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Baked Chicken Thighs

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Baked chicken thighs with crisp rendered skin, a paprika and garlic spice rub, and juicy dark meat, roasted on one sheet pan.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 2 1/4 lbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oven and set up the pan: Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack inside it. If you don't have a rack, the thighs can go right on the foil.
  • Dry the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs completely dry on both sides with paper towels, paying the most attention to the skin. Any moisture on the surface turns to steam in the oven, and steam is what keeps skin from crisping.
  • Season: Stir the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Rub the olive oil over the thighs, then sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over both sides, pressing it into the skin.
  • Bake: Arrange the thighs skin side up on the rack with at least an inch between them. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the skin is browned and tight and the thickest part of the meat reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, with the probe angled away from the bone.
  • Broil for color: Switch the oven to broil and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the skin is deep golden and blistered. Stay at the oven door for this part, it goes from perfect to burnt fast.
  • Rest and serve: Let the thighs rest 5 minutes on the pan before serving so the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out onto the plate.

Notes

Pat the skin completely dry before seasoning; surface moisture steams in the oven and is the single biggest reason skin does not crisp. Roast skin side up at 425°F without flipping, and cook the thighs to an internal temperature of at least 165°F, measured in the thickest part with the probe angled away from the bone. Dark meat stays juicy up to about 175°F, so a few degrees over the minimum is not a problem. Rest 5 minutes before serving.