Royalty Fast Food

Baked chicken thighs have a crisp shell and a juicy interior. They are perfectly seasoned. A simple process that consistently yields delicious results!The ideal, cozy home-style meal is baked chicken thighs with potatoes (and 1-hour dinner rolls, if you have the prep time). Nothing extravagant or sophisticated, simply basic ingredients used to make the comfort cuisine we yearn for.

The oven does all the cooking for you, making these thighs incredibly simple to prepare. unlike grilling or pan searing, not much turning and tending is required. There are countless spice options for this recipe, making it flexible. Simply follow the instructions, stirring with oil and baking as needed. After that, you can use various herbs, spices, or blends to customize the seasonings to your heart’s desire.

Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe

Servings: 8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients Baked Chicken Thighs

• 8 large bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 3.5 – 4 lbs)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Zest 1 large lemon (1 Tbsp), the remainder of lemon cut into wedges for serving
• 5 garlic cloves minced, or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade, see notes
• 2 tsp paprika
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the oven rack one level above the middle. A 400-degree oven is recommended.
2. An oven-safe wire cooling rack should be placed on top of the aluminum foil-lined, 18 13-inch baking sheet with a rim. Apply nonstick frying spray on the cooling rack.
3. Mix the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a very large mixing basin.
4. Chicken thighs should be well-dried with paper towels before being placed in the basin with the oil mixture. Stir well to coat everything with the mixture.
5. Turn the thighs’ skin side down and place them on the baking sheet’s rack. Season with salt and pepper, then flip the roast over and season again. To ensure consistent heat d istribution, provide room between the thighs.
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6. Cook in a preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the thickest part of the thighs reaches 175 degrees. If preferred, broil for the final two minutes for skin that is crisper.
7. With lemon wedges for spritzing, serve warm. If preferred, add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley as a garnish.

Notes

• If you decide to broil, you might want to drain the fat from the baking sheet first to cut down on smoking.
• I like to remove the browned garlic pieces from the top after broiling because they might be harsh. The chicken is seasoned while baking, but the flavor changes when it is browned.

Homemade Italian Seasoning, mix:

• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp rosemary