These easy and delicious Southern Baked Chicken Thighs come together with 3 simple ingredients and are baked at high heat until they reach a crispy perfection that pleases the masses.
Do you love fried chicken but not the heaviness or labor-intensiveness of it? If so, this oven-baked chicken thigh recipe is for you! By first dabbing away moisture with a paper towel and then baking the thighs at high heat the skin gets super crispy like fried chicken without being deep fried in oil. These Southern Baked Chicken Thighs are low-carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and Whole30 approved so you can serve them to eaters with a variety of dietary restrictions.
These crispy baked chicken thighs feel like good, hearty comfort food at its best. Serve them with Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese, baked beans, or Roasted Mini Potatoes for a heavier meal, or American Cole Slaw, Keto Cauliflower Mash, Watermelon Basil Salad and corn on the cob for a lighter meal. They are honestly so flavorful on their own that you don't need sauce, but serve a little Sweet and Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce on the side if you'd like. However you serve them, this will be a dish you will come back to time and time again for its simplicity and deliciousness.
Looking for other chicken thigh recipes? Try these Garam Masala Chicken Thighs.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Southern Baked Chicken Thighs:
- skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- salt
- black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Southern Baked Chicken Thighs:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Use a paper towel to absorb any moisture on the top of each chicken thigh, then lay the top of each chicken thigh on the sheet pan. Use a paper towel to absorb any moisture from the bottom of the chicken thighs, then sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper.
Flip the chicken thighs so the top is up, then pull the skin back and tuck it under the chicken. Now, use a paper towel to absorb any moisture, then sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Next, pull the skin back over the chicken thigh and give each piece a final dab with a paper towel. Bake at 475 for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches between 160 and 165 F.
Tent the chicken with foil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Hint: The USDA recommends cooking chicken until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without touching any bone) reads 165 degrees F. The temperature of this chicken will rise about 5 degrees while it rest though, so you can safely remove it from the oven once it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in Southern Baked Chicken Thighs? Here's how:
- Chicken Thighs - follow this same method with bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, but bake them at 425 for 45 minutes.
- Salt and pepper- use a seasoning mix with salt included such as lemon pepper, creole seasoning or jerk seasoning instead of the salt and pepper to season the chicken.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Southern Baked Chicken Thighs:
- Spicy -mix together 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, then use that mixture to season the chicken.
- Italian - also sprinkle each side of the chicken with Italian seasoning when seasoning with salt and pepper.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Southern Baked Chicken Thighs:
Storage
Store cooled leftover Southern Baked Chicken Thighs in an airtight dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Top tip
For an alternative cooking method, cook Southern Baked Chicken Thighs in a single layer in the air fryer for 22-24 minutes at 400 degrees F.
FAQ
Neither. For boneless, skinless chicken thighs, bake them at 425 for 30-35 minutes. For skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, bake them at 475 for 50 minutes to get the skin perfectly crisp.
Related
Looking for other easy chicken recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve these Southern Baked Chicken Thighs with one of these side dishes for a balanced meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
Southern Baked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Use a paper towel to absorb any moisture on the top of each chicken thigh, then lay the top of each chicken thigh on the sheet pan. Use a paper towel to absorb any moisture from the bottom of the chicken thighs, then sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper.
- Flip the chicken thighs so the top is up, then pull the skin back and tuck it under the chicken. Now, use a paper towel to absorb any moisture, then sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Next, pull the skin back over the chicken thigh and give each piece a final dab with a paper towel. Bake at 475 for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches between 160 and 165 F.
- Tent the chicken with foil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
Such a crowd-pleaser!