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This baked chicken thighs recipe delivers tender, juicy meat with crispy, golden skin. A simple spice blend adds bold flavor, making it an easy, budget-friendly meal for one or two. Perfectly versatile, it pairs well with any side for a satisfying dish.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Simple steps and basic ingredients make this a no-fuss recipe.
- Big Flavor: A blend of herbs and spices ensures every bite is seasoned to perfection.
- Perfectly Portioned: What to make baked chicken thighs for two? Just double the ingredients.
- Crispy & Juicy: Golden, crispy skin with tender, juicy meat.
- Versatile: Pairs well with any side for a complete meal.
Baked chicken thighs are a go-to for me because they are simple, flavorful, and effortlessly delicious. Just season, bake, and enjoy tender, juicy chicken with crispy skin. It’s an easy, reliable meal for one or two.
Pair these two baked chicken thighs with creamy mashed potatoes for one, a small batch of roasted brussels sprouts, mac and cheese for one, sautéed green beans, easy garlic smashed potatoes, or a simple side of quinoa or easy baked brown rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving baked chicken thighs recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken Thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor and juiciness. The skin and bone help retain moisture and add richness, plus they’re more budget-friendly.
- Olive Oil: Helps keep the chicken moist and ensures the spices stick. You can also use canola oil, avocado oil, or melted butter.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: These pantry staples add flavor. Fresh minced garlic and onion can be used for a bolder taste. Try these seasonings in recipes like small sheet pan chicken fajitas or mini slow cooker pot roast.
- Paprika: Adds mild heat and a pop of color. Use smoked paprika for a smoky flavor. Paprika is a key ingredient in chicken paprika for one, air fryer chicken wings, and a crispy small batch of buffalo cauliflower.
- Oregano: Provides an earthy flavor. Substitute with thyme or rosemary if needed. Oregano is also used in recipes like chicken tacos for one, Spanish rice for one, and a small Italian chopped salad.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning. Adjust to taste for balance.
For a flavorful twist, use some of our small batch Creole seasoning to season the chicken thighs. It adds a slightly spicy, bold flavor to the dish.
Recipe Variations
Easily customize this baked chicken thighs recipe to suit your taste.
- Spicy: Add cayenne or a drizzle of hot sauce for extra heat. Pairs well with our easy baked rice.
- BBQ: Brush with BBQ sauce during the last 10 minutes of baking. Serve with our small batch cornbread and small batch macaroni salad.
- Lemon-Garlic: Add lemon zest and extra garlic for a bright, aromatic variation. This version pairs wonderfully with buttered noodles for one and our easu smashed brussels sprouts.
How To Bake Chicken Thighs
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to bake two chicken thighs. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat Oven: Start by heating your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare Chicken: Take the chicken thighs out of the fridge and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Mix Spices: In a small bowl, combine all herbs and spices. Set aside 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture for later use, and stir in the olive oil.
- Season Chicken: Coat the chicken thighs evenly with the spice and oil mixture, making sure to get under the skin for extra flavor.
- Arrange for Baking: Place the chicken thighs on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with the reserved spice mix, pressing gently to ensure the seasoning adheres well.
- Bake: Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature hits 170°F, ensuring it’s cooked perfectly.
Substitution Tip: You can bake two boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead. Keep in mind, they cook faster than bone-in thighs and typically take about 20-25 minutes at 400°F. Be sure to check them often to avoid overcooking.
Want to Cook Chicken Thighs in an Air Fryer?
It’s easy! Check out our single serving air fryer chicken thighs recipe for the detailed instructions.
Expert Tips
- Crispy Skin: Use a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet to promote air circulation, which helps create crispier skin. If you don’t have a rack, make sure the chicken pieces are spaced out on the baking sheet.
- Season Underneath: Gently lift the skin and season the meat underneath for deeper flavor and added crispness.
- Internal Temperature: Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 170°-175°F. For extra crispy skin, broil for the final 2 minutes of cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, boneless, skinless thighs work well. They cook faster, typically in 20-25 minutes at 400°F, so check often to prevent overcooking.
Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 170°-175°F for juicy, fully cooked chicken.
Bake the chicken on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet for better air circulation. Broiling for the last 2 minutes also helps achieve crispier skin.
Absolutely, if you’d bake chicken thighs for two, just double the ingredient amounts.
Yes, store leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven to maintain crispiness.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve made this small batch baked chicken thighs recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Please rate the recipe and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Snapped a photo? Tag us on Instagram; we’d be thrilled to see your creation!
Baked Chicken Thighs For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- wire rack – optional, but recommended
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Start by heating your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare Chicken: Take the chicken thighs out of the fridge. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Mix Spices: In a small bowl, combine all herbs and spices. Set aside 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture for later use, and stir in the olive oil
- Season Chicken: Coat the chicken thighs evenly with the spice and oil mixture, making sure to get under the skin for enhanced flavor.
- Arrange for Baking: Place the chicken thighs on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with the reserved spice mix, pressing gently to ensure the seasoning adheres well.
- Bake: Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature hits 170°F, ensuring it’s cooked perfectly.Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before eating.
Notes
- Crispy Skin: Use a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet to promote air circulation, which helps create crispier skin. If you don’t have a rack, make sure the chicken pieces are spaced out on the baking sheet.
- Season Underneath: Gently lift the skin and season the meat underneath for deeper flavor and added crispness.
- Internal Temperature: Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 170°-175°F. For extra crispy skin, broil for the final 2 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Love this chicken! So flavorful. And perfect for 1.
