Best Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake chicken thighs at 350 or 400? ›

I recommend baking the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for less time to ensure the chicken thighs stay nice and juicy, vs baking for longer at 350 degrees and running the risk of drying them out.

The key is to cook the chicken thighs in a 400 degree F oven for 50 minutes. This will allow for the skin to get crispy and the meat to be juicy.

We don't cover our skin-on chicken thighs because we want that skin to get nice and crispy! To achieve this just follow these 4 simple steps! Place your chicken on top of a metal rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat.

Don't forget to season under the skin.

First loosen the chicken skin — this can be done by carefully sliding a paring knife underneath the skin, or by hand — and then thoroughly incorporate both your seasoning and a layer of fat under the skin. Next coat the chicken generously with salt, pepper, spices, or a dry rub.

While leg and thigh meat are still safe at 165 degrees F, it is recommended to cook your chicken until the internal temperature reaches about 170-175 degrees F. Chicken legs consist of actively worked muscles and the meat is tougher because of it. The higher temperature helps break down muscles.

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

All three types of chicken thighs cook well in an oven. Boneless chicken thighs are the quickest-cooking option, and roasting skin-on thighs in an oven can yield a crispy surface even without the chicken skin. Thanks to the even heat of an oven, the bone-in variety can also cook evenly. 1.

Use Baking Soda

That prevents proteins from squeezing together as tightly during cooking, leading to really tender, moist chicken.

"Washing can spread germs from the chicken to other food or utensils in the kitchen." We didn't mean to get you all hot about not washing your chicken! But it's true: kill germs by cooking chicken thoroughly, not washing it. You shouldn't wash any poultry, meat, or eggs before cooking.

Sprinkle both sides with sea salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Bake chicken thighs in the oven, skin side down, for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs, so that the skin side is up. Roast for about 15 more minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C).

Why do chefs prefer chicken thighs? ›

While the breast is very low in fat, chicken thighs are higher in fat, and in cooking, fat equals flavor. It also means the thighs are more tender and less likely to dry out than chicken breasts—in other words, they are very easy to cook and very difficult to ruin.

Make the seasoning.

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and remove the chicken thighs from the fridge, allowing them to come to room temperature. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry and remove any condensation.

Seasoning skinless chicken is as straightforward as with any other cut of meat. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the chicken to act as a binder, sprinkle your seasoning on top, then gently press it in and let your chicken dry-marinate for about 45 minutes.

Marinade the chicken

Well, the answer is simple: they are tenderizing the chicken for cooking later, and that's the secret behind their super delicious, juicy chicken. Using a marinade is a good way to achieve soft and tender chicken, with plain yogurt or buttermilk being the most commonly used marinades.

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

The USDA guidelines lists approximate cooking times of 40 to 50 minutes for 4-to-8-ounce chicken thighs roasted at 350 degrees. In our basic meal prep boneless chicken thighs recipe, they take about 25 to 30 minutes baked at 425 degrees F.

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, chicken thighs should be fully cooked after about half an hour. You'll know they're done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F.

It's easy to throw in an Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or shred it in Healthy Chicken Enchiladas. Rubbery chicken is usually an indicator of overcooked chicken. The longer the chicken cooks, the more moisture it loses, and without moisture, the protein fibers become elastic, AKA rubbery.