Baked Chicken Thighs
Updated January 2, 2024
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried thyme, rosemary or oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh), or 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon
6 to 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), patted dry
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
5 grams carbs; 333 milligrams cholesterol; 927 calories; 37 grams monosaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 75 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 985 milligrams sodium; 57 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon over the bowl, reserving the rest of the lemon for serving, and whisk until combined.
- Step 2
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl, tossing until fully coated in the marinade. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
- Step 3
Heat the oven to 425 degrees and lift the chicken thighs from the marinade, letting any excess drip into the bowl. Place the thighs on a sheet pan and let them sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Bake until fully cooked and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. An internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 165 to 175 degrees.
- Step 4
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
This is lovely as written but I did an experiment: half as stated, half adding plain yogurt to the marinade as fermented dairy works wonders with poultry. Marinated 8 hrs. We enjoyed both but the yogurt addition pieces were fought over, literally with snarls. So, so tender. My advice: add a very generous dollop of yogurt (5% fat is ideal but do you). Listen to the wise people saying to cook to at least 180°. Unlike white meat, thighs need extra heat to break down the connective tissue.
We eat a lot of Chicken thighs and I always cook them to 195°. Thighs can take the higher temp and it just about gets rid of all the unagreeable tough textured parts and are much more enjoyable to eat.
Maybe you have a magic oven, but mine at 425 still leaves the meat too pink to the bone at 30m. 40-45 is more like it.
I don’t think I made any changes to this recipe and it came out very well. I paired it with a potatoes au gratin recipe I found here and both dishes earned rave reviews. That was fantastic because both recipes were incredibly simple to follow and did not require many ingredients. Two thumbs up.
We raise our own chickens so I’m biased when I say our chicken is already incredible…this recipe totally levels it up though. Crunchy skin, flavorful marinade…it’s amazing! The only thing I add is a bit of porcini mushroom powder. This is my go to thigh recipe!
I’m one of like 7 people on the planet that does not like the taste of mustard. But I recognize it’s emulsifing powers 😂 So I subbed some tahini…that flavor didn’t come through and the chicken was delish.