These crispy chicken thighs are tender on the inside with a crispy skin on top, they’re full of flavor and so, so quick to make, with only 5-10 minutes of prep time. They’re a great recipe for an easy weeknight meal – I make them at least once a week. And they reheat well without losing texture, making them ideal for meal prepping ahead of time. And you’re going to love the magically delicious no-effort sauce that melts right into the bottom of the pan.

I love pairing these baked chicken thighs with cornbread, pasta, greens, roasted sweet potatoes, or my quick honey mustard mushrooms recipe, but they can go with so many dishes. With just a few minutes of prep work, you’ll definitely have time to cook up a side dish while they’re in the oven. Or if you’ve already got one prepped, go ahead and relax for a few minutes, while the most delicious aroma fills your home as they bake.

Crispy chicken thighs are also an easy way to make an impressive dish for guests, and one that requires minimal cooking skills. This is an easy recipe to scale up or down depending on how many people you’re feeding and how much leftovers you want. 

Tips for making the best baked crispy chicken thighs:

Use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

Bone-in chicken thighs have more flavor than boneless thighs. And the skin will get crispy during cooking. This is what we want!  

Get in every crevice of your chicken thighs

When you’re spreading your marinade over the chicken, make sure you get in every opening in the chicken thighs for the best results. Don’t just quickly toss the thighs in with the marinade. Spend a few moments really massaging each chicken thigh, getting the marinade in every spot. Use your fingers to spread the seasonings evenly around and behind the bone, in between pockets of meat and anywhere that the skin naturally lifts. Here’s the pocket behind the bone:

Don’t lift the chicken skin beyond where it naturally lifts

You don’t want to rip any fibers here. If you do, that will make the chicken meat dryer. But don’t be afraid to gently lift the skin without tearing, to get the marinade on both sides of the skin where it’s already separate from the meat, and to get the marinade on the meat underneath the skin. If there’s any resistance, don’t pull any more on the skin.

Roast your chicken skin side up and flesh side down

Lay any extra skin flat on the pan to the side of the thigh, without covering it with anything. This is the best way to get crispy chicken thighs with the crispiest skin. If the skin is tucked under the chicken, it’ll steam and become gummy. We’re making crispy chicken thighs–no one wants gummy chicken skin!

Don’t open the oven while they’re cooking except in case of emergency

This isn’t a recipe that requires basting, so just sit back and let the oven do its work. If you baste it, the skin won’t be as crispy.

Don’t forget about the sauce!

You don’t even have to make it. The juices from the chicken mix with the seasonings to give you a yummy, savory sauce to enjoy it with. Scoop some up and put it on your plate. Your side dishes might like the sauce too!

Use Simply Organic brand All-Seasons Salt

To keep the ingredient ratios the same, I recommend using this brand of All-Seasons Salt which you can buy here. You can of course use another brand like Lawry’s Season Salt or Morton Season-All, but you’ll need to change the amount of seasoning you use to prevent it from being too salty or not salty enough.

How to make Crispy Chicken Thighs

Step 1: Preheat your oven 375 degrees F

The chicken thighs will come together quickly, so start bringing up your oven temperature as you get started.

Step 2: Mix the olive oil with all of the seasonings.

In the baking dish you want to cook the chicken in, mix the olive oil with the Simply Organic All-Seasons Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix the seasonings together until you have a smooth marinade.

Step 3: Mix your clean chicken thighs in with the seasonings and oil in the same pan. 

Work to get the marinade in every crevice on both sides of the chicken thighs, including both sides of the skin, around and behind the bone, and in any natural pockets on the underside of the bone-in thighs. Spend a few minutes massaging the chicken thighs, making sure your fingers get the marinade in any natural openings in the chicken meat. Do not lift the skin beyond where it naturally lifts for best results. Lifting the skin could cause the meat to dry out while cooking.

Be careful not to get any oil outside the pan or along the top part of the pan, since this pan will go in the oven.

Step 4: Lay the chicken in the pan

Place the chicken skin side up and meat side down in the pan. Arrange them so that they’re either not touching, or barely touching. If the skin is touching the other chicken thighs, you wont get as much crispy skin. Double check to make sure all the skin is unfolded and not tucked underneath the chicken thighs. You want the chicken skin to be exposed to as much air as possible for crispiest results. That said, don’t choose a baking dish that’s too much larger than the space of the chicken thighs and skin when they’re fully laid out like this. This can cause your pan sauce to dry or even burn.

Step 5: Cook the chicken in the oven for 50 minutes

Leave the chicken in the oven for 50 minutes at 375 degrees F or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Except in case of emergency, try not to open the oven while the chicken thighs are cooking. Take the chicken thighs out of the oven once they’ve finished baking.

How to store and reheat your leftover chicken thighs

How to store the chicken thighs

Store leftover chicken and the sauce that’s accumulated at the bottom of the pan in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You should store them in an airtight container in a single layer with the skin side up. 

How to reheat the chicken thighs

When you’re ready to reheat the chicken thighs, I like to microwave the chicken skin side up with the sauces in a container with a ventilated lid until they’re heated all the way thorough. Then reheat them for 5-15 minutes in the oven at 325 degrees F, or until the skin gets crispy again. 

Wasn’t that delicious?

If you liked this chicken thigh recipe, comment and let me know how yours turned out!