Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

45 minutes mins

| 65 Comments |

4.97 from 109 votes

Jump to Recipe | Updated: | by Nora

These Oven Baked Chicken Thighs are easy to make and come out so juicy and flavorful! Great for a healthy family dinner, and keto/low carb friendly, too.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (1)

I’m a big fan of baked chicken – be it chicken thighs baked with orzo or oven fried chicken breast or the oven baked chicken thigh recipe I’m sharing here. It’s always a favorite with the family!

I prefer using bone-in, skin-on chicken here, but I’ll be giving you tips for other options as well in case you have something else on hand.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (2)

Ingredient notes

  • Dried herbs: You can use all Italian seasoning or all dried parsley if you don’t have both on hand. Dried oregano would be another substitute that works quite well.
  • Oil: I prefer using olive oil here, but feel free to use any vegetable oil you use in your cooking.
  • Butter: This is entirely optional for a touch more flavor/browning/juiciness. Just leave it out if you need your chicken thighs to be dairy free!

What kind of chicken thighs to use

I really prefer skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe. It’s how the chicken comes out best!

But if you prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs: They will bake a lot faster, they should bake in around 25 minutes. The chicken may come out less juicy. I highly recommend using the butter on top of the chicken to help keep it from drying out!

How to make baked chicken thighs in the oven

1. Start by combining the oil and all of the seasoning in a large bowl. This will form a sort of paste and it’s exactly what you want it to be.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (3)

2. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl (work in batches if the bowl is not large enough to comfortably hold all of the chicken).

Toss and dredge the chicken through the seasoning paste, then remove one by one, rubbing the seasoning well into the chicken.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (4)
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (5)

3. You want to place a foil-lined pan in your oven as it heats up. Once the oven is hot, remove the pan and place the seasoned chicken thighs on it.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (6)

4. Dot the chicken thighs with butter, if using, and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (7)

5. Baste the chicken with the emerging juices. Return to the oven to continue baking. Baste again 10 minutes later, then finish baking until the chicken is done.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (8)

6. You can finish the chicken under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for some crispiness. Just watch it so it doesn’t burn!

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Recipe tips

  • Make sure to rub the seasoning paste well into each chicken thigh to keep the seasoning on the chicken.
  • In case you don’t want to touch the raw chicken, OR the fat and juices from the chicken wash away a lot of the seasoning during baking: Combine ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon ground paprika and pepper to taste. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken thighs after the second basting, then finish baking.
  • The internal temperature of the chicken must reach 165°F before consuming. Be sure to check with a meat thermometer before removing the chicken from the oven, as each oven bakes differently/each chicken thigh is sized differently and may not use the exact baking time given in the recipe. See the USDA Minimum Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart.
  • Please use a rimmed pan or a baking dish, as there will be a lot of juices emerging from the chicken during baking.
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (10)

Serving ideas

This is such a great recipe for a family meal. You can customize the side dishes to fit everybody’s needs and preferences – this is even great if you’re on a low carb or keto diet yourself, just skip the starchy sides.

Here are some of our favorites:

Starchy sides

  • Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • Rice

Vegetable sides

  • Sautéed Green Beans
  • Sautéed Zucchini

Salad sides

  • Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
  • Tossed salad greens with homemade ranch salad dressing or homemade honey mustard salad dressing
  • Creamy Coleslaw
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (11)

More easy chicken thigh recipes

  • Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
  • Instant Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Thighs
  • Instant Pot Bacon Ranch Chicken and Potatoes
  • Chicken and Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (16)

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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

These Oven Baked Chicken Thighs are easy to make and come out so juicy and flavorful! Great for a healthy family dinner, and keto/low carb friendly, too.

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

made it? tap the stars to add your rating!

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Recipe details

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 45 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs 6-8 pieces, patted dry
  • 1 tablespoon butter diced

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or large rimmed pan with foil and place in the oven as it heats up (you want the pan to be hot when you add the chicken).

  • Seasoning: Combine olive oil and all seasoning in a large bowl until a paste forms.

