Roasted Chicken Thighs with only salt and pepper are moist, succulent with wonderfully crispy skin! Simple comfort food at its best.
I love ‘go to’ recipes that are easy, reliable and never disappoint. Today’s recipe for Salt & Pepper Roasted Chicken Thighs is a favorite in my house.
This roasted chicken thigh recipe proves that it doesn’t take a long list of ingredients to make something delicious.
With only three simple ingredients Salt & Pepper Roasted Chicken Thighs proves simple can be the most delicious at the dinner table!
Chicken Breasts vs Chicken Thighs
I have loved chicken thighs for as long as I can remember. As a child, that was the part of the chicken I hoped would land on my dinner plate.
Being darker meat, thighs have more flavor and do not dry out like the much coveted chicken breast.
Their more substantial texture is completely satisfying too!
How to Make Roasted Chicken Thighs
This simple roasted chicken thigh recipe is SO easy! How easy?!
- Salt and pepper chicken thighs
- Roast them in the oven for about an hour.
That’s it! You’ll never imagine the flavor that will result from such an easy recipe.
What Temperature to Cook Roasted Chicken Thighs?
These roasted chicken thighs are cooked in a 350-degree oven.
How Long to Cook Roasted Chicken Thighs?
Chicken thighs cook for approximately 1 hour.
They are done when pierced the juices will run clear (and will register 165-degrees on an Instant Read thermometer)
Making PERFECT Roasted Chicken Thighs Every Time (TIPS)
After making this roasted chicken thigh recipe more times than I can count, I have a few tricks for perfect roasting.
They ensure the chicken thighs are juicy and the skin crisps the skin beautifully every time.
TIP #1: A baking sheet with sides is fitted with a flat rack. This does two things:
- Allows air circulation underneath the chicken thigh while cooking helps the skin become crisp.
- It also provides that any fat drippings drain into the pan and the chicken thigh is not sitting in them.
The thighs have plenty of flavor; they don’t need to sit in the fat.
TIP #2: Select chicken thighs all the same size. This allows all the thighs to cook uniformly in the same amount of time
TIP #3: Flipping the chicken thighs mid-way through cooking allows even cooking on all sides as well.
Roasted Chicken Thighs Easy Clean Up TIP
For extra-easy clean-up, wrap the pan in foil and discard it when you are done! No pan washing required.
Supplies for Making Roasted Chicken Thighs
A few supplies make this recipe easy. You probably have them in your kitchen already!
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Recipe
Salt and Pepper Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs (bone in, skin on) all the same size
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a cooking rack in a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Quick clean up tip: Line the baking sheet with foil and discard when done cooking.
- Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper into both sides of all the chicken thighs. Place on the prepared rack skin side down. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the chicken thighs over and bake another 30 minutes until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife (they should register 165 degrees internally when measured with an instant read thermometer).
Nutrition
originally published: January 8, 2017
Drea says
I was looking for a simple recipe and found it! I did make some alternatives. My chicken took longer to cook at 380° for one hour and 20 minutes. Maybe because my oven isn’t new. I Rubbed my chicken with one tbsp of unsalted butter. I added some paprika for color. It turned out delicious!
Toni Dash says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Shelly says
I really appreciate incredibly easy chicken recipes like this one!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
I’ve always loved chicken thighs too! So much flavor here!
Tara says
I love chicken thighs — so much more flavorful than boneless skinless chicken breasts!
Stephanie says
We love chicken in our family and I’ve been looking for a new recipe. This one looks delish! Can’t wait to try it.
Beth Klosterboer says
All three of your tips are really helpful and allowed me to cook my chicken perfectly every time. My favorite is using the same size thighs, this gets rid of that overcooked smaller piece!
lauren kelly says
This is one of the few recipes that my entire family will eat! Thank you!
Julie Blanner says
Yum! I always love a nice and easy chicken recipe!
Liz says
I love this recipe for those days I don’t have dinner planned out as I always have chicken, salt and pepper! But I hadn’t been using a rack to roast!! Brilliant!!!
Robin Rue says
These sound so delicious! We are a huge fan of chicken in our house and so these would pair perfectly with some of our signature side dishes.