sage leaves)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, paprika, sage, thyme, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly combined. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken and arrange skin-side up on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.(A heads-up: you will smell the savory dry brine when you open the fridge. That’s normal—the chicken needs to stay uncovered so the skin can dry out and crisp up beautifully in the oven.)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Keep the chicken on the wire rack set over the baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the thickest thigh registers 185°F (85°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the skin browns faster than the meat cooks, loosely tent the chicken with foil until the thighs are done. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are one of my favorite things to cook. They’re affordable, forgiving, and especially well suited to baking. But while they’re easy to make, getting juicy meat and crisp skin requires the right approach. For this baked chicken thigh recipe, I rely on two simple techniques: an overnight dry brine that seasons the meat throughout and helps dry the skin, and a hot oven to finish the job. The result is juicy, well-seasoned chicken beneath beautifully crisp, golden skin.
The overnight rest requires a little planning, but the hands-on prep takes just 10 minutes, and once the chicken goes into the oven, there’s very little to do. Pair it with green beans and crispy roasted sweet potatoes for a simple family dinner.
“These came out with a perfectly crispy skin, and so juicy and flavorful!”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Chicken Thighs
Salt: Seasons the chicken more deeply as it rests and helps draw moisture from the skin, so it bakes up crisp and crackly.
Paprika, Sage, Thyme, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: This savory blend gives the chicken plenty of flavor, with paprika for warmth, herbs for earthiness, and garlic and onion powders for depth.
Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs: Both the skin and bone are important here—the skin turns thin and crackly in the oven, while the bone helps protect the meat as the thighs roast to 185°F, when the fat and connective tissue have had time to render and the meat becomes especially tender.
Step 1: Season and dry-brine the chicken. Mix the seasonings together, then pat the chicken thighs very dry and season them evenly on both sides. Arrange the thighs skin-side up on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Don’t skip the uncovered rest—it gives the seasoning time to work its way into the meat while drying out the skin, which is key to getting it really crisp in the oven.
Pro tip: If your fridge is too narrow to accommodate a baking sheet, you can set the wire rack over a piece of heavy-duty foil.
Step 2: Roast the chicken. Keeping the thighs on the wire rack, roast until the skin is crisp and the thickest part of the meat reaches 185°F, about 40 minutes. Go by temperature rather than the clock here; taking thighs to 185°F gives the fat and connective tissue time to render, so the meat turns tender and juicy. If the skin is getting too dark before the chicken is done, loosely tent it with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Step 3: Serve. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Keep it on the rack while it rests so the bottom isn’t sitting in the rendered juices and the skin stays crisp. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy.
