Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

I suffered through years of dry chicken breasts before I realized there was a better way. Enter: chicken thighs. The dark meat cooks up moist and flavorful every time without risk of drying out. 

While they’re great grilled and pan-seared, the absolute most hands-off approach is to bake them. Here, I let the oven do the work. In just 30 minutes, you’re gifted with crispy-skinned chicken that’s swimming in its own rich pan juices. 

While chicken thighs really don’t need much more than salt and pepper to be delicious, a few additional ingredients make them extra special. These are tossed with a quick wet rub, which is nothing more than a fancy term for spices that are mixed with a little oil to help them adhere to the meat and soak in. 

Garlic powder, smoked paprika, lemon zest, salt, and pepper make up the rub, which is also great on other proteins like salmon fillets and pork chops, and even cauliflower steaks. Plus, the whole dish comes together in the same pan you’ll bake your chicken in, which keeps cleanup to a minimum. 

Since chicken thighs contain more fat than chicken breasts, you don’t have to worry that cooking them at a high temperature will dry them out. In fact, a hot 425ºF oven is ideal for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, especially because it helps ensure the skin will turn golden-brown and crisp up. 

This recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, but feel free to reach for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will take less time to cook, so start checking them at around the 15- to 20-minute mark.

Since you’ll have plenty of savory pan juices, serve this chicken with something to soak it up. Here are a few I like:

• Rice, couscous, or orzo
• Mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes
• Crusty bread
• Creamy polenta