Baked Chicken Thighs are wonderfully seasoned with a crispy skin and super juicy! Easy to bake in the oven and taste great with your favorite sides. No marinating needed. Enjoy this delicious chicken dinner!
If you love this Chicken Thigh Recipes, try this Easy Dijon Chicken Thighs Recipe, Caprese Chicken Thighs Recipe, Spicy Chicken Thighsand Chicken Thighs and Bell Peppers Skillet.
Baked Chicken Thighs
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It doesn’t take a lot of fancy ingredients to have a delicious meal. This baked chicken thighs recipe is a great example of that. I’ve made this chicken recipe so many times, and each time it comes out perfectly.
I always believe that simple is better and can be exactly what you need on a busy weeknight. These chicken thighs in the oven is very simple to make but the garlic butter sauce is amazing. I use this sauce as a base for so many recipes like my Baked Chicken Breast, Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Baked Salmon Recipe andGarlic Butter Lamb Chops Recipe.
I think the best part is that butter sauce goes well with any kind of protein too. I love it with baked pork chops and rainbow trout recipe and I also use this sauce a lot to make shrimp recipe and cod recipe. So good!
ingredients to Make Baked chicken thighs
- Chicken thighs– Use bone-in, skin-on to get the outside crispy while keeping the inside moist.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil– Substitute any other neutral cooking oil like avocado, canola, or vegetable.
- Garlic– I like to use crush fresh cloves.
- Butter – I used grass-fed butter. Be sure to use unsalted butter.
- Fresh parsley –or use any fresh herb of your choice or use dried herbs such as Italian seasoning!
How to Prepare Chicken Thighs Recipe
Prep the ingredients
- I always use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken thighs. If your chicken thighs have moisture on them, they’ll steam instead of sear in the pan.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley, then set aside. I find that preparing everything in advance makes cooking go much smoother.
Brown and cook chicken thighs
- Add olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook until skin is golden brown. Don’t move it around as it’ll affect the sear you’ll get.
- If you’ll be using a regular nonstick skillet, heat some oil in the pan first before adding the chicken thighs so it doesn’t stick.
Make garlic butter and bake the chicken thighs in the oven
- On the side of the pan, melt the butter.
- Add in the garlic and stir to combine. Cook a little longer, until it is fragrant. Make sure it’s not on high heat as you don’t want the garlic to burn.
- Then, place the skillet in the oven and bake until the chicken thighs is cooked all the way through. If you are not using a cast iron skillet, transfer everything to a sheet pan or baking sheet, so you can safely finish it in the oven. When in the oven, if your chicken thighs are getting very dark, cover it with a foil, until the chicken thighs are completely cooked.
Baste and serve
- Remove from the oven and spoon the garlic butter over the chicken a few times to coat it.
- Then, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve this easy chicken recipe with your favorite sides.
How To Make Baked Chicken Thighs Video
how long to bake chicken thighs?
It depends if you have boneless or bone-in chicken thighs:
1. For boneless chicken thighs, it cooks quickly, in about15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken thighs.
2. For bone-in thighs, it needs at least 25 and 30 minutes to be fully cooked. We want to have a tender chicken, so don’t overcook it.
Expert Tips
Preheat the Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before putting the chicken in. A hot oven ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and the skin gets crispy.
Use a Meat Thermometer: To ensure that the chicken is cooked to perfection without overcooking it, invest in a meat thermometer. Chicken thighs are done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Allow Resting Time: After you’ve baked the chicken thighs, let them rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in tender and moist meat.
Storage And Reheating
To Store:Transfer the chicken thighs to an airtight container within 2 hours for proper food safety. I prefer to keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Simply allow it to cool and then transfer it to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw it in the fridge overheat and then, I like to reheat in the oven until warmed through. Or, cut the meat off the bone and heat in a pan on the stove in a little bit of oil. If you reheat it in the microwave, the skin will be soggy.
What Goes With Chicken Thighs?
Because this chicken thighs recipe is made with a simple garlic butter sauce, the side dish possibilities are endless:
- Roasted Vegetables – They’re great side to go with any kind of protein, especially chicken.
