Easy baked chicken thighs use a few basic seasonings and are ready in just 30 minutes for a delicious main course that’s so juicy and flavorful!

We had a quiet, at-home Memorial Day at the beginning of this week, but we sure made it fun - and delicious!

There was board games and puzzles and reading, Legos and building projects, bike rides and homemade ice cream, Mario Kart playing, and a dinner feast on the porch with bacon cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, coleslaw, oven fries and watermelon. 🇺🇸🍉🎉

The kiddos also finished up school this week, and I'm thankful the at-home learning is over, along with all the technical difficulties and paperwork that went with it. It's TBD if we will miss having that bit of structure or schedule though...

This coming weekend we will celebrate my sweet chocolate lab Dixie, who is turning 11. She’s pretty much the best dog in the world (no, I’m not biased, why do you ask?) and we just adore her. ❤️

(Yup, I’ve put her on notice that she’s just gonna have to live forever. All of these walks while staying at home are surely helping with that, right?)

Anyway, let’s move on to the food!

Today’s recipe for these easy baked chicken thighs are one of my go-to chicken dinners.

Although, I must admit, I wasn’t always a big fan of chicken thighs. I didn’t get what all the fuss was about and thought the people who said they are so much more flavorful than chicken breasts were just loony.

I don’t even know what happened, if my taste buds changed after my second pregnancy, if I finally made them in a delicious way, not sure.

But I’m a total convert.

And these easy baked chicken thighs will make a convert of you too. They are crazy simple - just two seasonings plus some olive oil, salt and pepper - but they make for the most juicy, tender, flavorful chicken. (Check out Air Fryer chicken thighs for a different twist. And oven chicken shawarma is one of my absolute faves!)

Plus, they are super versatile! You can pair then with any side dish (I’ve got a few ideas below) and you can use them for wraps, grain bowls, or any recipe where you need some cooked chicken.

That is, if you don’t just devour them all as soon as they’re ready. Cause you’re gonna want to. 😍

Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make baked chicken thighs. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on baked chicken thighs:

• The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you are using bone-in, you’ll need to increase the baking time to ensure they cook through all the way through.
• The serving size is about 2 chicken thighs per person, so try and get a pack of 8. You can adjust the seasonings, if needed, depending on how many you make.
• Poultry seasoning is a great mix of herbs that adds a TON of flavor. You can buy it in the spice aisle and it typically contains thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg.
• Or, if you don’t have any or want to buy any, use a blend of sage, thyme and rosemary.
• Lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil makes clean-up a breeze.

Pro tip: Drizzle any accumulated juices from the baking pan over the chicken when serving. It makes me drool a little just thinking about it…

We love these chicken thighs served just on their own, but you could of course add a sauce or serve them with some dipping sauces.

My husband has brushed these with BBQ sauce before and that was delicious. You could also enjoy them with a pesto sauce, honey mustard, even Ranch dressing for the Ranch fanatics.

Or get creative and use your favorite sauce or dressing to pair with these.

OK, let’s round out this meal and get ready to eat!

What to serve with chicken thighs:

- You can serve this chicken with baked or mashed potatoes, steamed rice or creamy polenta. Pasta would work too.

- For a vegetable, do a simple steamed broccoli or asparagus. Or add a second baking sheet to the oven and roast some veggies while the chicken is cooking.

- You could also do a side salad to keep things simple.

Looking for some more exciting sides to go with this chicken for your dinner?

Try easy stovetop mac and cheese, which you can prep while the chicken is roasting. Or Caprese pasta salad, confetti brown rice, mashed cauliflower casserole, cheesy zucchini brown rice, or Mediterranean quinoa salad.

The beauty of a simple main dish like this is you can pair it with just about anything! And because it’s so hands-off, you can focus that time on your other sides.

Or you can just pour a glass of wine and enjoy a few (hopefully quiet) minutes in the kitchen. 😊🍷

Finally, a couple notes about any leftovers you might be lucky enough to have.

Leftover baked chicken thighs will keep, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Slice them, reheat if desired, and use for sandwiches, wraps, grain bowls and more.

I hope you give this a try for a simple, but seriously flavorful, easy chicken dinner soon.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn