April 22, 2020

by Olena

Baked Chicken Thighs (Video)

Name: Baked Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American Ukrainian
Ingredients: 3 lbs chicken thighs, bone in and skin on; 2-3 large garlic cloves, grated; 2 tsp oregano, basil or rosemary, dried; 1 tsp salt; Ground black pepper, to taste; Parsley or dill for garnish, finely chopped

chicken

April 22, 2020

by Olena

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★★★★★

5 from 13 reviews

Baked Chicken Thighs with lots of garlic, crispy skin and so juicy inside! Growing up in Ukraine, my mom always baked these chicken thighs and today they “wow” families and guests around the world.

And ingredients could not be more simple! Just watch. 🙂

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

My mom’s baked chicken thighs recipe is a restaurant quality dinner. Her version contained mayo though. Back in the 90s in former USSR mayo was everything. 🙂

These days I bake my chicken thighs with garlic, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of fresh herbs at the end. Your head will spin from the aromas.

This is my go-to recipe when:

“What’s for dinner?” strikes and brain is blank.
When we have guests over and I’m tired.

It is hands off, cheap and hard to screw up recipe. Let’s do it!:)

What Are Seasoning Ingredients?

Are you a garlic lover? I believe that garlic makes everything taste better. And because I’m Ukrainian – if you haven’t cooked with fresh dill, you “haven’t lived”. 🙂

Fresh garlic: Make sure to grate garlic rather than mince. Grated garlic is more flavorful.
Dried herbs: Any dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme or rosemary work. Mix them up as well.
Salt and pepper

That’s it!

What Types of Chicken Thighs Are the Best?

Thighs are dark meat thats is naturally more juicy than chicken breasts. Here are types I have experimented with:

Bone in and skin on chicken thighs: This is my preference. The result is crispy outside and juicy tender meat inside. Skin prevents thighs from drying out. You can always remove skin afterwards.
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs: They turn out less juicy and let’s be honest, look less appealing. But you can bake them as well.
Frozen chicken thighs: You can bake slightly thawed and still frozen chicken. Yes, I have done it a million times and ended up with perfect baked chicken thighs. It is fatty part of chicken, so it will not dry out in the oven. Add 10-15 minutes to baking time. Just keep your pretty eye on it.

How to Cook Baked Chicken Thighs

Below we have a video exactly how I do it.

Season chicken thighs: Right in ceramic or glass baking dish, toss to coat chicken and seasonings. Use hands or tongs.
Marinate a little: Let chicken stand for 10 minutes. In the meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss chicken again and arrange in a single layer skin side up, tucking in skin underneath. You want things tight.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F. Then using a syringe/baster, pour juice over the thighs and then if you like more crispy skin (who doesn’t?!) broil to your likeness.
Let them rest: Remove from the oven, cover and let stand for 5 minutes to allow juices to settle. Do not skip!

Serving Suggestions

Let me introduce you to our Ukrainian spread. 🙂 More often than not we serve baked chicken with:

Mashed potatoes because those juices are begging to be poured over a creamy mash.
Or brown rice or quinoa – I often make both in my Instant Pot.
And what an Eastern European meal is without a cucumber tomato salad?!

This is how we often entertain families with “picky eaters”.

Date night-in idea: You can also make cauliflower risotto + golden chicken thighs + glass of white wine.

How to Store, Make Ahead and Reheat

Store: Cooked chicken thighs keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. They are perfect for a meal prep and taste amazing cold. Like my grandma’s chicken burgers, we might sneak one walking by the fridge.

Reheat in preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 15 minutes. Bone in chicken will take longer than boneless. You can also add some of the gelatinized chicken juices at the bottom of the pan.

If you need a make ahead chicken, this recipe is perfect! Just marinate it in all seasonings for up to 2 days. Then bake as per recipe or throw on the grill. Yummmm!

More Chicken Thighs Recipes

Baked Chicken Thighs

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 13 reviews

Baked Chicken Thighs with lots of garlic, crispy skin and so juicy inside! Growing up in Ukraine, my mom always baked these chicken thighs and today they “wow” families and guests around the world.

Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 9 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American Ukrainian

Scale

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
2–3 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp oregano, basil or rosemary, dried
1 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
Parsley or dill for garnish, finely chopped

Instructions

In 8 x 8 square baking dish, add chicken thighs, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Toss chicken again, making sure to spread garlic and spices evenly, and arrange in a single layer skin side up, tucking in skin underneath. You want things tight.
Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thermometer reads at least 165 degrees F, skin starts to brown and lots of juices accumulate in the dish.
Using a syringe/baster, pour juice over the thighs and then if you like more crispy skin (who doesn’t?!) broil to your likeness.
Remove from the oven, cover and let stand for 5 minutes to allow juices to settle.
Serve warm, skin removed for healthier version with brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower risotto. It’s a restaurant quality date night dinner.

Reheat in preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 15 minutes. Bone in chicken will take longer than boneless. You can also add some of the gelatinized chicken juices at the bottom of the pan.

Make ahead: This recipe is perfect! Just marinate meat in all seasonings for up to 2 days. Then bake as per recipe or even grill.

Notes

You can use bone in/skin on or boneless/skin off chicken thighs. My preference is bone in and skin on – skin helps meat stay moist and you can always remove it after.
You can bake slightly thawed and still frozen chicken thighs. Add 10-15 minutes to baking time and keep your eye on them.
Mix and match dried herbs.
To make it a one pan dinner, check out my roasted chicken thighs and potatoes.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

chicken

Hello and welcome to iFOODreal.

My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys and a wife to Alex. And this is our healthy family recipes blog. I grew up in Ukraine on real food. As an adult, I tried many diets without results. Now for over 10 years, I cook quick and easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.

What You Will Find Here

Healthy family recipes with simple ingredients. Many are inspired by my Ukrainian heritage. I share mostly dinner recipes because it just never ends... I’m obsessed with healthy freezer meals. And more than in love with my Instant Pot.

A Little More About Me

Originally from Ukraine, I now reside on magic Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada with my family. I started this blog in 2012 when I ended up at home with 2 small kids unemployed and a wee bit chubby.

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