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Home » chicken » Perfectly Roasted Chicken Thighs

Perfectly Roasted Chicken Thighs

Published: Jan 11, 2020 · Modified: Sep 14, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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43 minutes 23 Comments

Make perfectly roasted chicken thighs in the oven every single time! These chicken thighs are crispy on the outside while being tender and juicy on the inside, cooking at a high temperature for 40 minutes. Post includes affiliate links. (This post was originally published in 2013). 

Close up of crispy perfectly roasted chicken thighs on a baking sheet..

There are a few staple meals that I make on a regular basis and these perfectly roasted chicken thighs are one of them. This is a method that I first started using with crispy chicken drumsticks and I’ve been using it for chicken thighs ever since. 

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are one of the most budget-friendly cuts of chicken available, so whenever they are on special, I’ll pick some up and throw them in the freezer. 

What is the secret to perfectly roasted chicken thighs? It starts with brushing with some olive oil and cooking at a high temperature, I’m talking 450F. The next secret? 

crispy roasted chicken thighs on a plate with green beans.

Roasting on a write rack on a rimmed baking sheet. This allows the air to circulate around the chicken in the oven, mimicking the kind of cook you’d get from an Airfryer.

What I love about this recipe is that it’s literally just for the chicken thighs. It’s the answer to your panic at 3pm: “What should I do with those chicken thighs I took out of the freezer?”. 

One tip to keep in mind is that these crispy chicken thighs are best fresh—the crispy skin doesn’t reheat well, so plan on eating them the night that you cook them. If you do have any leftovers, I’d use the leftover chicken in a chopped salad, or thrown into a quick stir fry. 

Perfectly roasted chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

For this recipe, I opted to use dried herbs (read my thoughts on dried vs. fresh herbs) because the chicken is cooked at such a high temperature, fresh herbs just wouldn’t withstand the heat as well; I went with oregano which is one of my favourite herbs (I’m Greek after all). 

Oregano is an herb that, in my opinion, gets more flavourful when dried and is one of the herbs that stands up to this dehydration process – woodier herbs like rosemary and thyme also do well when dried.

 

Close up of crispy perfectly roasted chicken thighs on a baking sheet..

Perfectly Roasted Chicken Thighs

Author: Louisa Clements
4.07 from 30 votes
Make perfectly roasted chicken thighs in the oven every single time! These chicken thighs are crispy on the outside while being tender and juicy on the inside.
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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 38 minutes
Total: 43 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F.
  • Brush both sides of chicken with olive oil and sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • Roast, skin side down, on a wire rack on a sheet pan for 18 minutes.
  • Flip chicken over and roast for another 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: chicken, Dinner Recipes, easy, gluten free, meat, quick recipes
Nutrition Facts
Perfectly Roasted Chicken Thighs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 562 Calories from Fat 405
% Daily Value*
Fat 45g69%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 221mg74%
Sodium 466mg20%
Potassium 485mg14%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 37g74%
Vitamin A 193IU4%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

This recipe is definitely one of my favourites and my family absolutely loves it! We hardly ever have any leftovers because we eat them all – I recommend doubling this recipe if you want extra.

Before you know it, these Perfectly Roasted Chicken Thighs will be making a regular appearance on your weekly rotation.

closeup of perfectly roasted chicken thighs on a plate with sauteed kale and sweet potatoes

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Comments

  1. Jeannette

    June 17, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    Thighs I got were fully cooked half way thru @ 18 *i*utes (apologies for keystroke ish) Ski* stuck to foil & ca*e off really obliterati*g the whole poi*t of ski* o* bo*e i* thighs
    ★☆☆☆☆
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      July 15, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Hi Jeannette, thanks for your note. The chicken thighs shouldn't be placed directly on the foil, they should be placed on the wire rack that is on top of the foil, the foil is only use for easier cleanup, the chicken thighs should never touch it. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
      Reply
  2. Donna

    June 06, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    If you are a fan of chicken thighs follow this recipe to the T is pretty darn good!!! I fix this all the time.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      June 16, 2020 at 11:17 am

      Thank you Donna, I'm so glad you enjoy this recipe!
      Reply
  3. Heidib

    May 25, 2020 at 9:59 pm

    What type of wire rack???
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      May 29, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Hi Heidi, just a regular wire rack that goes on top of a baking sheet.
      Reply
  4. Gemma

    February 25, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    Oh wow these look insanely good! Almost as if they're straight from a page in a recipe book. I'm always a bit intimidated by using thighs, but think I need to give it a try! xo
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      March 22, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      Thanks Gemma! Thighs are the best part of the chicken, no need to be intimidated! They always end up extra juicy & crispy with this method.
      Reply
  5. Trusty

    February 07, 2020 at 5:49 am

    What if you don’t have a wire rack
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      March 22, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      You can roast these on parchment paper, start skin side down, and then flip halfway through! :) I hope you enjoy!
      Reply
  6. alex

    March 26, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    I made this tonite and it was FANTASTIC and like the title 'perfectly roasted'
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Lou

      April 09, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      Thanks Alex, so glad you enjoyed!
      Reply
  7. Cortney Anderson

    January 02, 2014 at 4:34 pm

    Louisa! I'm making this recipe for the second time tonight. Love your blog so much. Cortney Anderson
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 03, 2014 at 10:16 am

      Cortney! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like this recipe - it's one of my favourites!
      Reply
  8. Chelsea

    November 14, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Do you cover the chicken when you're baking it?
    Reply
    • Lou

      November 15, 2013 at 9:20 am

      Hi Chelsea, No you don't cover the chicken when it's baking - this lets the skin crisp up and is super delicious. Let me know how it goes!
      Reply
  9. Ellen Hakala

    October 25, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    Looks delicious. I've never cooked chicken at such a high temperature, but it makes sense. I'm going to try this recipe tonight. Thank you!
    Reply
    • Lou

      October 28, 2013 at 6:59 am

      Thanks, Ellen. I don't usually cook chicken at such a high temperature either, but in this case it makes the skin so nice and crispy. Let me know how it goes!
      Reply
  10. Liz

    September 26, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    Another great recipe, Lou. Thanks! Have a wonderful day.
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 27, 2013 at 9:16 am

      Thanks, Liz! Have a wonderful day as well!
      Reply
  11. Brianna

    September 19, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    Making this right now and it looks delish! I had a disaster though haha...our dirty oven decided to fill the house with smoke so I had to turn it down to 400 after the first 18 minutes! Can't wait to dig in :)
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 20, 2013 at 9:22 am

      Hi Brianna, Yikes - that's happened to me so many times in the kitchen! Once I even set my oven on fire by accident - hah! Let me know how they turned out. Hope your family enjoyed them!
      Reply
  12. Shirley

    September 12, 2013 at 8:23 am

    Another delicious, easy-to-make chicken recipe...I am going to pick up chicken thighs for my dinner tonight! Love the photo too!
    Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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