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These crispy roasted chicken thighs come together with just 15 minutes of prep and a handful of pantry staples. The juicy, golden brown chicken is flavored with garlic and herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and chives for a simple, delicious and easy dinner recipe on your busiest nights!
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If you’re looking for even more delicious chicken recipes, be sure to try these braised chicken thighs with gravy, this simple-yet-flavorful dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice, and a tray of bbq sheet pan chicken and veggies, too!
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Succulent, juicy, tender, and crispy roasted chicken thighs are such an underrated, affordable way to feed a family. Flavored with fresh herbs and paired with mashed potatoes, green beans, pasta, rice, or biscuits, the chicken makes a versatile and satisfying meal!
This simple, wholesome combination will soon become a staple in your regular routine. Use fresh herbs if you’ve got them, or dried herbs when necessary — the old fashioned baked chicken thighs will be delicious either way!
Ingredients for Oven-Baked Chicken Thighs
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to prepare the garlic and herb chicken thighs. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: I like bone-in, skin-on thighs, because the skin and bones add flavor and keep the meat nice and moist in the oven. You can obviously pull the skin off after roasting if you prefer, but I highly recommend enjoying the crispy, golden brown exterior! See my notes below if you’d like to substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Olive oil: helps the herbs adhere to the meat; helps the skin get crispy and brown.
- Garlic: for savory flavor. Substitute with a smaller amount of garlic powder if fresh cloves aren’t available.
- Rosemary, thyme, oregano, and chives: use fresh herbs when available, or substitute with a smaller amount of dried herbs.
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper: add flavor and contribute to that great crust on the outside of the meat.
How to Roast Chicken Thighs
Technically, these are roasted chicken thighs (rather than “baked”), because roasting requires a higher temperature (400°F and above) to create a browned, flavorful crust on the outside of the meat. Baked chicken thighs, by contrast, are cooked at a lower temperature (375°F and below). If you’re not concerned with the technical terms, then you can call them what you like — oven roasted chicken thighs or baked chicken thighs! In the end, you’ve got crispy, juicy meat with just a few minutes of prep…
- Combine the olive oil and the herbs in a large bowl.
- Pat the chicken dry, then coat the chicken with the herb mixture.
- Arrange the chicken on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet that’s lined with aluminum foil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Roast the chicken in a 400°F oven until the skin is crisp and golden brown and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 40-45 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These versatile chicken thighs go well with almost any of your favorite sides. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Hush Puppies or Hoe Cakes
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Baked Potato Wedges, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Twice Baked Potatoes
- Southern Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Sweet Cornbread, Cornbread with Cake Mix, Pumpkin Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, or Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Duke’s Homemade Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Honey Beer Bread or Cheddar Chive Beer Bread
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Storage
Store leftover roasted chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Have leftover roasted chicken? The meat is delicious on sandwiches, on top of salads, in chicken salad, in soups, and in casseroles.
Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe Variations
- To serve a smaller family, cut the ingredients in half and bake just 4 chicken thighs.
- Switch up the herbs and just use your favorites. For instance, add parsley instead of oregano, or only use rosemary and thyme. You can also season the meat with other spices, such as smoked paprika, onion powder. Add a bit of Dijon mustard to the oil mixture for even more flavor.
- If you like baked lemon herb chicken, add lemon juice and lemon zest to the olive oil mixture and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top of the dish just before serving.
- Using boneless chicken thighs? Baking with the bone and the skin will give you a more juicy, flavorful thigh; however, you can use boneless, skinless meat if you prefer. The boneless, skinless thighs will only need about 30 minutes in the oven.
- Swap out the chicken thighs and use bone-in, skin-on chicken breast instead. The larger chicken breast will need a little bit longer in the oven — closer to 1 hour — but a meat thermometer is the best way to know exactly when your chicken is done.
Tips for the Best Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Make Ahead: You can place the chicken in the garlic and herb mixture in the morning, and then leave it in the refrigerator marinating all day (or overnight). When you’re ready for dinner, arrange the chicken on the rack and pop it in the oven.
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning with the herbs. Removing the extra moisture will help the skin get nice and crispy in the oven.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. A lot of fat and juices will drip off of the chicken as it roasts, so the foil-lined sheet catches those drips and makes cleanup easy. Unlike a baking dish or other pan, the wire rack helps heat circulate underneath and around the sides of the chicken thighs, so that they cook more evenly.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken and on the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven. As a result, a meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your chicken is done. It will be perfectly tender and juicy when it reaches 165°F.
More Roasted Chicken Thigh Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes
40 minutes mins
Roasted Buttermilk Marinated Chicken
5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Chicken Thigh Marinade {Grilled or Baked}
3 hours hrs 17 minutes mins
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 ½ lbs. total)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to one position higher than the center. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano and chives. Add the chicken thighs, a few at a time, and toss to coat in the herb mixture.
- Place the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Notes
- Make Ahead: You can place the chicken in the garlic and herb mixture in the morning, and then leave it in the refrigerator marinating all day (or overnight). When you’re ready for dinner, arrange the chicken on the rack and pop it in the oven.
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning with the herbs. Removing the extra moisture will help the skin get nice and crispy in the oven.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. A lot of fat and juices will drip off of the chicken as it roasts, so the foil-lined sheet catches those drips and makes cleanup easy. Unlike a baking dish or other pan, the wire rack helps heat circulate underneath and around the sides of the chicken thighs, so that they cook more evenly.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken and on the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven. As a result, a meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your chicken is done. It will be perfectly tender and juicy when it reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in March, 2021. The photos were updated in January, 2023.
I so enjoy many of your recipes and this one is a special favorite. Thank you so much for posting it .
Thank you, Sharron! I’m really happy to hear that!
I have tried to find a very good oven “roasted chicken” recipe for a long time.
I am looking no longer.
That’s awesome, Dale! This is on our dinner menu tonight, too! 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed it.
Sounds delicious !
Thanks, Barbara! I hope you’ll get to try it. 🙂
I’ll be making this today. I’ll add the lemon becauseI need to use some up. And it will taste yummy.
Perfect! Enjoy, Shery!
Does having the rack at one above the center cook them too fast? Or brown them too much? I have always been nervous to put it closer to the top! Making it tonight, though 🙂
It doesn’t cook them too fast, but it helps the top get browned and crispy. 🙂 You can always move them lower or tent them with foil if you think they’re getting too dark as they cook, though. Hope you enjoy!
Haven’t tried it yet, making this on Thursday night (:
Definitely marinating overnight on Wednesday too!
Perfect! Hope you enjoy, Marissa!
Would appreciate carbs being shown along with other nutritional information
Hi, Neil! I’m not sure why some of the nutrition information wasn’t appearing. I’ve fixed that now; although, it’s important to remember that the nutrition info provided is merely an estimate. It’s automatically calculated by the software, so it’s always best to determine the specific nutrition information for your individual meal/ingredients on your own if the accuracy is important. Hope that helps!
Thank you for sharing recipe
It’s easy delicious awesome
I used leg quarters moist juicy
Awesome skin crunchy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THANK YOU
Thank you so much, Aeil! We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Hello Blair, I have volunteered to cook for a large group, about 70 people. I don’t have the racks that is suggested in your recipe. Any ideas how I work around this?
That’s so nice of you! The rack is just referring to the racks in your oven. You should be able to remove them and use one. If not, an oven-safe cooling rack would also work. Hope this helps!
Blair, this is what I’ve been looking for! Gonna make it tonight and pair it with Uncle Ben’s Wild rice. Side veggies roasted butternut squash with brussels sprouts.
Hope you enjoyed the meal, Mojo!