Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs featuring perfect crispy skin on the outside and delicious tender chicken on the inside. Serve this impressive main dish with your favorite side dishes for a complete meal.
Attention chicken lovers!
This may just be the only chicken thigh recipe you’ll ever need!
Slathering skin-on chicken thighs with a garlic butter herb concoction then roasting them to crispy perfection in the oven results in the most mouth-watering main entree!
Made with only a few straightforward ingredients, this easy dinner recipe is perfect for those who are looking for a luscious meal that the whole family will enjoy.
If you’ve made my Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs or my Honey Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs you know I’m all about boneless thighs too.
However, for the purpose of sinking your teeth into a crispy skin adventure, we’re using bone-in thighs for this particular recipe.
But don’t worry. If you prefer boneless thighs over bone-in thighs, I have included instructions below for boneless.
In a few simple steps, you’ll enjoy the best chicken recipe with plenty of garlic flavor for a delicious weeknight dinner.
The best part about this easy chicken thigh recipe is it is easy to prepare at a moment’s notice and you can find the ingredients at any grocery store.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for garlic butter chicken thighs.
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs:
Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs: Pick up 4 to 5 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs to prepare this delicious main dish. For me, this was 8 large thighs.
While you can use other cuts of chicken for this recipe, such as boneless chicken breasts, drumsticks, or boneless chicken thighs, just note that the exact cooking time will be different depending on the type of chicken pieces you use.
Adjust the baking time and temperature accordingly.
Butter: Use one stick (½ cup or 8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter to make these thighs an absolute dream. I use grass-fed butter but you can choose any kind you like.
Fresh Garlic: Finely chop some fresh garlic cloves for the garlic portion of the recipe. If you don’t have garlic on hand but you do have garlic powder, feel free to use 1 tablespoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
Dried Herbs: Use fresh or dried herbs to give the chicken a rustic vibe. I like using dried herbs like Italian seasoning or a combination of dried parsley, dried oregano, and rosemary. Herbs de Provence works great too.
You can also use fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, and fresh oregano. If you go this route, use up to 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the chicken with salt and pepper to your personal taste.
Recipe Adaptations:
- For lemon garlic chicken thighs, you can add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the garlic butter sauce.
- If you’re dairy-free, you can replace the butter with 1/2 cup of olive oil. If you go this route, you can also marinate the chicken in the garlic olive oil mixture for up to 12 hours.
Now that we’re familiar with the simple ingredients list, let’s make delicious garlic herb chicken thighs!
How to Make Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Microwave the stick of butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted (about 30-60 seconds).
Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, sea salt and black pepper until the ingredients are well combined to make the garlic butter sauce.
Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat the thighs dry using a paper towel if there is any excess liquid.
Transfer the chicken thighs to a large casserole dish or baking dish in a single layer.
Spoon the garlic butter mixture over the thighs, spreading it so that the full surface of the skin is coated with garlic butter herb mixture.
Note: if you like salty food like me, sprinkle some sea salt over the chicken either before or after dousing the thighs with the butter mixture.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon the juices over the thighs (baste the chicken).
Turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes for crispy chicken skin, or until the chicken skin is golden brown and reaches your desired level of crisp.
For even crispier skin, move the oven rack to the shelf that’s third from the top (if it isn’t there already) and broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken skin is extra crispy.
Chicken thighs are considered fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F; however, I find the taste and texture is best when they are cooked to 180 degrees or higher.
Unlike chicken breasts, bone-in thighs have superior texture when they are cooked slightly longer.
Nevertheless, feel free to cook the thighs to your desired doneness, provided the internal temperature is 165 or over.
To check the temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read.
Serve garlic butter chicken thighs with your favorite sides and enjoy! Steamed or roasted veggies and white rice or brown rice are great options to soak up some of the sauce.
I like to spoon the juices from the pan over rice. Serve with lemon slices so that you can drizzle fresh lemon juice over the tender chicken thighs if you’d like.
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
For the best flavor and texture, serve the thighs fresh out of the oven.
