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Get It NowI’ve been making healthy baked chicken breast and chicken legs for two decades, but oven baked chicken thighs were a cut I only got into in my 30s. Let’s just say I’m glad I did — and you will be too, once you try this crispy baked chicken thighs recipe. The crispy skin is irresistible, and the inside so juicy. I’ve made this at least a dozen times, and it has become one of my favorite chicken recipes!
Why You’ll Love These Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Juicy and tender meat with crispy skin
- Seasoned with garlic and herbs
- Just 5 ingredients + some pantry staples
- Quick prep time
- Versatile — these crispy chicken thighs go with just about anything!

Ingredients & Substitutions
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:
Get bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. It won’t work with boneless chicken thighs, since we’ll be placing butter underneath the skin. If you want to use boneless ones, 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.
- Unsalted Butter
- Garlic – Use whole garlic cloves, because we are going to crush them.
- Fresh Herbs – I used fresh parsley and dill. You can experiment with other fresh herbs — see variations in my compound butter recipe post.
- Sea Salt
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 can handle the direct heat.
- Avocado Oil – You can substitute any other heat-safe oil, such as olive oil, in this baked chicken thighs recipe.
- Spices – Smoked paprika and garlic powder. Feel free to add other dried seasonings here, such as dried oregano, dried rosemary, onion powder, chili powder, and/or cayenne pepper.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Bake Chicken Thighs
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.
- Make the compound butter. In a small bowl, mash butter. Mix in crushed garlic, fresh parsley, fresh dill, and sea salt.
- Season under the skin. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture on the surface. Run your hands under the chicken skin to separate it from the chicken underneath, and place dollops of compound butter underneath. Press the skin down to spread it around.


- Season over the skin. Place chicken on a lined baking sheet (you can also use a rack fitted on the baking sheet for even more air flow, or a baking dish that’s large enough to fit the chicken pieces without touching each other). Drizzle the olive oil onto the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle with sea salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Bake chicken thighs. Place the chicken skin side down on a baking sheet and bake. Flip and continue baking, until the inside is cooked through and the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Rest. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to settle in the meat, so that your oven baked chicken thighs stay juicy. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.



