Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
Crispy-skinned, juicy oven-baked chicken thighs with bright lemon pepper. Three ingredients, almost no effort.
Chicken thighs are the unsung hero of weeknight cooking: cheaper than breasts, nearly impossible to dry out, and they crisp up beautifully in a hot oven. With a good lemon pepper blend, you get a ton of flavor for almost no work.
Roast some vegetables on a second sheet pan while these bake and dinner basically makes itself. The crisp skin and bright, peppery lemon make it feel like more than the sum of three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Rub them all over with olive oil, then coat with the lemon pepper seasoning and a little salt.
- Arrange skin-side up on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 175°F (80°C).
- Let the thighs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Baking sheet or dish
- Meat thermometer
Tips
- Dry skin is crispy skin. Pat the thighs as dry as possible before seasoning.
- Bone-in thighs are forgiving; they stay juicy even if you leave them in a few minutes too long.
- Many lemon pepper blends already contain salt, so taste before adding more.