Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs use baking powder and chicken seasoning for crispy skin and the best juicy, oven roasted or oven fried chicken thighs!
Crispy Chicken Thighs
Extra Crispy Baked Chicken without deep frying is what we all want! Isn’t it?
Usually you have to deep fry them to get them to crispy perfection. This recipe for The Crispiest Baked Chicken Thighs proves that baking using this method will win for the crispiest chicken ever!
Luckily for all of us that this recipe exists! I just love eating this chicken, fresh from the oven.
Easy to prepare and fabulous to eat. In our opinion, chicken thighs are one of the most flavorful parts of the chicken.
Use your favorite chicken seasoning and you will have crispy juicy chicken that turns out beautifully, every time.
Crispy Juicy Chicken
This recipe is for all of you chicken thigh lovers out there. If you want to enjoy crispy skin, with totally tender and juicy meat inside, cooked right in your oven, you have come to the right place!
We’re certainly living in unusual times. New behaviors are emerging and cooking is one of them. That’s a good thing!
Cooking chicken is a great dish to start with. It is such a universal food and is considered one of America’s most popular meats.
There are different cuts of chicken and there are so many ways to prepare all of it.
If you are like my family, we eat chicken several times a week. Sometimes the same old chicken dish gets really boring so we’re always trying to find different ways of making it.
Thighs are one of the cheapest cuts to buy but they sometimes get overlooked. There’s no mistaking that they can be one of the most flavorful parts of the chicken.
Although they have a higher fat content, it’s what makes them taste so wonderful. We are always trying to be more health conscious though, so we try and avoid deep frying our chicken.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs with Baking Powder
Sometimes all you want is a crispy piece of delicious chicken and this recipe for Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs is the answer!
The secret to getting that deep-fried taste and crispiness is adjusting the oven temperature and using baking powder, NOT baking soda. Only baking powder will do.
That’s right. Baking powder!
I know it sounds strange but baking powder dries out and helps the crispy oven roasted chicken skin to brown beautifully.
Grab your favorite chicken seasoning, some baking powder and you are ready to go. Crispy baked chicken thighs with baking powder may just be your new favorite way to enjoy chicken thighs!
The rack is necessary to keep air circulating around the chicken thighs and to let excess fat drip below on to your rimmed baking sheet.
First the chicken thighs are slow roasted on a low temperature. Then you turn up the temperature much higher to finish crisping up your skin.
Baking Powder Chicken Thighs
Now, whenever you feel like making crispy chicken thighs, you have the best recipe to do it with!
The secret is using baking powder NOT baking soda! You will also get that deep fried kind of crispiness by lowering your oven temperature and slow roasting your thighs first.
Only baking powder followed by slow roasting will work. Nothing else that I have found works as easily.
You did read that correctly, baking powder will work!
I know it sounds crazy but I urge you to give it a try. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
The baking powder assists in drying out the chicken skin and adding a nice brown color to it.
Use the baking powder with your favorite chicken seasoning and you will not be disappointed.
If your chicken seasoning is low or no salt you will need to add a teaspoon or two of seasoned salt. If your chicken seasoning contains salt or sodium then don’t include it with the baking powder mixture.
You are trying to avoid the chicken skin from becoming too salty.
Extra Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
The baking rack is necessary to help air circulating around your chicken thighs. The rack also causes any extra fat to drip right off the chicken and land on your baking sheet.
I hate it when food bakes unnecessarily inside fat. That drives me crazy.
In order to make this Extra Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Recipe you will need to follow these easy steps. I believe you will not regret it.
Hopefully you will let me know your thoughts! I always love to hear what you think.
The first thing you need to do is slow roast your chicken thighs on a really low temperature then turn your oven way up to finish them off.
You do this without removing your chicken thighs from your oven.
You will need to watch your thighs once they are turned up high, nearing the end of cook time.
Exact cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken thighs and I don’t want them to burn so keep an eye out. Crispy oven roasted chicken can burn quickly if you’re not careful!
Ingredients in Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken
- chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- BAKING POWDER
- chicken seasoning, your favorite variety
- seasoned salt
- pepper
- cooking spray
How to make Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Adjust your oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a rack coated in cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl or in a large resealable bag, combine BAKING POWDER, chicken seasoning, seasoned salt, if needed, and pepper. Set aside.