TIP: Use a meat thermometer for best results.
Unlike chicken breast, dark meat like baked chicken thighs tastes best if you cook them to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. This makes them more juicy than the minimum safe temp of 165 degrees F. This is my favorite meat thermometer for quick readings.
Common Questions
- What temp to bake chicken thighs? You can bake chicken thighs at 400, 425, or 450 degrees F. I prefer 450 degrees F because it’s the fastest and produces great results.
- How long to bake chicken thighs? Baked chicken thighs at 450 degrees F take 22-28 minutes, depending on their size.
- Can you bake frozen chicken thighs? No, baking frozen chicken thighs is not recommended, as they won’t cook evenly and some parts can turn out dry. Thaw your chicken before baking.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: Make compound butter a few days in advance. You can also go ahead and place it underneath the skin and season the top if you like, then bake when ready to eat. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken completely ahead and just reheat.
- Reheat: Warm up baked chicken thighs in the oven at 350 degrees F. If the skin isn’t crispy enough at this point, you can turn up the heat for a few minutes at the end. You can also remove the chicken thigh meat from the bones and repurpose for a buffalo chicken soup or chicken bacon ranch casserole.
- Freeze: After cooling to room temperature, store chicken in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What To Serve With Baked Chicken Thighs
Serve up these crispy oven baked chicken thighs with an easy side dish:
- Potatoes – Mashed or oven roasted potatoes or mashed are popular options. You can also make healthier mashed cauliflower or roasted rutabaga instead.
- Rice – Regular white or brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
- Vegetables – Try quick roasted asparagus, nutty green beans almondine, buttery sauteed zucchini, or simple roasted broccoli. You can also combine the chicken with mixed veggies on the same sheet pan, to make a sheet pan chicken dinner.
- Salad – Healthy salads always pair well with chicken!
- Sauces – These chicken thighs are already super crispy and juicy, but if you want a sauce, you can serve BBQ sauce or honey mustard on the side.
More Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes
Tools To Bake Chicken Thighs
- Sheet Pan – Once I got these sheet pans, I never looked back. Use them for everything from cookies and roasted veggies to this recipe for chicken thighs.
- Instant Read Thermometer – The best way to ensure you are cooking your oven baked chicken thighs perfectly. I love this one because it gives a reading very quickly (no overcooking!) and is super accurate.
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs (Crispy & Easy!)
Learn how to make oven baked chicken thighs perfectly! This easy recipe is extra juicy on the inside, with crispy skin & simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Compound butter:
Chicken:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil, or use a quality non-stick pan (I like this pan with silicone coating).
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In a small bowl, mash the butter with a fork. Add the garlic, fresh herbs, and salt. Mash again.
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Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and place on the baking sheet, skin side up. Run your hands under the chicken skin to separate it from the chicken underneath. Place dollops of compound butter all over underneath the skin and then press down over the skin to spread around underneath.
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Drizzle olive oil onto the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with sea salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
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Roast chicken thighs in the oven, skin side down, for 10 minutes.
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Flip the chicken thighs, so that the skin side is up. Roast for another 15 minutes or so, until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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100 Comments
Linda Bayer
0Awesome recipe! I made this for our anniversary and loved it. Not a lot of steps – super easy to make. This one is definitely a keeper!
Ann
0They were so crispy and delicious! Recipe is going to be on repeat in my books
Jenna
0My boyfriend and I loved the recipe. Thank you so much!! Served this during our anniversary dinner and it was really juicy and crisp. I’m obviously keeping this recipe.
Erin
0These baked chicken thighs are now a weekly dinner must-have for me. The crispy skin is everything.
Kyline
0Simple ingredients, easy prep, and the result was amazing. My family loved it!
Diane
0Great recipe! I’ve cooked chicken thighs in different ways and this is my favorite way so far! Quick prep time and the flavor was superb! Love it!
Caroline
0Just made this for dinner and the skin is perfectly crispy, and the meat is so juicy and flavorful because of the different herbs used in this recipe. though the chicken was crispy on the outside, the meat was really moist. I paired it with rice and i think I may have forgotten I’m on a diet lol! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Shelly
0Thanks for an amazing recipe! The fist time I made it, my jaw dropped due to how crispy, succulent and flavorful it was. Really loved it.
I made it a second time and it didn’t turn out nearly so well: the skin was starting to burn in some areas without the consistent crispiness, a lot of juices had come out during the roast and the chicken wasn’t as succulent as a result. Also the flavors haven’t seeped into the meat as much.
I do feel the quality of the chicken had something to do with it (I saw some parts of the skin a bit dry), but might be there something I could correct for the next time? I cooked at the mentioned temperatures, in the rack just above the middle of the oven.
Jo
0I hope someone reads this because they didn’t put the temperature of the temperature need to be raised after a while, and how long to cook it on each side
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jo, You can find that information on the recipe card, right above where you left this comment.
Julie
0Really delicious and tender! I served them with the Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe. A meal fit for a king!
YayaVee
0My husband says this is the best chicken I’ve ever made!! Since I only used 2lbs. of chicken, each piece was extra buttery & delicious!!
Rhonda
0This one was so good 🙂🌸🌺
Will
0Can I use dried herbs? I don’t have fresh. Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Will, Yes, that will work.
Ee
0My husband’s fave chicken! Works best with fresh herbs, but dried herbs will do in a pinch!
Bea
0Am not a fan of dill, is there another herb you could recommend to add zing?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bea, A good substitute for dill is tarragon or fennel.
Jennifer
0I eat chicken all the time and miss the crunchy skin but THIS recipe is the bomb! That skin is so good, I crave the recipe just for this crispy skin!
K
0This is such a timeless recipe! I love it on busy weeknights when I just want something good for dinner.
Sherry
0I loved the compound butter in this crispy oven baked chicken thighs recipe. The chicken skin was perfectly crispy and delicious. I will be making this again and again!!
Gen
0Delicious, crispy, and so easy! I’ll be making these again for sure.
Emily
0These turned out great! I love it when it crisps up just how it want it to, and they did! Thanks for sharing!
Debbie
0These crispy oven Baked chicken thighs are great. The fresh dill adds a nice touch! These are going on my normal dinner rotation.
Hayley Dhanecha
0Absolutely love all the herbs and spices you have used for this recipe, the addition of butter makes all the difference. Sharing this link with my friend, who loves chicken recipes.
Moop Brown
0I love chicken like this that is the perfect balance of crispiness and juiciness. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Marie
0My family loved these crunchy-sweet chicken thighs! They truly were finger-licking good. We had a couple of thighs leftover and I nibbled on one straight out of the fridge as a snack the next day. I’ll be making these again!
Enri Lemoine
0Yummy! Everybody in my family loved these baked chicken ties. Crispy outside and tender and juicy on the inside! This recipe was a total success!
Anna
0Wow, thanks so much for this recipe! The chicken was so delightfully juicy inside, with crispy exterior, just how I like it! Finger licking good!
Amy Liu Dong
0Another chicken recipe that everybody would definitely love and enjoy! This dish looks absolutely delicious. The crispiness makes it enticing and tempting too!
Erin
0These thighs were amazing! Perfectly crisp and so easy to make. Thanks!
Mikayla
0Butter makes all the difference, doesn’t it. Great flavor, added a touch more garlic and the chicken was crispy as described, will be making this again… and again…