  • Season chicken: Place chicken thighs in bowl with seasoning (work in batches if bowl doesn't hold all of the chicken) and toss to coat. Remove each thigh individually, rubbing the seasoning into the skin.

  • Bake: Place chicken thighs on heated pan (careful, hot!); dot with butter. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove and baste chicken with emerging juices from the pan. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, then baste again. Finally, finish baking for 5-15 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Dried herbs: You can use all Italian seasoning or all dried parsley if you don’t have both on hand. Dried oregano would be another substitute that works quite well.
  • Oil: I prefer using olive oil here, but feel free to use any vegetable oil you use in your cooking.
  • Butter: This is entirely optional for a touch more flavor/browning/juiciness. Just leave it out if you need your chicken thighs to be dairy free!

Recipe tips

  • Make sure to rub the seasoning paste well into each chicken thigh to keep the seasoning on the chicken.
  • In case you don’t want to touch the raw chicken, OR the fat and juices from the chicken wash away a lot of the seasoning during baking:Combine ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon ground paprika and pepper to taste. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken thighs after the second basting, then finish baking.
  • The internal temperature of the chicken must reach 165°F before consuming. Be sure to check with a meat thermometer before removing the chicken from the oven, as each oven bakes differently/each chicken thigh is sized differently and may not use the exact baking time given in the recipe. See the USDA Minimum Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart.
  • Please use a rimmed pan or a baking dish, as there will be a lot of juices emerging from the chicken during baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 21gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 892mgPotassium: 290mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 323IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (17)
About Nora
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me! Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Gail says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (20)
    I was looking for something quick, easy & delicious and this recipe was perfect! Paired with some mashed potatoes that I added some of the melted butter I was basting the chicken with….mmm!

  2. Linda says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (21)
    Delicious!!

    Reply

  3. janet says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (22)
    Made these tonight. So good

    Reply

  4. Lauren McKiernan says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (23)
    Made this chicken exactly as the recipe stated for family dinner tonight and it was easy & delicious! No leftovers. This is definitely going into the meal rotation! Thank you!

    Reply

  5. Paula Oshinski says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (24)
    Hi, Nora! I just made this recipe and it is wonderfully easy! My husband loves chicken thighs, so I was really happy to find your site! Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Nora says

      I’m so glad, Paula!

      Reply

  6. Betty Gartman says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (25)
    My family loved the chicken ,the recipe was very easy to follow.We loved it.Thank you very much.

    Reply

  7. Laura says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (26)
    This recipe was so easy and very very delicious; flavorful and moist. I reduced the salt by half. I added all the spices into a Ziploc bag. Mixed them up really well and then added the oil and just squeezed the bag to make the paste and then added the chicken thighs to the bag rubbing the paste into each thigh. So it was no mess. I will definitely make it again!

    Reply

  8. Edie says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (27)
    Saved! The only change I made was to add a teaspoon of minced garlic under the skin and added some cayenne to dry rub. Great!

    Reply

  9. Mary R. says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (28)
    I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and they turned out delicious!!! Leftovers were great – just microwaved for a few minutes. Liked the fact “powders” were used instead the salt version!

    Reply

  10. Evie says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (29)
    I made this for dinner last night using skinless boneless chicken thighs and it was delicious, chicken was lovely, juicy and full of flavour.

    Reply

  11. Patty says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (30)
    So flavorful and juicy!! Delish and so easy!!

    Reply

    • Nora says

      Glad to hear it, Patty!

      Reply

  12. Elizabeth says

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (31)
    Very easy, fast and flavourful. Will make again

    Reply

    • Nora says

      Glad to hear it, Elizabeth!

      Reply

  13. Stacy says

    Best baked chicken I have ever made!

    Reply

    • Nora says

      I’m so glad, Stacy!

      Reply

  14. Lil says

    The whole family commented on how tasty they were. Will definitely make these again!!! I did modify a little by cutting salt & pepper in 1/2.

