This easy Oven Baked Chicken Thigh recipe is reminiscient of Mom's...tender, flavorful dark meat with a crispy skin! Serve with your favorite bowl of homemade mashed potatoes or a side of rice and chicken gravy!
8chicken thighsbone-in, skin-on (See Recipe Notes: Chicken)
1stickbuttercut into 8 sections
½largeyellow onion(optional)
1cupwater
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Pat dry chicken thighs with paper towel
Add 1 cup water to baking dish
Lightly salt and pepper chicken thighs (top and bottom)
Place chicken thighs in baking dish
Place one dollop of butter and two slices of onion on each thigh
Slice onion into 16 small pieces; cut butter into 8 slices (optional)
Cover baking dish with foil
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF
Remove foil and place chicken and baking dish back into the oven
Turn oven setting to 500ºF
Allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken skins begin to brown
Remove from oven and serve
Notes
How Long Do I Bake Chicken Thighs? The amount of cook time for baked and/or roasted chicken thighs depends upon a few factors:
temperature of oven
type of poultry: skin-on takes longer than no-skin
amount of chicken thighs (8-10 thighs take longer than 2-3)
This recipe bakes the chicken at 350ºF, covered for 50 minutes then, the cover is removed and the chicken is broiled at 500ºF for 5-8 minutes. As ovens vary, the best way to determine the doneness of poultry is to use a reliable meat thermometer.What Should the Temperature Reach?Food safety regulations require poultry reach an internal temperature of at least 165ºF. The best way to take the temperature of a skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh is to place the thermometer in the thickest area of the thigh, but not next to the bone.How to Remove the Skin from Chicken ThighsIf you bought skin-on chicken pieces, but don't want to cook them with the skin on, use a sharp knife and gently cut away the skin before you season the poultry. Keep in mind the skin offers flavor and fat, so if you want to make chicken gravy to go with your roasted chicken, you might want to keep the skin on.How to Make Chicken GravyAfter the chicken is done, place it in foil and pour the remaining liquid into a measuring cup to determine how much fat residue is leftover (this will determine how much flour to add to make a roux for the chicken gravy).
Pour the chicken liquid into a cast-iron skillet on medium heat
Add an equal amount of flour to the liquid; whisk and cook for 3 minutes
Add chicken stock to roux until it reaches the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper
Serve over chicken, rice or potatoes
Note: if you need to make more chicken gravy, add butter or oil to the chicken juice then, add an equal amount of flour to the skillet.