chicken
chicken thighs
baked
2-ingredient
easy
dinner

Dark-meat lovers rejoice! If you thought an easy baked chicken dinner was only for the white-meat crowd, we've got good news: baked chicken thighs are the new baked chicken breast.

This 2-ingredient recipe from one of our food stylists Kate Bennert could not be any easier—and they will come out juicy on the inside with crispy skin on the outside every time. 

The number one secret to juicy, tasty baked chicken thighs: buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The bone and skin guarantee that the chicken will stay nice and juicy and flavorful in the oven.

The number one secret for crispy skin: drying out the skin thoroughly before you bake it. For extra-crispy skin, take the chicken thighs out of their packaging the night before you plan to cook them and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken skin-side up on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet fitted with a cooling rack. Season the chicken all over with kosher salt and place the baking sheet in the fridge overnight to air dry. Do not cover! 

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • EVOO cooking spray
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Yield

Serves: 4 to 6

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Spray with the EVOO cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. 

Bake until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 °F.