Crispy Oven Chicken
Juicy chicken thighs with a crisp and flavorful skin are possible with less than 5 minutes worth of effort! This crispy chicken is made in the oven without any breading at all; the only ingredients you need are the chicken, a drizzle of oil, and a sprinkling of spices.
I’ve been making different variations of our crispy pan-fried chicken and crispy oven-baked chicken for the past few years and it just doesn’t get old. From Crispy Oven Baked Ranch Chicken to Crunchy Baked Chicken, I especially love this method for baking chicken in the oven.
If you think you can only get your chicken thighs crispy by frying them on the stove, you’ll be surprised by this recipe. There’s no standing over a stove frying each chicken thigh one at a time. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about any splashing oil!
Baked Italian Chicken is juicy, tender and full of flavor from the Italian herbs, while the skin is just as crispy as your favorite pan fried chicken.
Italian Seasoning Chicken
This chicken gets its Italian flare from a generous rub-down with a blend of Italian herbs and spices. Any store bought Italian spice blend works well, or you can use your handy Homemade Italian Seasoning!
After rubbing each side of the chicken thighs with the spices and drizzling them with olive oil, the meat is ready to bake. Pop the pan of chicken in the oven and let it cook for about an hour. The skin will be browned and crisp when the chicken is ready.
That’s all it takes! The chicken comes out tasting incredible with crisped skin each and every time.
Oven Baked Italian Chicken Recipe
The recipe is dead easy and my whole family loves this chicken. It will likely be the easiest chicken dinner you’ll ever make. No marinade, no fancy ingredients, just a sprinkling of spices that are likely in your pantry already.
I like to serve this chicken with the Italian Rice Pilaf from my cookbook and a salad, but it would also work well with coleslaw, pasta salad, or potato salad. Every time I serve a platter of Italian baked chicken for dinner it disappears so fast I can hardly make it back for seconds!
This is a meal that makes both kids and adults happy and for that reason it’s definitely a winner.
Baked Chicken Recipes
If your family loves chicken dinners as much as mine, you can never have too many baked chicken recipes. We at chicken multiple times a week and never get bored with it thanks to all the fabulous ways we’ve found to prepare it.
When you’re in the mood for an Asian inspired meal, try my Sticky Asian Chicken or this Asian Glazed Orange Chicken by Foodie Crush. My kids also request this Sriracha Honey Cashew Chicken quite often.
One of our all time easiest dinner favorites is this Sheet Pan Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes by Barefeet In The Kitchen. The whole thing comes together in one pan making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
You might also like this Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts by Rachel Cooks and this Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca by For The Love of Cooking for a simple meal with fancy taste.
Need more ideas for baking chicken legs? I put together a list of The Best Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes to help you out!
For a stove top version of this Italian chicken, try my recipe for Pan Fried Italian Chicken Thighs. We love the chicken prepared both ways! The stove top version is great when your oven is occupied baking something else and you’re trying to get everything on the table at once.
Kitchen Tip: I use this sheet pan when making this recipe.
Baked Italian Chicken
You’ll love these crispy chicken thighs that don’t require any breading or frying. Served with a side of Italian Artichoke Tomato and Pasta Salad, baked Italian chicken will be a hit with the whole family.
Crispy Italian Oven Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 ½ - 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning store-bought is fine
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking tray or half sheet pan with foil and place all the chicken pieces on it, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and spices and flip each piece skin side up. Drizzle a little oil over the skin on each piece of chicken and rub lightly to coat. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, and spices.
- Bake for one hour, until most of the fat has rendered out of the chicken and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Debbie says
How many calories would there be in 2 pieces of chicken
Mary Younkin says
The recipe doesn’t really add any calories to the chicken. You can use the nutritional info for whichever pieces you are cooking.
Nancy says
I have made this so many times and it’s perfect 👌. My biggest gripe, is cleaning the oven afterward 😜. Yes, it will make a mess but it is worth it.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the chicken, Nancy!
Paul Brown says
What a great list! I regularly make my own granola, crackers (great use for nut pulp!), nut milks, nut butter, kombucha, hummus, dressings, and pesto. I have tried to make yogurt a few times but haven’t gotten it quite right, yet. Yeast breads intimidate me for some reason, though I made my own english muffins once last year! I will definitely be bookmarking this list and making some of these (ketchup!) very soon.
Paul Brown
Mary Younkin says
That is awesome, Paul. Happy cooking!