Wash and pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place inside the large resealable bag or bowl. Your goal is to get your thighs coated in the mixture.
Adjust and shake the thighs around to make sure they are all lightly coated in the baking powder mixture.
Place the chicken thighs on your prepared sheet.
Bake for 50 minutes on the lower-middle rack.
Remove your thighs from lower-middle and move to upper-middle rack and turn the temperature up to 425 degrees.
Bake for another 45-55 minutes and thighs are a nice golden brown color.
Try to turn your baking sheet halfway through baking.
Remove thighs from oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Creative Chicken Thigh Recipes
Balsamic Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs
Bacon Wrapped Garlic Chicken Thighs
Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs
Dark and Delicious Chicken Thighs
Barbecue Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs
Easy Honey Roasted Chicken Thighs
Balsamic Glazed Garlic Chicken Thighs
Pan and Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
This recipe calls for a lot of time in the oven. This chicken is definitely worth the wait! The first step is to cook the chicken thighs at a low temperature. Then you crank up the heat to achieve that delightful crispiness and beautiful color! Have a look at our new video!
Crispy Baked Chicken Thigh Video
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs use baking powder and chicken seasoning for crispy skin and the best juicy, oven roasted or oven fried chicken thighs!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 2 tablespoons BAKING POWDER
- 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning, your favorite variety
- 2 tsp seasoned salt, if your chicken seasoning is low or no salt only
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- cooking spray
Instructions
-
Adjust your oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. You need to start baking your chicken on the bottom rack and finish it off on the upper rack.
-
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
-
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a rack coated in cooking spray. Set aside.
-
If your chicken seasoning is low or no salt or sodium you must use 2 teaspoons of salt or seasoned salt in this recipe. I just don't want your skin to taste salty (if you enjoy eating a little crispy skin like I do on occasion). Some chicken seasonings are have a high salt content.
-
In a small bowl or in a large resealable bag, combine BAKING POWDER, chicken seasoning, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Set aside.
-
Wash and pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat or skin if necessary.
-
Place in the large resealable bag or bowl with powder mixture.
-
Adjust and shake the chicken thighs around. Make sure all of them are lightly coated in the baking powder mixture. Shake each thigh to remove excess coating before placing on your prepared baking sheet.
-
Place the chicken thighs on your prepared sheet. Bake for 50 minutes on the lower-middle rack.
-
Remove your thighs from lower-middle and move to upper-middle rack. Close your oven door and turn the temperature up to 425 degrees. Your oven needs to preheat with the chicken thighs inside it.
-
Bake for another 45 - 55 minutes and thighs are a nice golden brown color. Start watching your chicken thighs at about the 30 minute mark. Depending on the size of your chicken thighs you will need to check for the appearance of burnt spots. A few are ok but you don't want a lot of them.
-
Try to turn your baking sheet quickly, halfway through baking if your oven has a hotspot. Remove thighs from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy|!
I absolutely love the way the baking powder makes the chicken crispy. Love this recipe!
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed this chicken recipe! You truly made my day. I always love hearing good news! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. Take care and be safe. Karin
Does this mean it takes 100 minute total to cook them? (2 sets of 50 minutes at different temperatures?)
First I have to apologize for the delay in my response. It was unavoidable. Yes. If the thighs are small they can take about 35 minutes at 425 but more often than not the chicken thighs take a bit longer than 35 minutes. Really. You will know they are done if you start to get little dark or burn spots on them. Really. These are delicious. I hope you will consider trying them and let me know your opinion. I would love to hear what you think. Take care and all the best. Karin
I tried this with drumsticks and they were excellent! The skin was nicely browned and crisp. The meat was tender and juicy. There are many versions of this recipe on other food blogs, with mixed reviews. Many people complained about an offputting taste from the baking powder, as well as excessive saltiness, but I didn’t have an issue with either. The chicken was well seasoned, and not salty. I followed the basic recipe here, but subbed my own rub for the garlic powder, chicken seasonings and salt. The drumsticks took less time to roast than thighs. I baked them at 250° for 30 minutes (not 50) and at 425° for 35 minutes. They were evenly browned all over without having to flip them. I placed the rack on top of the edges of the rimmed baking sheet, rather than on the sheet itself, so that there was lots of room between the rack and the pan to allow for air circulation. I made an apple jelly sauce for dipping, but these would be great without a sauce. Delicious!!
