the best chicken thighs

last updated on October 30, 2026

These are truly the best chicken thighs, and I stand by that statement. The skin gets perfectly crispy, the spices are flavorful, and the chicken is juicy as can be. These will be on repeat for you, mark my words.

I feel like the general population has been sleeping on chicken thighs, and I am not okay with it. They need to be on everyone’s radar for two reasons: 1. They are juicyyy– Juicy, tender, and hard to mess up! 2. They are CHEAP. You can buy chicken thighs (skin-on) for around $1.50/lb, which means you can get 6 thighs for about $4! And in this economy, you can’t pass that up.

This recipe is so simple. It calls for basic kitchen staples and only take five minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking.

ingredients needed for the best chicken thighs

• olive oil
• chicken thighs (boneless)
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• brown sugar

how to make chicken thighs

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Prepare the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Begin cooking the chicken. When the olive oil is hot, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip all the thighs over so the skin side is up. Add the garlic powder, paprika, and brown sugar on top of each thigh.
4. Transfer to the oven. Transfer the thighs to the oven and let them finish cooking for 7-15 minutes (depending on the size) until they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
5. Remove from the oven. Remove from the oven and let the thighs sit for 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

what to pair these thighs with

• lemon gnocchi
• wild mushroom farro
• miso cacio e pepe
• the best mac and cheese

the best chicken thighs

[category] Main Course

[published] June 16, 2023

[PREP] 5 minutes mins

[COOK] 20 minutes mins

[TOTAL] 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs skin on, bone-in
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the olive oil to a cast iron skillet over high heat. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip all the thighs over (so they are skin-side up). Add garlic powder, paprika, and brown sugar on top of each thigh.
3. Transfer the thighs to the oven and let them finish cooking for 7-15 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs), until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
4. Remove from the oven and let the thighs rest for 5 minutes. Dive in and enjoy!