The thighs will emerge from the oven browned and gorgeous, with wonderfully crispy skin and succulent meat. A true delicacy! Chicken thighs - tender, Juicy, and flavorful, are my second favorite chicken part. My favorite is chicken wings, which have the perfect ratio of skin to meat. When properly cooked, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs delight with crispy, well-seasoned skin and perfectly juicy meat. Here’s how to make them!
Instructions
Recipe Card
Chicken thighs: I use bone-in and skin-on thighs in this recipe. I get them at my local supermarket or Whole Foods Market. Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
My husband and I enjoyed the variety, although we both agreed that the store-bought jerk seasoning was a bit too sweet and it’s better to use my recipe for jerk chicken next time. 🙂 Your first step is to arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle them with seasonings. There’s no need to add oil. Place the chicken thighs in the oven. In fact, I like doing this so much that I often use two baking sheets to ensure I have space for the extra skin: If you flatten the thighs, they will cook faster, so check after 40 minutes.
Skip The Oil
I used to spray the chicken with olive oil before baking, as you can see me doing in the video below. But I have found over the years that the skin crisps up better if I don’t. I do stretch the skin so that it covers the chicken entirely. Otherwise, the exposed meat could dry up.
Broccoli salad Asparagus salad Cauliflower steak Roasted pumpkin Roasted frozen cauliflower Roasted asparagus Roasted Brussels sprouts
When I bake the thighs with a vegetable that requires a 425°F oven, I simply use a 400°F oven and add 5-10 minutes to the veggie’s roasting time. Since most veggies need a shorter time in the oven than the thighs, I place the thighs in the oven first, adding the vegetables later. The photo below shows a typical plate with two thighs, roasted Brussels sprouts, and kimchi:
Using the Leftovers
The leftovers are delicious cold or reheated in a 350°F oven. I prefer not to reheat them in the microwave. Sometimes, I shred or cube the cold leftovers and mix them into a salad the next day for lunch. They make a great addition to this arugula salad. In the photo below, you can see I used the leftovers in a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, chives, and ranch dressing. If using the leftovers cold, make sure to remove the skin, as shown in the photo below. You can reheat just the skin in the oven or in a dry skillet! Crispy chicken skin is a delicacy.