First I have to apologize for the delay in my response. Unfortunately it was unavoidable. My husband had a heart attack and I have been consumed by it. That being said I am currently filming a video for these drumsticks and I am so glad you tried them and liked them as much as we do! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let all of us know how you did it! So happy to have you with me on our food journey! Hopefully you will find some other recipes on our site that you enjoy just as much! Take care. Karin
I have baked chicken wings this way and they turned out excellent. My hubby loves chicken and loves this recipe. You might want to stress that it is baking “powder” that is used and not baking “soda”.
I definitely will! Thank you for the tip! I will update the recipe! Take care and all the best. Karin
Very Good!!! My daughter is not a big meat eater and she ate 2 pieces! Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper.
You are most welcome! You just made my day and I am so glad to hear your daughter ate 2 pieces! We love this recipe around here and make it regularly. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know. It really means a lot. Hopefully you find some other recipes on the site that you (and she) enjoy just as much. Take care and all the best. Karin
This is the best baked chicken I’ve ever made! Crispy and delicious without the guilt! For the chicken seasoning I used Weber Grill’s Kick’n Chicken. I will definitely be making this more!
Can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed this recipe as much as we do! Crispy skin is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine and you are so right I do not feel guilty at all! Thank you for letting me know what seasoning you used. I’m going to have a look for it myself. I love trying new things and you can literally use any spice blend you want with this recipe! Take care of you and enjoy the rest of your day! All the best. Karin
I loved it! I added a bit of lemon zest and roasted it with slices of lemon and heads of garlic! So delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
What a great idea! Sounds delicious! I think I am going to try that myself! I can’t thank you enough for letting me know what you did differently! I love hearing how people adjust my recipes! So glad you loved this chicken dish! It is a favorite around here. All the best to you. Karin
Chicken was crispy and good but needed a little extra seasoning. Overall thought it had a good because of the crispness without the grease.
Glad you liked it! Next time try a different chicken seasoning to add. There are so many of them out there! You are so right though. So much better than fried and just as crispy! All the best. Karin
I have some thighs in the frig now, was looking for a no fry recipe and came across this one, am so excited to try this recipes because of all the winning comments. Will let everyone know how it turns out.
I can’t wait to hear what you think. We love this recipe around here! Take care and enjoy! Talk soon. Karin
I made this for my family and it was a huge hit. Had the extr chicken for another meal and it was just as good. I did not have any chicken seasoning but it was still just as good.
Will definitely have again and I sent this to my freind that has to be gluten free. They are excited to try it.
So happy you all enjoyed the chicken! I just love this recipe! You made my day! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know! Hopefully you enjoy the recipe even more with chicken seasoning! Take care and all the best to you. Karin
Great recipe! Loved the crispiness of the chicken and was amazed at the juiciness 🙂 Only downside was it made a mess inside the oven!!!!! No worries….that’s why we have self-cleaning ovens!!
I am sorry about the mess! I thank goodness for self cleaning ovens almost every day I bake something! Thank you for taking the time to comment! You made my day! Really. I love it when others love our recipes! Hope you will make it again! Take care of yourself. Karin
I make this recipe frequently and it is one of my favorites! It tastes just like fried chicken but isn’t greasy. It is easy and people are always impressed by it! Plus, you can use any mix of seasonings for the chicken seasoning and it tastes great!
Totally true! So glad to hear you love this recipe too! It is always a big hit around here! I switch the seasonings around myself! Great idea to do that so the chicken always tastes a little different! Thank you for taking the time to comment! I really appreciate it! Take care and all the best. Karin
I made this tonight for dinner and my hubby said it was the best chicken I’ve ever made – so thanks for sharing the recipe.
You are welcome. So glad to hear you all loved it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! You made my day! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! Take care and all the best. Karin
When increasing the temp to 425, am I supposed to remove the chicken until the temp is reached and then bake for an additional 45 minutes-ish? or am I supposed to just place it the chicken an the upper rack while the temp climbs?
I just put the chicken in while the temperature climbs. Works every time! I apologize for the recipe not being more clear. If you are trying this recipe please let me know how it goes. I would love to hear. We love this recipe around here and I hope you enjoy it just as much! Regardless, take care and all the best. Karin
thank you so much for your quick response! we’re always looking for more thigh recipes as they’re always so moist in comparison to breasts!
