Roasted Chicken Thighs
Sweet and savory, and oh so easy to make, you will love this recipe for oven roasted chicken thighs.
Roasted Chicken Thighs is the perfect recipe when you want to keep things simple, yet don’t want to sacrifice flavor. Simply season chicken the night before and you have got yourself a delicious chicken dish that is ready to be cooked up quickly in the oven, perfect for those busy nights.
Serve with Twice Baked Potatoes and Balsamic Roasted Carrots and Parsnips for a winner of a dinner.
We love this recipe at our house because it is tasty, easy to make, and produces tender pieces of chicken with each and every bite. Plus did we mention the flavor? YUM!
Although I really enjoy some yummy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or a Classic Fried Chicken, sometimes baked is better. And with bold flavors, and a hands off approach, this baked or oven roasted chicken thigh recipe is my go to.
What You Need to Make Roasted Chicken Thighs
Simple ingredients do not have to equal simple taste. Get some chicken, brown sugar, and a handful of spices and you have all you need to make this fabulous dish! In fact, chances are you already have what you need in your pantry, just combine it to make some magic.
- Bone-In, Skin On, Chicken Thighs, trimmed
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
How to Make Roasted Chicken Thighs
Oven Roasted Chicken is simple and delicious. Simply start out by preparing the baking sheet and mixing the spices and brown sugar. Make a few slashes in the chicken and rub the spice mixture all over. Transfer chicken to the baking sheet, tent with foil and refrigerate for 6-24 hours. Take the foil off and bake chicken in a preheated oven. Follow the directions to know when to adjust the temperature. Once chicken is cooked through, serve with your favorite sides.
- Prepare Baking Sheet
Place a wire rack on the inside of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Combine Spices and Brown Sugar.
Combine brown sugar with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Make Slashes in Chicken.
Use a paring knife to make 2-3 short slashes into the chicken skin.
- Rub Spice Mixture On Chicken.
Coat each chicken with the spice mixture, lifting the skin to place spice mixture underneath it. Spread spice mixture on top of the skin also.
- Transfer Chicken to Baking Sheet, Tent with Foil, and Refrigerate
Transfer chicken to baking sheet, skin side up.
Tent with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours. - Preheat Oven and Roast Chicken.
Once the chicken thighs have sat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.
Remove foil, and cook chicken until the internal temp on the smallest piece is 140 degrees.
Once internal temp has been reached, increase your oven temperature to 500 degrees F and continue roasting until chicken is brown, crispy, and internal temp is 170 degrees.
Transfer chicken pieces to a wire rack, as they reach the correct temperature. Let cool. - Serve and Enjoy!
At this point serve and enjoy or refrigerate for later.
Tips and Tricks for Making Roasted Chicken Thighs
Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy but here are some helpful tips and tricks so it goes smoothly every time…
- Chicken Thighs are more Tender than Chicken Breast: While you can also roast a chicken breast, thighs are more tender. And also often cheaper. But if you want oven baked chicken, this Breaded Baked Chicken Breast recipe is the way to go.
- Broil Chicken for More Crisp: If chicken isn’t crispy enough for you on the outside when it’s done, then simply set the oven to broil for a few minutes. But keep a close eye so it does not burn.
- Use BBQ Sauce for a Change: The rub is going to give you a nice BBQ flavor, but you can also add some BBQ sauce to the chicken thighs for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking if you like that sticky, delicious, sauciness.
- Don’t Guess. Use an Internal Thermometer: For best results and avoiding overcooking your thighs, make sure to use the internal thermometer. Temp should read 165 degrees F.
- Chicken Thighs are More Economical: Chicken thighs tend to be cheaper than breasts so keep this recipe on hand for low-cost, delicious meal ideas.
- Plan Ahead: Flavor builds if you let the chicken sit with the rub for 6-24 hours, but you don’t HAVE to. You can let it sit for 30 minutes. But in this case, I would add some BBQ sauce for added flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
You have a couple options for making your chicken ahead to make it easier. You can simply mix up the rub, and store it for use, so when you want to make it, the recipe is quick. You can rub your chicken and freeze it, so you don’t have to wait for the 6-24 hours for flavor to build. Or you can cook it completely and reheat.
- Follow the Roasted Chicken Thighs recipe.
- Put chicken in an airtight container within 2 hours of it being cooked.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Note: To help chicken stay tender, reheat in the oven in a pan with a few tablespoons of chicken broth to help the chicken stay moist. Cover pan with a couple layers of foil and cook at 350 F until it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
Freezer Option:
- Follow recipe instructions. Allow chicken to cool, but don’t let it sit out for a long period of time.
- Place chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag and put in the freezer.
- Chicken will last for about 3 months.
- Defrost in the fridge the night before and follow the above oven instructions.
This simple yet tasty Roasted Chicken Thighs recipe will be a new fave.
Other Great Recipes:
- Baked Greek Chicken Breasts
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Baked Orange Chicken
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Sweet and Sour Chicken (Sheet Pan)
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Roasted Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Chicken Thighs skin on, bone-in, trimmed
- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and cayenne. Set aside
- Take each chicken thigh, and use a sharp paring knife to make 2-3 short slashes into the skin of the chicken. Be careful not to cut the meat.
- Now use your hands to coat each pieces of chicken with the spice mixture, gently lift the skin, and place spice mixture underneath it, while leaving it still attached to the chicken. Also spread it on top of the chicken skin.
- Place each thigh, skin side up, on the prepared baking sheet rack.
- Tent with aluminum foil, and put baking sheet into the refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24 hours, usually let it sit overnight, or prep in the morning for dinner.
- After chicken has had a chance to sit for at least 6 hours, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.
- Remove foil, and roast chicken until the internal temp on the smallest piece is 140 degrees (about 15 minutes).
- Then increase your oven temperature to 500 degrees F and continue roasting until chicken is brown, crispy, and internal temp is 170 degrees, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove chicken pieces as they reach the correct temperature, and set on a wire rack to let cool.
- Refrigerate or serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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