Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
Italian Baked Chicken Thighs–The most amazing, flavorful, oven baked chicken thighs you’ll find! With just a handful of simple seasonings, these chicken thighs turn out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside. Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make, and we show you how to turn them into a make ahead freezer meal too!
Reader, beware. You are about to encounter one of the most amazing chicken thigh recipes on the Internet. It’s not only amazing in flavor and texture, but it’s amazingly simple! This is one of those recipes that will become part of your regular meal rotation. They are just SO. DANG. GOOD.
What’s in Italian Baked Chicken Thighs?
As promised, the ingredients are simple. Here is what you’ll need on hand:
- Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (Bone-in thighs turn out much more juicy than boneless.)
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Poultry seasoning
- Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
Aren’t they pretty? OK, enough cuteness. Mix those ingredients all together.
After lining a baking sheet with foil (for easier cleanup), lay out your chicken thighs and drizzle oil over them. Rub the oil in on all sides. Yes, your pretty hands will get dirty. After a nice visit from the oil-fairy, you’ll dress those chicken thighs up with your seasoning mix. Use about half on one side and the other half on the other.
WASH YOUR HANDS NOW, K?
How to Freeze Chicken Thighs
As self-proclaimed freezer cooking evangelists, we can’t help ourselves from sharing how to turn these chicken thighs into a freezer meal. Again, it’s SO easy.
Freeze For Later: Place the seasoned, raw chicken thighs and all of the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw using one of these safe methods for thawing chicken and then cook as directed.
Want to cook your frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot instead FROM FROZEN? No sweat. We will show you how to cook frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot here.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?
You totally can, but just decrease the baking time to 25-30 minutes. Check the internal temperature to make sure it gets to 165°F.
While boneless chicken thighs are an option, having a skin-on, bone-in thigh really helps keep the chicken moist and juicy. It’s also hard to get that desired crisp if you don’t have a skin on it.
How do you store baked chicken thighs?
Baked chicken thighs can be refrigerated for four to five days. If you won’t be eating them during that time, you can freeze the leftovers for future use.
What to Serve with Chicken Thighs
Since these have a salty, savory taste, here is what I’d recommed:
Corn: Either Microwaved Corn or Grilled Corn would be delicious.
Potatoes: Boiled Baby Potatoes or Twice Baked Potatoes would be amazing.
Fresh Fruit
Dinner Rolls: Try making your own using our Wheat Dinner Rolls recipe (for the bread machine).
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The most amazing, flavorful oven baked chicken thighs you’ll find! With just a handful of simple seasonings, these chicken thighs come out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside. Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make and we show you how to turn them into a make ahead freezer meal too!
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, and paprika.
- Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels and trim off any excess skin/fat. Drizzle the oil evenly over the chicken and rub in on all sides. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the chicken and rub in on all sides.
- Bake the chicken, skin side up, for 40-45 minutes, until done. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F and/or have no more pink inside. Optional: You can turn on the broiler and broil the chicken for a few minutes to get the skin even crispier, if desired.
Freeze For Later: Place the seasoned, raw chicken thighs into a gallon-sized freezer bag in a single layer. Seal and freeze flat.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw using one of these safe methods and then cook as directed in Step 4.
Want More Easy Meal Ideas?
We love creating easy recipes for busy families. If you want more easy ideas like this that you can use for yourself or take to someone else, see our roundup below!
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Easy and good. My toddlers ate a chicken thigh each! That’s success in my book!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Marie.