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I love the tenderness of chicken thighs-especially bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The skin helps keep the chicken super juicy and of course tastes phenomenal, especially when it’s seasoned with my super simple, yet delicious dry rub. These roasted chicken thighs take about 5 minutes to prep and roast in a skillet for about 40 minutes.
I love this recipe because it’s so simple and can be made with your basic pantry spices.
The Dry Rub
My dry rub for chicken is really simple and similar to how I season my whole roasted chicken. It’s amazing how far a few simple spices will go. The skin will actually do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of flavor.
My rub is made with paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar. The rub is pared with a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice which helps to create a paste-like texture that spreads very easily.
Bone-In Versus Boneless Chicken Thighs
This recipe calls for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. The dark meat is naturally tender and really juicy and not as susceptible to overcooking or drying out as a boneless chicken breast. The skin caramelizes perfectly in the oven and keeps the inside really juicy—like a perfectly prepared rotisserie chicken.
You can make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs too, it’s just not quite the same in terms of flavor, but still really good if you don’t like or want the skin.
How to Roast Chicken Thighs
Bake chicken thighs for 40-45 minutes at 400° F. This will bring your chicken to the perfect internal temp of 165° F (always double-check with a digital thermometer). As a final step, I like to turn the broiler on high for 3-5 minutes at the very end to really brown up the skin and make it crispier.
These roasted chicken thighs would go really well with honey-sriracha brussels sprouts and garlic and mashed red potatoes!
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The Easiest Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe Ever
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
The easiest roasted chicken thighs recipe made with a simple and delicious dry rub of paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Juice from half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (light or dark works)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine garlic, paprika, and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season all over with salt and pepper. Drizzle each thigh with fresh lemon juice and rub all over with olive oil.
- Rub the dry rub into the chicken until evenly but lightly coated. You can make additional rub if needed. Place in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish and roast for 45 minutes until fully cooked through (165°F) and skin is golden brown.
Notes
You can skip the brown sugar if you don’t have any or don’t want additional sugar. I’ve done both ways and it’s good either way. You can also make with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: .5g
- Sodium: 232mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8g
- Carbohydrates: .8g
- Fiber: .1g
- Protein: 25.2g
- Cholesterol: 93mg
Keywords: roasted chicken thighs, easy chicken recipes
