Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Crispy skin, juicy meat, five-minute prep. These crispy baked chicken thighs are my go-to weeknight dinner, seasoned with a homemade Creole spice blend and baked on a hot sheet pan.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 250kcal
Ingredients
- 8 Medium Chicken Thighs
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and oregano to make the Creole seasoning blend.
- Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Top, bottom, and any folds in the skin. This is the most important step for crispy skin. Water turns into steam, and steam prevents chicken from browning.
- Drizzle the chicken with avocado oil and rub it into both sides of each thigh.
- Sprinkle the seasoning generously over the top and bottom of each thigh. For less seasoned skin, gently lift the skin and rub some seasoning underneath.
- Place the thighs skin-side up on a half sheet metal pan. Don't worry about crowding; the thighs shrink as they cook. Line the pan with aluminum foil first if you want easier cleanup.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy and the internal temperature reads 175°F at the thickest part of the thigh. Do not baste with the pan juices.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are the way to go for crispy skin. Boneless skinless will work but won't crisp the same way; reduce cook time to 25 to 30 minutes.
- Avocado oil is preferred for its high smoke point. Vegetable, canola, or another neutral high-smoke-point oil also works.
- Adjust the cayenne up or down to match your heat tolerance. The recipe as written is medium-warm.
- For a smokier flavor, swap half the regular paprika for smoked paprika.
- Use a metal sheet pan for the crispiest results. Metal transfers heat quickly and promotes browning on the underside of the chicken at the same time the top crisps in the oven heat.
- Parchment paper and silicone baking mats insulate the chicken, trap moisture, and soften the underside. Avoid both.
- Glass and ceramic fall in between but still don't crisp as aggressively as metal.
- For easy cleanup, line the metal pan with aluminum foil before adding the thighs.
- Use a wire rack on a metal sheet pan so air circulates under the chicken.
- Or preheat the empty metal pan in the oven for a few minutes before placing the thighs on it. The hot pan sears the bottom on contact.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes to re-crisp the skin. Skip the microwave.
- Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven.
- Do not skip patting the chicken dry. Wet skin will not crisp.
- Do not baste the thighs with the juices in the pan. Wet skin won't crisp, and basting undoes all the work the high heat is doing.
- Do not bake on glass, ceramic, parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Use a metal sheet pan (aluminum foil is fine for cleanup).
- Do not use a lower oven temperature. 425°F is what crisps the skin without drying out the meat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
