Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe

Published March 5, 2018
Dish of baked chicken thighs

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus additional for the chicken)
  • 10 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 whole chicken thighs
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 10 fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, toss the shallots with the olive oil and the 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Arrange them in a large baking pan.
  3. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
  4. Put the seasoned thighs over the top of the shallots, skin side up.
  5. Spread the thyme sprigs over the top of the chicken.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about an hour.

Serves about 6

Serving Suggestions and Variations

This is a great basic recipe. You can vary as follows:

  • Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies for a complete meal.
  • Zest a lemon or an orange and sprinkle over the chicken thighs with the salt.
  • Replace the thyme sprigs with tarragon.
  • Add whole cloves of garlic with the shallots and allow them to roast with the chicken.
  • Add one pound of quartered baby potatoes or other root vegetables such as carrots or turnips with or in place of the shallots for a one-pan meal.
  • Add 1/2 pound of fresh figs, halved lengthwise, to the shallots.
  • If you like really crispy skin, brown the chicken thighs, skin-side down, on the stove-top on medium-high in a large skillet with two tablespoons of olive oil before transferring to the baking pan, skin-side up. Browning should take five to seven minutes.
Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe