An easy baked keto chicken thighs recipe that uses a trick from Cooks Illustrated to get the bone in chicken thigh skin nice and crispy! You will be making this low carb chicken thigh recipe over and over again!
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
These Keto Crispy Chicken Thighs are so easy to make and with no dirty skillet or grease splattered all over your kitchen! They are a frequent weeknight meal in my house because everyone loves baked chicken thighs and it is definitely kid friendly. They are the perfect low carb chicken dinner…and so much easier than pan frying!
COOKING FROZEN CHICKEN THIGHS
These crispy chicken thighs are definitely budget friendly. I bought a 4 lb bag of frozen chicken thighs at the grocery store for $4.98. That was cheaper than the fresh chicken thighs
I also like to buy frozen chicken thighs so I don’t have to cook them right away if I change my mind on what I want to make for dinner.
Before following this recipe, you will want to thaw your chicken thighs using a safe method such as leaving them in an air tight container over night.
MY METHOD FOR CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS
The method I used to accomplish these crispy chicken thighs (and I mean super crispy!) is to shake them with baking powder and my seasonings in a bag before they are baked. This method makes the skin so crispy! I’ve cooked chicken thighs in cast iron, I’ve grilled them, and I’ve baked them in the oven with just salt and pepper, and they have never come out this crispy!
Preheat the oven to 250F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray a wire rack with cooking spray. lay out the chicken thighs on the wire rack skin side up and place inside the baking sheet. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels.
Bake the chicken in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Increase the heat of the oven to 425F and move the oven rack up one spot then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until brown and crispy. Chicken is cooked through when an internal temperature of 165F is reached.
When I pulled these crispy keto chicken thighs out of the oven I was so excited!
I also use this method to make my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings.
“NO MESS” KETO CHICKEN THIGHS
To make these low carb chicken thighs “no mess” you need to line your sheet pan with foil, then just throw the mess away! I figure the water and soap and scrubbing used to clean the nasty pan more than makes up for the cost of the foil. The only things left to clean up is the wire rack, but we spray it with cooking spray so it should clean right up!
I have used this same method to make super crispy skin chicken legs and they were amazing as well!
MY OTHER KETO RECIPES USING CHICKEN THIGHS
I love to cook with chicken thighs! Here are some other keto chicken thighs recipes that you should check out: Roasted Butternut Squash with Chicken Thighs, Low Carb Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice Casserole
⭐ Did you make this baked keto chicken thighs recipe? I want to see! Tag me on Instagram @lowcarbwithjennifer
Crispy Keto Chicken Thighs Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 8 Large Bone in, Skin on Chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp baking powder (not baking soda!)
- ½ tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 250F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray a wire rack with cooking spray. lay out the chicken thighs on the wire rack skin side up and place inside the baking sheet. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels.
- Place the chicken in a bag or a bowl with a lid and toss the chicken in the baking powder and spices and then put the chicken back on the rack.
- Bake the chicken in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Increase the heat of the oven to 425F and move the oven rack up one spot then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until brown and crispy. Chicken is cooked through when an internal temperature of 165F is reached.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
JENNIFER'S TIPS
- The baking powder is essential to making these chicken thighs extra crispy. I like to make sure it is distributed evenly by shaking the chicken with the baking powder and seasonings in a bag or a large bowl with a lid.
- I have made this recipe with frozen and fresh chicken thighs. The frozen chicken thighs are more wet before cooking than fresh but they yield the same crispy results.
- I have also used this recipe to make crispy chicken legs. They were just as amazing! Just make sure you keep an eye on them in the final cook because they can cook a little quicker than the thighs.
NUTRITION
Angele Robillard says
Really enjoyed this. Love crispy chicken skin. Will definitely make it again
Thank you
Melody says
I just sat down to eat and I have to say, delicious! Very flavorful and moist chicken with a nice crisp skin. I will for sure make again. Thank you!
Angie G says
Thanks Jennifer. I followed your instructions exactly. My husband ate more than his share………… It was easy to follow and ingredients that we have on hand and tasty too. I will definitely use your recipe again.
Kristy Cardin says
Can you cook with skinless boneless thighs? It looks well!
jenniferbanz says
I would skip the baking powder and then just bake them at 400F for about 20 minutes
Bonnie says
So crispy and delicious
Jill Heun says
Could you use this method on a whole Chicken?
jenniferbanz says
I have not tried it so I cannot say.
Jenn S. says
Yes you can but you have to take the back bone out and flatten the chicken like you’re making chicken under a brick.
Julie says
This was so delicious and easy to make! The whole family loved it.
Stephanie says
This is a great recipe! Super easy and super crispy! I’ve pinned this and will definitely make this again! ?
Thanks!
Linda Buchanan says
I have a helpful hint. If you will mix all the seasonings together in the bag before you add the chicken there will be a lot more even distribution of flavors and a lot less chance of tasting the baking powder .
Alayna Bean says
You posted this over a year ago, but I just found it. And I have to say…I wasted that ear! It was a whole year I could have been eating this chicken!!! Absolutely love this, it’s a new go-to for my house!
Julia says
We loved it!! I also worried about the initial low temperature as I needed an extra 10 minutes at the 425 to cook the chicken, but the end result was excellent. I think the next time I will pump up the spice, but will certainly make this again. Thanks!
Carol Dees says
Going to give this a try on de-boned thighs, but mine doesnt have the skin. Darn! Think I’ll add some pork rind crumbs!
Virginia says
You need to make a cookbook. Your recipes are so good!
tora says
I have made this twice this week. Totally amazing and so crispy!
Gina says
They definitely looked and felt crispy at first, but, I don’t know. Maybe the baking powder feeling whenever taking a bite made it feel off? I can’t explain it, but the crispy chicken I was longing for was disappointing, and I ended up removing the skin all together.
Evelyn says
Can i use air fryer instead of oven for this
jenniferbanz says
yes
Alexis says
My absolute go to for chicken. love love love!! Thank you!
Elina says
Loved it!
Pat Greene says
I’ve made these multiple times. They are very crispy and tasty..
dehmom says
Next time I will double the baking powder and spices, coat half the chicken at a time, and use breasts instead of thighs.
THANK YOU!
Susan McKinnon says
I love this recipe but the first time I made it I used too much baking powder by mistake and Jennifer is right-it alters the taste. The second time I used the right amounts and the thighs were wonderful!
Heather says
I loved this chicken. Thank you for the recipe. I’d like to try the same thing on chicken wings. Have you tried that or do you have a best guess on what the cooking times might be?
jenniferbanz says
Yes, it works just as well on wings but I am not sure of the time
Cheryl Citron says
Susan, this is the basic method we use for wings, the instructions say put the rack in the bottom third of the oven at the lower temp for about the same amount of time, then use the rack in the top third of the oven, again as in this recipe. I will never make wings another way! For 2 pounds of wings we use 1 TBL baking powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt. The wings need to be very dry, and it helps to put them uncovered in the fridge to dry for a few hours… They come out great. We do turn them at least once on the second cooking on the top rack.
Brunella Brunet says
protein powder does well also.
Jenn G. says
I’m making this today, for my weekend food prep. I only have three chicken thighs, so I’m going to cut the seasonings in half. I hope it works! This looks delish!
Karen says
This was Amazing❣️ Crispy fried chicken without the mess.
I reduced the salt to 1 tso based on other comments. Loved it.
It is a keeper.
Minette Satterwhite says
I made it as directed and it was good. I think the chicken could use a brine to lock in moisture. Watch the last 10 mins bc my was a little dry and powdery. Overall, it was tasty…I used a homemade taco seasoning and legs/thighs my fam loved it! Play with it.
Dot says
I have to apologize – I used the wrong chicken thighs.. skinless no bones! What was I thinking- I will try again with bone-in skin on….never try what I did(very dry crust)…. sorry..
Flabl says
Can you BBQ instead of baking in oven?
jenniferbanz says
That should work!
Alexis says
At first I didn’t think I was doing it right!?! But them Bam… it turned out amazing! My husband couldn’t wait for me to pull the chicken out of the oven. Thank you, this will be added to our monthly menu for dinner.