No problem at all! I could not agree more. I love chicken thighs too and there are a few more recipes on the site that you might want to have a look at. I cook with them all of the time. We are even shooting another thigh recipe today. Also our recipe for bourbon street chicken is terrific with thighs as well! If you want specific links I will grab them for you otherwise if you have a free moment search around the site to get some more ideas! Anytime you have questions I am here! Take care and enjoy your day! Karin
Over an hour 45 of cooking? I did this very similarly, and after an hour (25 at 250, 30-35 at 425) and then 5 minutes under the broiler, they were 170 inside. How on earth do these not end up dried out?
I also leave them overnight so the salty liquid can actually get reabsorbed and so the baking powder can actually react with the moisture in the skin to form the bubbles that give it more surface area and make it more crispy.
Just from a chemistry standpoint, the Baking Powder isn’t really getting a chance to do a whole lot of anything with this method.
It seems like you could more or less do this the exact same way but by doing a proper dry brine and then refrigerating it overnight. Then you also don’t need to shake the chicken in the powder, as the salty moisture will finds its way all through the meat.
I urge you to give this recipe a try. Tastes delicious, every time! I have cooked thighs with your suggested method which will work but again I ask that you give this recipe a try! It is a favorite around here! All the best. Karin
The one hour in the 250° temp oven does exactly what is achieved by doing the overnight dry brine in the fridge. So this recipe actually cuts the overnight bs of if the equation altogether! I use this method for all chicken parts that’s bone in and skin on.
It works beautifully! I love cooking chicken this way! Glad to hear someone else does too! Thank you for taking the time to comment! I do appreciate it! Take care and all the best. Karin
Me too! Thanks for the comment. Much appreciated! Take care and all the best. Karin
I’m sorry for the fact that you actually took time out of your life to diss a recipe you wouldn’t even try and had the balls to tell her how to do it differently , is mind boggling. I have used this recipe and brining, method and they are completely different methods of cooking. Thank you kitchen divas…..you are appreciated
I can’t thank you enough for your kind words! I am glad to have you with us on our food journey! I publish my favourite recipes that I love to cook and eat. I have been lucky enough to know some great cooks who have taught me a great deal and left me what I believe are great recipes to share. I find the brining method so much extra work and always bake them this way myself. I use different seasonings, depending what I grab first or what I am in the mood for. Regardless I get a fabulous result, every time. Most people who try this recipe can’t believe the chicken isn’t fried and love how juicy the chicken is and the crispy skin. I also appreciate everyone’s opinion. It is ok for her to prefer her method and share it even though I think she should give this one a try! Thank you again for your comment. You truly made my day! All the best to you. Karin
Can anything else be used in place of baking powder to make it Whole30 compliant?
Thank you!
I apologize for the delay in my response. I have asked around and your only option might be to mix 2 parts cream of tartar with 1 part baking soda. For example, mix 2 tsp cream of tartar with 1 tsp baking soda. In this case the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons baking powder or 6 teaspoons. So include 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 2 teaspoons baking soda. I apologize for not having a better answer than that. From what I hear it might be worth a try! If you do please let me know how it turns out. I would love to hear. Again I apologize for not being more helpful. Take care and all the best. Karin
Trying this tonight. Love crispy chicken without frying!
So happy to hear you are trying this recipe! We love it! Please, if you have a moment, let me know what you thought of it! I would love to hear! Regardless, take care and all the best! Enjoy! Karin
They were great! Having again tonight. Thanks for sharing! Jordan
Glad to hear you enjoyed them! We love this recipe around here! Thank you so much for letting me know. You really made my day! Take care and all the best. Karin
Can you use boneless thighs? , how would you adjust the time?
We have made this recipe twice now to try and figure this out. Both times were too long. We are trying again this weekend so hopefully we will get it figured out then! Luckily my husband loves this chicken recipe and will keep eating it! Take care. Talk soon. Karin
There’s pretty much no way to make this without the bone that’s going to turn out as consistent or good. The bone plays an important role in helping the meat heat through evenly.
