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With this recipe and the tips in the post, you'll cook incredible garlic chicken thighs night after night!
Baked Garlic Chicken Thighs
These garlic chicken thighs are the best because they’re healthy, delicious and made with the simplest ingredients for an easy weeknight meal. It’s one of those healthy comfort food recipes you’d serve with a hearty side salad or roasted root vegetables.
I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The skin helps the meat stay tender and takes on the flavor of the garlic and herb sauce so you get the most flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
To infuse the chicken thighs with delicious flavor, you’ll just need olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning (you can swap it for Herbs de Provence).
How to Make Garlic Chicken Thighs
Let's make the best-tasting chicken thighs you've ever had! Here's what to do:
- While the oven preheats, whisk together olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning to form a paste.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper and brush the baste over each thigh.
- Bake the chicken for 40 to 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175F.
- Allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving. Don't forget to drizzle some garlic herb sauce right over the chicken before plating!
While I cook chicken thighs at 400F, use the chart below to reference the correct baking times for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs according to temperature:
| Oven temp | Average Time | Internal Temp |
|---|---|---|
| 350F (175C) | 50 min | 175F (80C) |
| 375F (190C) | 40-50 min | 175F (80C) |
| 400F (200C) | 40 min | 175F (80C) |
| 425F (218C) | 35 min | 175F (80C) |
Using Boneless Skinless Thighs
If you’d like to make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cook them at 350F for 40 minutes, at 375F for 30-35 minutes, or at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175F. Cooking them at 425F is not recommended.
Success Tips for Baked Garlic Chicken Thighs
Before you head to the kitchen, here are a few simple tips to help you perfect these garlic chicken thighs and any baked chicken thigh recipe:
Keep the skin on to lock in all the juices and prevent the chicken meat from drying out. If you aren’t a fan of chicken skin, remove it once the thighs are baked.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning to achieve perfectly crispy chicken skin. It helps salt, spices, dry rubs, and wet rubs stick to the skin's surface as it cooks in the oven. Also, don't scrimp on the salt: it dehydrates the skin giving it that flavorful and crisp texture we're all aiming for.
Cooking according to internal temperature is always the most accurate indication of when it’s done. You’ll need a meat thermometer for this one. Dark meat is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 175F.
Don’t crowd the chicken pieces. It will create steam and make the skin soggy. I recommend using a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet to give them plenty of space for each thigh to develop a bronzed crust.
What to Serve with Juicy Baked Garlic Chicken Thighs
Some delicious sides you can assemble while the chicken is in the oven are roasted asparagus with lemon, sweet potato salad, roasted fall vegetables, creamy Parmesan polenta, and caramelized Brussels sprouts.
Baked Garlic Chicken Thighs
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on
- Salt & black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning to form a paste.
- Generously season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish, skin-side up. With a spoon or basting brush, distribute the garlic mixture over the top of the chicken thighs.
Bake:
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 175F.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and, using a spoon, drizzle some of the garlic sauce over the chicken and serve.
Stephanie says
My parents love cooking chicken thighs, and my dad has been putting garlic on EVERYTHING lately. This is such an easy recipe and when I made it for them they loved it!