This Oven Baked Chicken Thighs recipe is a force to be reckoned with! Simple and deliciously baked chicken with a mustard, honey glaze – this dish is definitely going to be a top-contender in your weekly recipe planning!
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
I’ve done it again you guys! Another perfectly prepared and simple chicken recipe for your weekly rotation! Chicken is so easy to get creative with and is one of the most versatile meats out there! I’m willing to bet most of you won’t even need to make a trip to the supermarket, so that’s already a win win!
This chicken dish combines simplicity and bold flavors, making it an no-brainer for those mid-week meals! The sweet element of honey paired with the spicy and savouriness of mustard and honey glaze – I’m telling you, this sauce is absolutely drool worthy!
Do I Have To Use Chicken Thighs?
Of course not! You’re welcome to use other cuts of chicken including, drumsticks, wings, or breasts. Please keep in mind though, that different cuts of chicken will require different cook times!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – I’m using 2 lb of chicken thighs today – bones in, skin on.
- Salt and pepper – For seasoning and to taste.
- Olive oil – I like to use a nice neutral tasting oil when cooking with chicken.
- Mustard – Today I am using both a regular mustard as well as a dijon grainy mustard. You can use any brand you like!
- Honey – The sweet element.
- Garlic – 6 fresh cloves, minced. Always remember the golden rule; 1 1/2 teaspoons is equal to 1 fresh clove.
- Red pepper flakes – For some added heat.
How To Make Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Preheat oven: To 425 F degrees.
- Prepare chicken: In a bowl or on a cutting board generously season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper; place into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Prepare sauce: In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, both mustards, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes until well incorporated. Brush sauce (be generous!) over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Bake: Bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken highs have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees and skin is crispy.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, and serve warm!
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
These chicken thighs can also be made in the air fryer, for best results consult your manual since each fryer may be different. Here’s basic instructions on how to make these chicken thighs in the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F degrees. Follow the instructions to prepare the chicken and sauce as instructed in the recipe, including brushing them with the sauce.
- Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer basket, in a single layer, skin side up.
- Fry in the preheated air fryer until the chicken is brown and crispy, about 18 to 20 minutes. The chicken thighs should have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees when done.
How Do I Know When The Chicken Is Done?
The most foolproof way to ensure chicken is cooked through is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest or meatiest part of the chicken and it should read between 165 F – 175 F degrees, when finished. I recommend using a meat thermometer for chicken attached to the bone as it can sometimes remain a little more pink than a chicken breast, due to the minerals in the bones.
How Long To Bake Chicken Thighs
Keep in mind that when baking chicken thighs with bone-in and skin-on the baking time required is longer than the skinless boneless kind. Also the oven temperature also affects how long you bake your chicken thighs for.
| 350°F (175°C) | 50 to 55 minutes |
| 375°F (190°C) | 45 to 50 minutes |
| 400°F (205°C) | 40 to 45 minutes |
| 425°F (218°C) | 35 to 45 minutes |
What To Serve With Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Chicken, anyway you cook it, is super versatile! You can serve it so many ways; with some fluffy carbs and some veg, on a salad, over some rice or noodles – the options are truly endless! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Skillet Green Beans
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Harvest Rice
- Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Rice
What To Do With Leftovers
When stored or wrapped well, this oven baked chicken is going to last in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend freezing it to extend it’s shelf life. When stored in a sealed airtight container, the chicken will last in the freezer for 4 – 6 months.
How To Reheat Chicken Without Drying it Out
There are a couple different options when it comes to reheating chicken, the most common ways are in the oven or in the microwave.
- In the oven: Preheat your oven to 325 F degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken in the centre of the aluminum foil and pull the sides up to completely wrap the chicken in the foil (brushing with a little olive oil prior to wrapping in foil will also help to keep the chicken crispy on the outside). Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees.
- In the microwave: Place the chicken into a microwave-safe dish. Again you can brush the chicken with olive oil to help the chicken stay moist. Cover the dish with microwave-safe plastic wrap and cook for 2 – 3 minutes at a time, until internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees. If you’re using regular plastic wrap – don’t let it touch the chicken as it can transfer chemical to the meat.