You could try to “roll up” the boneless thigh so it’s roughly the same shape as if it had a bone, but either weay I would probably just sprinkle the powder on the skin-covered part rather than coat the whole thing if you’re going to do that, since you really don’t want the baking powder and such inside the cooking meat.
I apologize for my late response. We have tried to roll them up and it just won’t work. You are correct. Without the bone this recipe will not work properly. With bones and skin it is delicious! Take care. Karin
Can you do this with fewer chicken thighs? How would you adjust cook time? I want to make this for me and my roommate but we don’t need fifteen chicken thighs 🙂
No problem! My neighbor cuts this recipe in half and does not adjust cooking times at all. I wouldn’t either. The only time you need to adjust your cooking time is while baking at 425 degrees. If your chicken thighs are on the smaller side take them out after 45 minutes and if they are bigger remove them after 55 minutes. These thighs are worth the effort. Please, if you have a moment, let me know how they turned out for you. I would love to hear! Hope this helps. Take care and all the best. Karin
Made this tonight with the Cajun spice blend. It was way too salty for us. The cooking technique was spot on! We will definitely make this again with different spices. Thank you!
Happy to hear you will be making this again! Sorry about too much salt. Maybe try it again without the extra salt in the Cajun Spice Mix? I have reduced the amount of salt listed slightly. I am not being paid to say this but maybe some Mrs. Dash, your favorite blend. That will solve your salt problem forsure! I am sorry this try didn’t work out for you. Please, if you don’t mind, let me know how it goes when you try again. We absolutely love this recipe. Hopefully you will find a spice blend that works well for you. My fingers are crossed! Take care and all the best. Karin
What do you mean by chicken seasoning?
By chicken seasoning I mean any over the counter chicken seasoning. I have a barbecue chicken seasoning that I purchased from our local grocery store that I will also sprinkle on the occasional chicken breast. My close friend swears by this Cajun Spice Mix that she originally found on AllRecipes I think. She omits the garlic powder from this recipe when she uses her Cajun seasoning to go on these chicken thighs. I just use store bought generally. Have a look in your spice aisle and look for chicken seasoning or different spice blends. One of our favorites is Mrs Dash. I have used the one below as well without the cayenne because I just can’t take the heat at all anymore. If the recipe below doesn’t help on Food.com search for Homemade Seasoning Mix for Chicken. I have never used it but it looks similar to the Cajun one below. Hopefully this helps. These chicken thighs are delicious and worth the effort. Please let me know what you think after you give this recipe a try. I always love to hear. Take care and all the best. Karin
Cajun spice mix
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Stir together salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.
Can I use a air fryer for this recipe? Same timing?
I unfortunately have limited experience with an air fryer and do not know. Hopefully another reader can offer an opinion! We have used this recipe for years in the oven and I know it works beautifully. As for an air fryer it might be worth a try. I apologize I cannot be of more assistance to you. If you do decide to try it please let me know how it works for you. I am curious to hear. I will ask around and if I hear anything of value I will definitely let you know. Take care and all the best. Karin
Yes, incredibly crispy! Crunches when we bite into it! But on the downside, baking for nearly 2 hours causes the chicken to lose juices and lose tenderness. Is there any way to avoid?
We love this recipe around here and I am sorry you had some difficulties with your chicken thighs. My suggestion would be to reduce the time they are in the oven at 425 degrees by 5 or 10 minutes. That should solve the problem! Please let us know how things work out for you. Take care and all the best. Karin
Ok, will give it a try. Thank you Karin!
No problem! Anytime. Please let me know how it goes! I can’t wait to hear. Take care and be well. Karin
Can you use drumsticks?
So funny I received your message this morning as we are trying drumsticks this weekend! Life is so funny sometimes. Anyways my close friend tried this recipe with drumsticks and said they turned out beautifully. We are going to try it this coming weekend to get the timing down. She used the same timing as the thighs and made sure her drumsticks had lots of skin as well. If you decide to make these please let me know what you think afterwards. The thighs are awesome. I am sure drumsticks will be as well. Again please let me know. Take care and all the best. Karin
I don’t see where you add the seasoning.
It says in the directions to mix your seasoning in with the baking powder 🙂
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I have been in the hospital having surgery and am just trying to get caught up. Yes you add all of your desired seasonings with the baking powder. This recipe is fabulous. We hope you give it a try! Also please let us know what you think when you do! Take care and all the best. Karin