Best Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes

Juicy oven baked chicken thighs are possible with almost no effort at all!

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you likely know that we eat a lot of chicken. I’ve shared over 150 chicken recipes already and there isn’t an end in sight.

Chicken is so versatile that you can serve it for dinner several nights a week for months and never have to have it exactly the same way.

Baked Chicken Legs and Thighs

Learning a few different ways to cook chicken thighs means always being able to whip up a delicious, inexpensive meal that everyone in your household will love without putting in a ton of extra time or effort.

Today, I’m serving up a round-up of my favorite recipes for baked chicken legs and thighs. These are dishes I’ve made again and again over the years that are simple, nourishing, and incredibly flavorful.

Every recipe included in this post relies on ingredients that are a cinch to find at any grocery store. Many ingredients you are likely to already have in your fridge and pantry.

If you’re wondering what to make for dinner tonight, baked chicken thighs are the answer. If you happen to have potatoes in the house, this Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner is a great idea too.

This is such an easy dinner recipe and my family continues to make it at least once a month. It only takes about 5 minutes of effort to toss the chicken, potatoes, and green beans in a simple lemon and herb vinaigrette before roasting until tender and crisp.

Despite being so easy to prepare and cook, all of these chicken recipes are far and away tastier than almost any takeout meal you could get for the same cost.

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Did you know it’s possible to get crisp, flavorful chicken without frying? I’ve always loved the crispiness of a pan fried chicken thighs, but don’t always have the time to monitor the chicken as it cooks on the stovetop.

Crispy oven-baked chicken thighs are what you need. This recipe only requires about five minutes of preparation and an hour of hands-off cooking time that results in the most crisp, juicy, delicious chicken dinner you could want.

I’ve made many variations on this recipe over the years. It’s a solid favorite for easy dinners and simple meal planning.

When I’m in the mood for Italian flavors, Crispy Italian Chicken is a go-to main dish. I often serve it with Italian Rice Pilaf from my cookbook, boiled baby potatoes, or this Italian Pasta Salad.

Air fryer baked sweet potatoes are something I’ve been doing regularly for a few months now and they’re great with baked chicken too. Just split the potatoes open when they’re fork tender, add a pat of butter and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and you’ll be set.

How Long To Bake Chicken Thighs

Possibly the most stressful thing to figure out when it comes to cooking chicken is just how long to leave it in the oven.

When I was first learning to cook, I lost count of the number of times I looked up “how long to bake chicken” before I finally wrote the average cooking times on the inside of my recipe book.

The time required will depend on whether you’ll be using boneless skinless chicken, like in this recipe for Oven Baked Chicken Thighs. Or bone-in chicken like this Crunchy Baked Chicken.

I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for checking the internal temperature of your chicken.

It’s the best, easiest and most foolproof way to determine whether or not your chicken is done (and safe to consume). It can also keep you from overcooking your dish resulting in tough, flavorless chicken.

In general, the chicken should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat. Most of my recipes include a recommended internal temperature for the chicken, so you know without a doubt when it’s time to pull it out of the oven.

Oven-Baked Chicken Thighs

Did you know you can de-bone chicken thighs at home on your own? If you follow that link, you’ll see that I’ve posted a step-by-step photo guide along with the how-to.

It’s pretty handy to know how to debone chicken thighs when the prices are often so different between the two varieties.

We eat a lot of chicken in this house. I mean, a lot. From pan fried chicken to slow-cooker shredded chicken, there are myriad ways to prepare, cook and serve chicken. 

Baking is a fantastic way to prepare chicken, even if you don’t have much cooking knowledge or experience. To successfully bake chicken, you need to cook your chicken at the right temperature for the right length of time.

350°F and 400°F is the standard cooking temperature for most of the recipes here, depending on the flavor and texture we’re aiming for in the finished meal and the other ingredients in the dish.

Baked Chicken Legs and Thighs

Baking chicken legs and thighs in a sauce or marinade results in an incredibly tender, juicy dish that’s as versatile as it is easy.

With just four ingredients, this Sticky Asian Chicken is a family favorite that comes together in no time at all. The spicy garlic and chili balanced with the sweetness of brown sugar make this meal a harmonious balance of irresistible flavors.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon Basil Sauce is a versatile mealtime staple that can be served over pasta, zucchini noodles, or rice. The light buttery sauce, fresh summery basil, and smoky crisp bacon in this recipe is a match made in heaven.

Juicy, flavorful chicken in a spicy, crunchy crust is possible without a frying pan or a minute spent standing in front of the stove. These baked chicken legs are made extra crunchy with a sprinkling of an unexpected ingredient.

Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes

I’m a huge fan of recipes that require little to no advance planning, but this Honey Soy Chicken is worth planning ahead. It’s as easy as mixing together a marinade of soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger, pouring it over chicken thighs, and letting the chicken absorb all those wonderful flavors.

If you love Asian-inspired flavors on your chicken (and who doesn’t?), put this Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken on your meal plan ASAP. Hawaii’s version of barbecue chicken, this recipe requires a few hours for the chicken to marinate. But once it’s ready to go, it only needs about 15 minutes in the broiler and you’ll be ready to eat.

There’s no way I can post a round-up of my favorite chicken recipes and not mention this Citrus Brown Sugar Chicken. It starts with giving the chicken a quick pan fry on the stove to brown the skin, then finishes cooking in the oven covered by a tangy orange and lemon sauce giving it the crispiness of pan-fried chicken with the deep marinated flavor of baked chicken.

Speaking of brown sugar, I also love Brown Sugar Spiced Chicken when I’m craving that sweet and spicy flavor combo. This recipe uses a Mexican seasoning blend to coat the chicken creating a jaw-droppingly good crust.

As much as I love spicy chicken with a good amount of kick, sometimes I need something simpler without all the extra spice. Crispy Ranch Chicken is a kid favorite here.

The chicken is dipped in ranch and then lightly breaded with a blend of cornmeal, flour and spices. I’ve made this dish with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts; while the thighs were my favorite, both were delicious.

Leftover Chicken Thighs

Wondering what to do with leftover chicken? Baked chicken is so delicious in salads, wraps, and sandwiches for a quick lunch, dinner or snack.

Leftover cooked chicken is also one of the key ingredients in many of my enchilada recipes.

Keeping some leftover baked chicken thighs in the fridge means you’re never far away from a fast and satisfying meal. 

Of course, there’s a pretty good chance that your family will gobble up the whole meal in one day whenever baked chicken thighs are on the menu. Thankfully, all of these recipes are easy enough that you can bake chicken thighs any time you want them–even every day.

{originally published 1/8/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/21/23}

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