Looking For More Chicken Ideas? Try These Recipes:
- Garlic Butter Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Chicken Madeira
- Easy Chicken Paprikash
- Crockpot Thai Chicken
- Chicken on the Ritz
- Cheesy Chicken Fritters
- Crispy Fried Chicken
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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoons mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.
- Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and season them generously with salt and pepper.
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the thighs and toss them well.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to a 9×13 inch baking dish including any remaining sauce. No need to grease the dish.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until the chicken thighs have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees and skin is crispy.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used, but they will bake fast, they should only require 20 to 25 minutes in the oven.
- The honey mustard glaze is completely optional. For a simpler chicken thigh recipe, simply season the thighs with salt and pepper, drizzle a couple tbsp of olive oil in the baking dish and bake as instructed.
- When stored or wrapped well, this oven baked chicken is going to last in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend freezing it to extend its shelf life. When stored in a sealed airtight container, the chicken will last in the freezer for 4 – 6 months.
Does the olive oil not burn or smoke up the oven when cooking at that temp and is it better to cook it with the broiler setting on?
No, it doesn’t. The broiler temperature is much higher, around 550 so, you want to use the temperature as stated in the recipe.
This recipe is super yummy
This recipe was simply delicious.
So glad you liked it!
I had to use horseradish instead of wholegrain mustard, This came out so moreish! Had it on top of stirfry veg. The balance between flavours was amazing.
I loved the flavor of the chicken, unique.. However, I noticed a few other comments mentioned the excessive amount of liquid. Have you ever tried to make this on a baking sheet instead of the baking dish? My boyfriend and I prefer more of a crispy coating on both sides of the chicken thighs. I was wondering if I flipped it half way through or possibly just draining some of the liquid midway?
Yes, you can totally do that, or maybe even turn the broiler on for the last couple minutes to crisp up the skin more.
Hello, do you cover the chicken in the oven or cook it uncovered? Thanks!
Uncovered. 🙂
I’m going to have to give this recipe another attempt but using a glass dish. I put it in the air fryer and all the glaze just spilled off so there wasn’t much flavor left on the chicken.
This recipe saved my butt! I needed to use chicken thighs and was trying to find quick, easy, and delicious recipes to use. This was perfect! It was super quick and easy to throw together, I made it with Jo’s baby roasted potatoes recipe on one stone dish and made it look like a gourmet meal in 30 minutes. The honey mustard flavor was tasty and the hint of crushed red pepper gives it a subtle bang that definitely adds character to the dish. My husband said it was a definite do-again!
So glad you guys enjoyed the recipes. 🙂
This was delish. Only change I had to make is I didn’t have grain mustard, so I used 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp dijon mustard and 1 tsp mustard seed. I also used avocado oil instead of olive oil. I took the skin off my bone in chicken thighs too and marinated it for about an hour in the sauce before cooking. It was super yummy! Everyone loved it. Thanks!
Using bone-in, skinless thighs, did you use same time and temp as in the recipe?
Yes, same temperature, but it may take a few minutes less.
I cooked this tonight using four (4) bone-in thighs and it was great. I did not reduce the amount of ingredients used. Next time I will use skinless so I get more of the flavor into the meat (I took the skin off after cooking). I didn’t have honey so I used light Karo corn syrup and we were out of dijon mustard so I used Koops’ Arizona Heat mustard. It took 45 minutes in my oven to get the chicken to 165F.
Everything was tender and juicy. I ate all four of the thighs myself.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
This was so easy. My five year old, who had already had dinner at a friend’s house, ate three thighs! Putting this in the weekday dinner recipe book 😉
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Why oh why did I eyeball the ingredients; I don’t know; but my version had the sauce not thickening and thus not clinging to chicken. I ended up last minute adding some to a frying pan with a dash of flour and then rolling the chicken to coat. Can you let me know where I might of gone wrong for next time? And I know now to follow recipe more exactly going forward. Thanks so much again.
You should pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels, this will ensure the sauce will stick.
Thank you Joanna. I think I added the incorrect ratio of ingredients because my dish had quite a bit of liquid vs. drying up like your picture illustrates. But it was delish and I will try it again following your recipe exactly to avoid any unwanted variations. Appreciate you taking the time to respond and thank you again for sharing this recipe.
My pleasure!
This was sooo easy to make! Prep was quick & easy & it came out so juicy & flavorful! Very delicious! I will definitely make this again!!