Crispy Skin Chicken Classic (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs roasted to achieve golden, crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.2 lbs)

→ Seasonings

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme

→ Optional Garnish

08 - Fresh parsley, chopped
09 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven to 425°F.
02 - Thoroughly pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels to promote crisp skin.
03 - Place chicken thighs skin side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wire rack, spacing pieces evenly.
04 - Rub olive oil evenly over the skin of each chicken thigh.
05 - Combine salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried thyme; sprinkle seasoning evenly on both sides of the chicken.
06 - Roast in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until skin is deep golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
07 - For extra crispiness, broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes, monitoring to prevent burning.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving with lemon wedges.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The skin cracks like delicate caramel while the meat underneath stays impossibly juicy—no dry chicken sadness here.
  • It takes barely an hour from fridge to table, making it sneakily perfect for both casual weeknights and impressing someone at dinner.
  • One baking sheet means minimal cleanup, and the kitchen smells so good you'll want to open the windows and let the whole neighborhood wonder what you're making.
02 -
  • Bone-in, skin-on thighs forgive mistakes in a way chicken breasts never will—a few extra minutes in the oven and they're still succulent instead of sad and stringy.
  • Drying the chicken thoroughly isn't optional if you want crispy skin. I learned this the hard way on my first attempt when I skipped the paper towels and got steamed chicken instead.
  • A wire rack lifts the chicken off the baking sheet so air circulates underneath, but parchment paper works just fine if you don't have one.
03 -
  • If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through so everything crisps evenly—I learned this after one thigh came out burnt while another stayed pale.
  • Let your chicken sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking; it roasts more evenly than cold chicken straight from the fridge.

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