    Reply

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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

Should you cover chicken thighs when baking? ›

The best oven baked chicken thighs start with seasoning! A blend of garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and fresh cracked pepper brightens up plain old chicken thighs and adds wow-worthy flavor. But I know you are wondering– should you cover chicken thighs when they are baking? The simple answer is, no.

How to get more flavor in chicken thighs? ›

Brining: Brining the chicken thighs in a mixture of salt, sugar, and water for a few hours before cooking can help to retain moisture and add flavor. Marinating: Marinating the chicken thighs in a flavorful liquid such as lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs can help to tenderize the meat and add flavor.

How do you keep chicken thighs from drying out in the oven? ›

I recommend baking the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for less time to ensure the chicken thighs stay nice and juicy, vs baking for longer at 350 degrees and running the risk of drying them out.

Should I put olive oil on chicken before baking? ›

A: Yes, you can marinate the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil and herbs for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator before baking to enhance the flavor.

Is it better to bake chicken in glass or metal? ›

If youre looking to oven bake chicken then metal is the best choice however if you're looking to make a casserole then glass can work perfectly. Just be careful not to expose heated glass to cold tempatures as it will shatter!

What cooking method is best for chicken thighs? ›

The cooking methods that are ideal for boneless skinless thighs are grilling, roasting, and slow cooking.

What brings out the flavor in chicken? ›

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

Should you wash chicken thighs before baking? ›

Put simply, if you wash raw chicken, you are cross-contaminating your kitchen. Yes, fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed with cold water before preparation, but raw poultry should not. Don't worry: Properly cooking chicken will destroy any pathogens. In fact, it is the only way to destroy those pathogens.

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400? ›

Given the fact that drumsticks and thighs are dark meat and won't dry out as easily as breasts, the range from 350 to 450 degrees is okay for baking them. 350 to 375 is generally best for breasts. The best answer to these questions? Simply check the chicken for doneness using an instant read thermometer.

Is it better to cook chicken thighs fast or slow? ›

If you get impatient and heat up your chicken thighs by cranking the temperature all the way up, your chicken will be too dry, which is the last thing you want. Instead, you want to keep your chicken thighs slowly cooking on a low temperature, thus allowing the meat to marinate in its juices and gradually tenderize.

Do I bake chicken covered or uncovered? ›

Larger cuts, such as whole chickens or bone-in pieces, often benefit from covered baking to ensure thorough and even cooking. Smaller cuts, like chicken breasts or tenders, can be baked uncovered for quick results. Lastly, think about the desired texture and flavor you're trying to achieve.

Is it better to bake chicken with oil or butter? ›

Can you cook chicken with butter instead of oil? You have to cook chicken at a lower temperature if you bake or pan-fry chicken using butter instead of oil. This is because butter has a lower scorching temperature. Your chicken will cook more slowly, but it's also likely to be juicier and full of more flavor.

Do you season chicken before or after olive oil? ›

Seasoning skinless chicken is as straightforward as with any other cut of meat. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the chicken to act as a binder, sprinkle your seasoning on top, then gently press it in and let your chicken dry-marinate for about 45 minutes.

Is it better to bake chicken covered or uncovered? ›

Larger cuts, such as whole chickens or bone-in pieces, often benefit from covered baking to ensure thorough and even cooking. Smaller cuts, like chicken breasts or tenders, can be baked uncovered for quick results. Lastly, think about the desired texture and flavor you're trying to achieve.

Do you bake chicken at 400 covered or uncovered? ›

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine chicken breasts, olive oil, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, paprika, and black pepper. Mix well to coat. Bake uncovered for 22 to 26 minutes or until the chicken breasts reach and internal temperature of 165°F.

Is it better to bake chicken thighs at 350 or 400? ›

Is it better to bake chicken thighs at 350 or 400? It is recommended to bake chicken thighs at 400ºF. This medium-high heat ensures the juiciest results! Chicken thighs should be roasted in the oven at 400ºF for 40-45 minutes, then broiled for 2 more minutes to get juicy meat and crispy skin!

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