Description
This Easy Baked Chicken recipe is perfect for cozy winter dinners. Featuring bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs baked to golden perfection and infused with a fragrant garlic butter sauce enriched with fresh parsley and thyme, it promises succulent, flavorful results with minimal effort. A simple seasoning of salt and black pepper complements the rich herb butter, making it an ideal comforting dish for cold evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Prepare and Season Chicken: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish, skin side up. Season generously with salt and black pepper to enhance the natural flavors of the meat.
- Make Garlic Butter Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, and thyme leaves. Cook gently for about 2 minutes until the mixture is fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat.
- Coat Chicken with Sauce: Pour the melted garlic butter mixture evenly over the chicken thighs, ensuring good coverage to infuse flavor during baking.
- Bake the Chicken: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until the skin turns golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced. Around the halfway mark, baste the chicken with pan juices to maintain moisture and deepen flavor.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring juicy and tender meat. Spoon any extra garlic butter sauce from the pan over the chicken before serving for added richness.
Notes
- For extra crisp skin, broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes at the end of baking but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Bone-in, skin-on thighs provide more flavor and juiciness than boneless options.
- This dish pairs well with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a fresh green salad.
- Use fresh herbs for best flavor, but dried thyme and parsley can be substituted at 1 teaspoon each if needed.
- Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently to preserve moisture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baked chicken, garlic butter chicken, winter dinner recipe, easy chicken thighs, herb chicken, comfort food
