Baked Chicken thigh is wonderfully seasoned with a crispy skin and super juicy! Easy to bake in the oven and taste great with your favorite sides. No marinating needed. Enjoy this delicious chicken dinner!
I’m so excited to share this family favorite with you today! This is my go-to chicken thighs recipe because my son and husband absolutely love it—they even fight over the crispy skin on top! 😂 Every time I make it, they go back for seconds, which makes me so happy.
I’ve made this chicken countless times, and I figured it was finally time to share it with you. What I love most about this recipe is that you only need three key ingredients to make the juiciest, most flavorful chicken thighs.
I truly believe that simple recipes are often the best, especially on busy weeknights. These oven-baked chicken thighs are easy to make, and the garlic butter sauce takes them to the next level.
The best part? This butter sauce pairs beautifully with any protein, adding incredible flavor to every meal. So, let’s get started!
Key ingredients to Make Baked chicken thighs
Chicken thighs – Use bone-in, skin-on to get the outside crispy while keeping the inside moist. You can also swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast.
Garlic – I like to use crush fresh cloves because freshly crushed cloves have a stronger, more vibrant flavor and aroma compared to store-bought pre-ground cloves.
Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter because it lets you control the salt level and enhances the natural flavors of the ingredients.
How To Cook Chicken Thighs
- I always use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken thighs.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook until skin is golden brown.
- If you’re using a regular nonstick pan, heat oil before adding chicken thighs to prevent sticking.
- On the side of the pan, melt the butter.
- Add in the garlic and stir to combine. Make sure it’s not on high heat as you don’t want the garlic to burn.
- Place the frying pan in the oven and cook the chicken thighs for about 30 minutes or until they are done. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, transfer everything to a baking tray. If your chicken thighs start darkening excessively while in the oven, cover them with foil until they are fully cooked.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your garlic butter chicken thighs are perfect without overcooking it. The internal temperature should be at 165°F (74°C).
- Remove from the oven and spoon the garlic butter over the chicken.
- Garnish this oven baked chicken with the chopped parsley before serving.
how long to bake chicken thighs?
1. The cooking time for boneless chicken thighs is about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken thighs.
2. For bone-in thighs, it cooks in about 25 and 30 minutes.
Storage And Reheating
To Store: Transfer the baked chicken thighs to an airtight container. I prefer to keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Simply allow it to cool and then transfer it to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw it in the fridge overheat and then, I like to reheat in the oven until warmed through. If you reheat it in the microwave, the skin will be soggy.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Roasted Vegetables – They’re great side dish to go with any kind of protein, especially with this baked chicken thighs. Or you can always serve it with mashed potatoes.
Roasted green beans or roasted sweet potato are good side dishes to go with these baked chicken thighs.
Potato salad – My favorite potato recipe.
Broccoli salad – Such an easy and flavourful salad.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Move oven rack to center. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel and season all over with salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet (10-inch) over medium heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden and crispy. It takes about 5 minutes to cook them through at this point.
- Flip your chicken over once the skin is crispy. If your chicken thighs releases a lot of fat, dispose it using a spoon.
- Place butter in the same skillet. When the butter melts, add minced garlic. Stir the garlic around the pan for 30 seconds.
- Place the whole skillet in the oven and bake for 30 mins for until chicken gets the internal temperature at 165°F.
- When the chicken is cooked, spoon some of the garlic butter sauce over the top of each chicken thigh. Top with parsley before serving.
Tips
- If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the chicken thighs to a baking dish (baking sheet or sheet pan) to bake.
- I always make sure to heat my oven before cooking chicken. A hot oven helps the chicken cook evenly and makes the skin crispy.
- After you’ve baked the chicken thighs, let them rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in tender and moist meat.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Kathrine M Castro says
ive tried it and followed the onstructions carefully.. it turns out good.. i made this recope for my daughter in law mom who wants to eat good food before travelling to TEXAS.
Olivia Ribas says
Great! Thanks for your feedback 😉
Jack Oneil says
No good food in Texas?
Dita says
Made it.. was absolutely delicious.
Olivia Ribas says
So happy you liked it! It’s impossible not to like this recipe. It’s SO GOOD!
Andi says
What if I don’t have a cast iron? Will it still turn out somewhat the same?
Olivia Ribas says
Yes, it will still turn out somewhat the same.
Natalie H says
I have made this dozen of times and love it each time! I make it along side asparagus and potatoes (not baked together). So good!
Olivia Ribas says
So happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping by 😉
Kathy Martin says
Loved the recipe. Easy to follow. I used a little less butter as I’m trying to keep my fat intake down.
Olivia Ribas says
Happy you liked it!
Donis says
I made this tonight and it was so good. The skin was so crispy and the chicken really moist. I added red potatoes to the cast iron and everything was delicious. Definitely keeping this recipe!
Olivia Ribas says
Your comment made my day! So happy to hear this 😉
Nona Williams says
Easy to make and taste great!
Whole family loves it.
Olivia Ribas says
Lovely! So happy to hear that 😉
J says
I accidentally bought boneless and skinless. Any variations to the recipe if I try to make it with that instead of bone in and skin on?
Olivia Ribas says
No worries! If using boneless, skinless chicken, you can follow the recipe as is but reduce the cooking time to avoid overcooking the chicken. You may also want to sear both sides for a crispy texture. Enjoy! 😊
Sara says
Why did my garlic burn when it went into the oven? Within 10mins it started to burn.
Olivia Ribas says
It sounds like the heat might have been a bit too high. Garlic can burn quickly, so lowering the oven temperature slightly or adding it in during the last few minutes of cooking could help! 😊
Carol says
It’s good but how do you prevent the garlic from burning in the oven?
Olivia Ribas says
Great question! I added the garlic before because I like a little brown garlic for extra flavor, but if you’d prefer to avoid burning, try adding it in during the last few minutes of cooking. 😊
Alison says
Made this a bunch of times and turns out good every time.
Olivia Ribas says
Amazing! Happy you like it 😉