You can also meal prep this crispy baked chicken thighs recipe for weeknight dinners, as it saves very well.
These easy baked chicken thighs only require a few minutes of prep and not much baking time. Not too shabby for a busy weeknight meal!
My entire family loves golden crispy skin, and this garlic butter chicken thighs recipe results in the most delicious crispy chicken thighs for the garlic lover.
What to Serve With Chicken:
If you’re looking for some delicious side dishes to pair with chicken, here are some of my favorites.
- Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables
- Apple Broccoli Salad with Walnuts
- Garlic Butter Roasted Cabbage
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
- Healthy Creamy Coleslaw
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Can I Make This With Boneless Thighs?:
If you prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs over the bone-in version, here is what you do.
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. Baste it with the juices then broil for 5 to 10 minutes or until the thighs are golden brown and have reached your desired level of doneness.
Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to be sure the chicken is 165 degrees F or higher. I like cooking skinless thighs to around 185 to 190 degrees F because I think the texture turns out better.
If you’re a chicken lover, check out these simple recipe to keep your chicken game strong.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes:
- Cuban Mojo Chicken Thighs
- Baked Chili Lime Chicken Breasts
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Crispy Mediterranean Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- 5-Ingredient Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
The next time you have a craving for garlic butter crispy chicken goodness, whip up this simple recipe!
Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning*
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Microwave the stick of butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted (about 30-60 seconds).
- Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, sea salt and black pepper until the ingredients are well combined to make the garlic butter sauce.
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat the thighs dry using a paper towel if there is any excess liquid.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to a large casserole dish or baking dish in a single layer.
- Spoon the garlic butter mixture over the thighs, spreading it so that the full surface of the skin is coated with garlic butter herb mixture. Note: if you like salty food like me, sprinkle some sea salt over the chicken either before or after dousing the thighs with the butter mixture.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon the juices over the thighs (baste the chicken). Turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes for crispy chicken skin, or until the chicken skin is golden brown and reaches your desired level of crisp. For even crispier skin, move the oven rack to the shelf that’s third from the top (if it isn’t there already) and broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken skin is extra crispy.
- Chicken thighs are considered fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F; however, I find the taste and texture is best when they are cooked to 180 degrees or higher. Unlike chicken breasts, bone-in thighs have superior texture when they are cooked slightly longer. Nevertheless, feel free to cook the thighs to your desired doneness, provided the internal temperature is 165 or over. To check the temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read.
- Serve garlic butter chicken thighs with your favorite sides and enjoy! Steamed or roasted veggies and white rice or brown rice are great options to soak up some of the sauce. I like to spoon the juices from the pan over rice. Serve with lemon slices so that you can drizzle fresh lemon juice over the tender chicken thighs if you’d like.
Notes
Nutrition
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Made this recipe for the first time. Was looking for a quick easy recipe with items on hand. My husband and I loved it! Definitely going to be on the rotation (among others of yours)! Thank you for all of your fabulous recipes! Your website is the first place I check for inspiration and healthy meal options.
This has become a favorite in our house. We use boneless skinless thighs because I have a picky eater who doesn’t like chicken on the bone. (Yeah all those who think they have picky eaters haven’t met this kid) Fortunately when he’s not eating cheese and bread he will eat chicken and garlic) This recipe even boneless is so easy and sooooo yummy. Highly recommend!
Aww I love hearing that! It’s always heart warming to receive the information that a little one enjoyed one of my recipes. And knowing a picky eater is sold is so flattering! I’m happy to hear the recipe works well with boneless thighs – this is super great news and awesome info for others who want to try the same thing! Thanks, Laura!
This is one of my go to lunch recipes. I make it Sunday, and it lasts the week for us. I saute up some mushrooms, toss them in the casserole dish after the basting, and put the juices and mushrooms over pasta. It’s a wonderful winter meal.
Ooh, I love the idea of enjoying the chicken with mushrooms. Your method sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Sarah! xo
Easy to make. Moist and delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written.
I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
My family loved it! I did use boneless skinless chicken thighs though but it came out perfect.