- I also love to serve this baked chicken thighs with my Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Skillet. This is my most popular cauliflower side dish and I know why. It’s so good!
- Roasted green beans is a good side dish to good with these baked chicken thighs.
- Potato salad– My favorite potato recipe, because it’s super flavourful and goes well with anything!
- Broccoli salad– Such an easy and flavourful salad.
- Cauliflower potato salad– It’s low-carb and delicious!
Try!
Meat Thermometer
We absolutely love this meat thermometer as it ensures that meat is cooked to the right temperature and achieves the desired level of doneness.
Recipe Variations
- Lemon herb: Add fresh lemon juice and zest to the garlic butter mixture. Season with a blend of your favorite herbs.
- Spicy garlic butter: Add red pepper flakes, garlic powder or cayenne pepper to the garlic butter for a spicy kick.
- Parmesan crusted: Sprinkle extra Parmesan on top before baking to create a golden and crispy crust.
- Honey Dijon mustard: Drizzle a bit of the mixture (honey and mustard) before serving for a luscious touch.
Recommended Tools
- Kitchen tongs: Tongs provide precise control and grip, allowing you to flip each chicken thigh individually without disturbing the others.
- Cast iron skillet: A cast iron skillet will help you get a nice golden sear on the chicken.
- Meat thermometer: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between chicken breast and chicken thighs?
It’s the fat sincechicken thighs are fattier than the breasts. You probably know that fat adds a lot of flavor and that is why thighs are more flavourful than breasts. They are also moisture and have a bigger amount of calories than chicken breast.
Are chicken thighs dark meat?
Yes, they’re considered dark meat as well as drumstick (the legs of the chicken).
Can chicken thighs be shredded?
Yes you can, but you need to useboneless skinless chicken thighs.
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead?
You can definitely swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs. You would not get that crispy skin though! You can skip putting it in the oven to finish off as they cook in less than 15 minutes on the stovetop alone. Just sear each side for 5 to 6 minutes.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
If you liked this baked chicken thighs recipe, try one of these other easy to make dishes.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @primaverakitchen on Instagram so we can find you!
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3.61 from 4271 votes
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs
Garlic butter baked chicken thighs are easy to make and taste great with your favorite sides. Make this recipe for dinner tonight in just 30 minutes!
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 35 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Total: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 5 people
PrintRate
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thighs skin on and bone in
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- Fresh parsley chopped
US CustomaryMetric
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Moveovenrackto center. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel and season all over with salt and black pepper.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet (10-inch) over medium heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden and crispy. It’s about 5 minutes (they will not be cooked through at this point).
Flip your chicken over once the skin is crispy. If your chicken thighs releases a lot of fat, dispose it using a spoon.
Place butter in the same skillet. When the butter is melted, add minced garlic. Stir the garlic around the pan for 30 seconds.
Place the whole skillet in the oven and bake for 30 mins for until chicken gets the internal temperature at 165°F.
When the chicken is cooked, spoon some of the garlic butter sauce over the top of each chicken thigh. Top with parsley before serving.
Tips
- Click HERE to watch the web story.
- If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the chicken thighs to a baking dish to bake.
- To tell if the thighs are cooked, use an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the thighs, which should be 165°F.
- Make sure to get chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on for maximum flavour.
- To store: Store leftover thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the chicken thighs in the oven to keep the skin crispy.
- To freeze: You can freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag.
Video
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/5 Calories: 214kcal (11%) Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 15g (30%) Fat: 18g (28%) Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 96mg (32%) Sodium: 130mg (6%) Potassium: 15mg
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
© Author: Olivia Ribas
Similar Recipes:
Easy Baked Chicken Thighs
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Garlic Butter
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Watch the Web Stories for chicken thigh recipes below:
- Spicy Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Thighs and Bell Peppers
- Easy Dijon Chicken Thighs
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Szilvia Patakine says
Was very tasty! It reminded me my Mother cooking back home.
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Olivia says
Awww how sweet! I love to hear that 😉
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David Conn says
So freakin fast, easy and awesome!! Any friends/family thinks I did something spectacular. Really didn’t do much! Thanks for an awesome easy recipe!
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Olivia says
Awww your comment made my day! Happy you enjoyed this recipe 😉
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