Chicken thighs baked crispy are my favorite. I used to always do them in the oven, still do sometimes. The air fryer is chicken’s best friend. I use the same spice mix as you except I use smoked paprika. One day I added everything bagle season. Yeah, best thing every. Try it!
So glad these are a favorite! Everything bagel seasoning on chicken thighs sounds incredible. I’ll have to try it!
Hi Joanie.
I am really enjoying your single recipe for single persons.
Thank You so much.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and finding them helpful.
Love this recipe. Easy prepare, easy cleanup and it is delicious. It is one of my regular rotation meals.
Very good meal
I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
My air fryer, Vortex Mini, has three setting choices – bake, roast & air fry. Can I use the bake setting instead of heating up the regular oven?
I haven’t personally used the Vortex Mini, but it sounds like a great little appliance. While I developed this particular recipe for the oven, we do have an Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe on our site that you might find helpful. You could try using the air fry setting on your Vortex Mini with that one, it’s designed specifically for air frying (https://onedishkitchen.com/air-fryer-chicken-thighs/) , Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
This turned out fantastic. Will make again
I made this tonight using just one chicken thigh but was very large and while I was baking this I decided to roast some broccoli with it. Turned out just absolutely delicious and juicy!
I’ll be making this again
Jonie i have visited for a good while. I live alone love to cook but get TIRED of stpring or eating leftovers. I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart i shared your site with a good friend that just lost his wife of 45 years so hasnt been kooking for a while.
Love from S GA
That means so much—thank you for sharing my site with your friend. Cooking for one can be an adjustment, but I’m so glad you’ve found recipes here that make it easier and more enjoyable. Wishing you both all the best!
What is the 1/4 tsp of the seasoning mixture reserved for? I don’t see anything mentioned about it in the steps.
The reserved 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning is mentioned in step 5 of the instructions, where it’s sprinkled over the chicken thighs before baking.
I was looking for a thigh recipe yesterday and found this. I usually use my toaster oven for the single recipes and instead of the oven/toaster oven, I used my air fryer, same temp., 10 mins then flipped it. I then did about 8 mins, depending on thickness.
Ms Joanie, I am a 72 y/o widower and I have greatly enjoyed using some of your recipes. Very simply and quickly, for your baked chicken thighs, can I substitute six chicken wings? I don’t care much for the dark meat. Thank you for what you do for we “single” people. Please keep doing what you’re doing, and may God bless you.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. I’m glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes.
For the baked chicken thighs recipe, you can definitely substitute six chicken wings. I recommend increasing the oven temperature to 425°F and baking them for 40 to 45 minutes or until they are cooked through, turning them over halfway.
Thank you so much….
This recipe was SO GOOD. I didn’t have any skin-on boneless chicken, so I used 2 (two) boneless, skinless thighs. There was enough spice mixture to cover both sides of each thigh. I heated up some chicken flavored Rice A Roni and some cream corn. Like I said, it was SO GOOD. This meal was FANTASTIC. I would’ve taken a picture, but it smelled so inviting, I just dug in and ate both plates.
can i make this chicken in an air fryer instead of oven?
You probably can, but since I don’t use an air fryer myself, I can’t give you specific cooking times or details.
I made this delicious chicken thighs recipe, exactly as written, and it is easy and wonderful. Thank you Joni for all of your wonderful recipes for one!
Alisa
So easy, the chicken was prepped before the oven was ready. I made a side while the chicken baked. Dinner was really delicious, the spice rub (as written) took a simple dish way over the top. Wonderful!
Am going to use this recipe with 2 bone in chicken thighs I have thawed. Looks like it will be a winner!
Hi Joanie,
Can I sauté fresh onions and garlic instead of using garlic powder and onion powder? If so I much onion and garlic should I use in this recipe?
Garlic powder and onion powder do not agree with my husband lately.
Looking forward to make this recipe tomorrow.
Pamela Wante
Thanks for reaching out with your question. I totally understand wanting to adjust a recipe to suit personal tastes and needs. In this particular recipe, we’re creating a “paste” using seasonings and olive oil, which is why garlic powder and onion powder are used. They blend smoothly into a paste and distribute the flavors evenly.
Using fresh onions and garlic might not yield the same consistency or even distribution of flavors in this case. However, you can definitely experiment with other seasoning blends that you and your husband enjoy. For instance, a mix of salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, or a combination of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, could work wonderfully. There are many seasoning combinations that can be used to create a delightful flavor profile.
Feel free to play around with your favorite blends to find what works best for you in this recipe.
I would love to bake the 2 chicken thighs and the other recipes you have but to use the oven for one or 2 items just isn’t worth it. I recently bought a Cuisinart air fryer, bake, toast etc and I wonder if some of these recipes could also be tagged for air fryers.
Thank you
Sincerely
Marlene Bann
I haven’t tested our recipes using an air fryer. For this chicken thighs recipe, an air fryer should work just fine since an air fryer is basically just a convection oven. I recommend that you reduce the baking temperature by 25°F and then cut the cook time by about 20%. Just use the pause button on your machine to occasionally check the doneness and flip for balanced crispness on all sides. It may take some experimenting with time and temperature but an air fryer should work just fine for this and other similar recipes.
Love your recipes. Perfect for one
They are so easy n delicious. Thank you
I’m so happy you are enjoying our recipes – thank you!
Could I use a leg quarter instead of 2 thighs? I have several leg quarters that I need to use.
Yes.
Great recipe.
Thank you!