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Baked chicken thighs with crispy skin, brown sugar, garlic and cayenne pepper. This is one of the best chicken thigh recipes that takes 10 mins prep time!
Chicken Thigh Recipes
One of the best ways to cook chicken thighs is using the oven.
Chicken thighs always turn out extremely juicy, tender and moist after roasting and baking them the oven, for example: Cajun Chicken.
Bake chicken thighs recipe is also one of the easiest chicken thigh recipes, with short active prep time of just 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken thighs with skin on
- Brown sugar
- Garlic
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Parsley
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
Step 2: Score the bottom part of the chicken thighs with a few slits. Rub the bottom part of the chicken and the skin with the garlic, leave them on (the garlic should get inside the slits and flavor the chicken thighs). Add brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, stir to mix well.
Step 3: Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the skin turns crispy and brown. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- You can use skinless and boneless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs. Personally, I prefer bone-in thighs. After baking the chicken thighs in oven at high temperature, the skin crisps up to golden brown color and becomes crispy.
- If you use skin on thighs, the skin adds grease to the chicken so you don’t need butter or oil in the recipe. The chicken meat will also be tender and juicy.
- Score the bottom of the thighs a few times. This will make more flavorful with the marinade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bake thighs takes about 35-40 minutes in the oven, at 425° Fahrenheit (220° Celcius).
The total time depends on the size of the bone-in chicken thighs.
The skin will turn crispy and brown and the internal temperature of cooked chicken thighs is 165° Fahrenheit.
This recipe produces juicy and tender chicken thighs so you don’t need to use foil.
Plus, you want crispy skin so do not wrap or cover the chicken with aluminum foil.
Chicken breasts are great for this recipe, especially if they are boneless and skinless.
This baked chicken thighs recipe is only 402 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This recipe is great with rice and vegetables. I love serving them with cilantro lime rice and a healthy vegetable dish.
For a healthy meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Baked Chicken Thighs (Extra Juicy!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. (750g) bone-in chicken thighs, 5 small thighs or 4 big thighs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Score a few slits in the bottom part of the chicken thighs. Rub the garlic onto both the bottom and skin of the chicken, ensuring the garlic gets inside the slits to flavor the meat. Add brown sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper, and stir to mix well.
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and browned. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can use skinless and boneless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs. Personally, I prefer bone-in thighs. After baking the chicken thighs in oven at high temperature, the skin crisps up to golden brown color and becomes crispy.
- If you use skin on thighs, the skin adds grease to the chicken so you don’t need butter or oil in the recipe. The chicken meat will also be tender and juicy.
- Score the bottom of the thighs a few times. This will make more flavorful with the marinade.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Literally so good! Made this for my boyfriend and I and we loved it, we are making it again for dinner tonight. So simple SO delicious!
Awesome please try more recipes on my site!
This chicken is super simple to make and delicious! favorite baked chicken hands down
Hello, Chef Rasa! Holy smokes! This is a fabulous recipe! I made it and it turned out beautifully. Not only was it delicious, it was quick and easy to make. It is definitely a restaurant quality main meat.
Hi Eva, thanks so much. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
This was super easy and delicious! Never had a better tasting baked chicken. Will be a staple in my home ! Thank you
Awesome!
Can you use boneless and skinless thighs?
Yes.
Amazing !
I started out looking for a simple recipe for chicken thighs. I had no idea, I was about to strike some gold!! Your page is wonderful. So far I have followed 3 of your recipes.
♡ Chicken thighs with brown sugar, cayenne and garlic
♡ Boiled red baby potatoes with parsley
♡ Brown butter, garlic and honey roasted potatoes.
And this was just one meal! Haha I love love love the recipes, and I adore the short matching videos, to go along with! Tomorrow I will be sauteing my pork chops with tomatoes. Thank you very much. ?
I made this in my toaster oven on convection bake for 1 hour. Wow, it was delicious. Thanks for the most flavorful chicken recipe ever. So yummy.
Awesome thanks and please try more recipes on my site!
Dear Rasa Malysia,
Have you tried this recipe in air fryer ? The temprature remains the same; and baked time will be shortened to ca. 20 minutea , because of the smaller size of the air fryer’s oven and the blower in the air fryer.
I also bake loinribs and steaks etc. In the air fryer saving a lot of bsking time and frying oil.
No I haven’t tried this in air fryer. Thanks for sharing the information!
Yes, I do almost everything in the air fryer. I even BBQ my beef and chicken satay in the air fryer. Spring rolls, samosas, you name it. With or without oil, the air fryer is a much faster and healthier option to cook baked dishes.
Can I substitute maple or applewood bbq rub for the brown sugar? I am all out.
Sure, you can!
Where can i get cayenne pepper n show me the picture ? I only know white n black pepper.
Pls guide me. TQ.
You can get bottled cayenne pepper in a bottle.
This was absolutely delicious Made with skin on chicken thighs,Definitely in going into my folder of Only the best For me 5 Stars Made with elephant Garlic An served With homemade bruschetta pasta Absolutely heaven ❤️??euwalach @gmail.com
Hi Eunice, thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/