Name: Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs; 2 teaspoons salt (divided); 3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper (divided); 2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided); 12 small fingerling potatoes (halved lengthwise); 2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves; 1 minced garlic clove; 1 lemon (zested and juiced)

Crispy chicken thighs recipe in a skillet.

Chicken is a staple in both our households, especially these Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs! We always have some chicken thighs in our fridge or freezer and will whip this super simple and delicious recipe up when we need to throw a last minute lunch or dinner together!

How to Make Our Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Crispy chicken thigh ingredients on a kitchen counter.

Process

Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel.

Chicken thighs being patted with paper towels.

Sprinkle both sides of thighs with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to even coat skillet. Add thighs, skin-side down, and sear for 5 to 6 minutes or until skin is brown and has crisped.
Flip each thigh and continue to sear for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove thighs from skillet and transfer to a plate.

Cooked chicken thighs resting on a plate.

Toss potatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper together in a bowl until potatoes are evenly coated.

Fingerling potatoes in a bowl tossed with some ingredients.

Fingerling potatoes tossed with oil in a bowl.

Pour potatoes into skillet in an even layer.
Top potatoes with chicken thighs, skin-side up and sprigs of thyme.

Crispy chicken thighs in a skillet with potatoes.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until thighs have cooked through (juices should run clear when chicken is cut into and internal temp is 165˚F) and potatoes are fork tender.
Remove chicken and potatoes from oven and allow chicken to rest, about 5 minutes.
Top with remaining thyme, lemon zest and sea salt flakes (optional). Serve.

Tools You Will Need

Variations for Our Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

We love keeping this recipe simple, but there are so many different things you can do with this recipe based on personal preference.

Halve the amount of potatoes and add baby carrots to the potato mixture, to sneak some more vegetables into the dish.
Mix the flavors up by adding other herbs like minced rosemary or chives.
Use a seasoning salt to add some bold flavors to the chicken. We like using cajun seasoning or a smoked salt!

Things to Serve with Our Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

a delicious salad
roasted broccoli or cauliflower
a crusty baguette to sop up the schmaltzy liquid at the bottom of the skillet

Tips and Tricks for Crispy Skin

Thoroughly pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, especially the skin-side. This will drastically reduce steam from forming when the chicken skin hits the heat, resulting in crispy skin.
Once the chicken skin is searing in the skillet don’t poke and prod or move the thighs until it’s time to flip them. This will allow the skin to render properly.
If you have time place the chicken onto a sheet pan fitted with a cooling rack, skin-side up, and place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to really dry the skin out. This isn’t completely necessary though and you can still achieve delicious and crispy chicken skin without this step.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes You Will Love

Crispy chicken thigh recipe in a skillet.

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