Kimberlee Joyner says
This recipe was amazing! I did just as you said and the skin was so crispy and the chicken was very juicy and cooked completely! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lisa says
I can’t tell you how glad I was to find this recipe! The chicken comes out perfect every time (I’ve made this four or five times now) and is delicious! My four and six year old super picky eaters will scarf this chicken down. Thank you for a super easy and crunchy baked chicken recipe!
Katie says
Can I use boneless/skinless thighs?
jenniferbanz says
This really wouldn’t be a good method for boneless skinless thighs. You could use the seasoning but don’t use the baking powder. Bake them in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F
Danielle says
I am truly impressed with this recipe. Chicken was crisp and juicy. So delicious!
J Hall says
First time using baking powder and made this last week. Did not change a thing DELISH! Crispy and tastee Skin, juicy and tender chicken. Made a salad and Cauliflower Mash, I was the low carb hero. Jennifer, Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Shawn Creitz says
My husband and I are new to keto (5weeks) and this is a great addition to my sad little keto recipe book. We love crispy skin and this was such a good find!
Brett says
Worked perfectly! They were so tender and the skin was crispy. This will be a semi monthly standards for me.
Side note: I took 3 leftover thighs and microwaved then for about a minute to warm the insides. Then I put them under the broiler for about 8 minutes and BAM! Crispy skin again!
Lisa Long says
Amazing! I was afraid that I would taste the baking powder, but I did not. The skin was so crispy that it actually did seem like it was breaded and fried, Kentucky style. I used the hot Slap Yo Mama seasoning in place of the listed seasonings because that’s how I normally season them. The baking powder is a game changer! Thank you!!!!
Michelle says
Hi Jennifer, I made thighs according to your recipe and they were excellent! Thank you! How about breasts on the bone? I’m wondering about cooking time and temp. Thanks!
Kathy Bowlin says
Hi Jennifer, I’m getting ready to make the crispy chicken thighs and am worried there’s a typo in the directions. In the beginning, it reads “Preheat the oven to 250F. …..
Bake the chicken in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Increase the heat of the oven to 425F and move the oven rack up one spot then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until brown and crispy. Chicken is cooked through when an internal temperature of 165F is reached.” Do I bake it at 250F for the first 30 minutes, or should it be 350F? Please let me know so I don’t munk it up : ) Super thanks! Kathy
jenniferbanz says
The instructions are correct, bake at 250F to start rendering the fat in the skin. Then cook at 425F to get them crispy
Erica Moreland says
I added a little cayenne because we like things spicy, but otherwise made it exactly as directed-perfect! My husband raved over how juicy and crispy it was. Thanks for this incredibly easy and delicious recipe!
Stella says
I added almond flour to achieve something closer to a breading and it worked out great. My husband declared he’s never going back to eating chicken breast if we can make thighs taste this good!
Suzy says
I made this with Slap Your Mama seasonings and 1 tbsp of salt which was a bit much salt for the 4 lg thighs that I had, but it still came out really crispy and tasty.
And my almost 17 y/o DD, whosa a “sometimes” vegetarian ate & loved the chicken. We generally don’t eat chicken on the bone but she ate it up.
Perfect recipe. Thank you
Beth says
I bake these once a week. LOVE these!
Andrea says
I made these in my Air Fryer! SO delicious! Had to make in 2 batches 4 at a time. They came out perfect! 400 degrees 20 minutes! Excellent!
April says
Andrea, I just got my Air Fryer as an early Christmas gift. I’m SO going to try your suggestion!! Thanks for posting!!
Lori says
WOW WOW WOW WOW!!! This recipe was amazing. I’ll never go back to regular fried chicken. The flavors were mouth watering. My husband gave it an A+ and hes very picky about his fried chicken. It was easy as well. I feel now I’ve perfected the fried chicken issue Ive had. Thank you for sharing this. I will be making this weekly.
Lori D says
WOW WOW WOW WOW!!! This recipe was amazing. I’ll never go back to regular fried chicken. The flavors were mouth watering. My husband gave it an A+ and hes very picky about his fried chicken. It was easy as well. I feel now I’ve perfected the fried chicken issue Ive had. Thank you for sharing this. I will be making this weekly.
June says
Made these tonight! OMG perfect in every way. Crispy like you said. I told my husband to eat the skin and he wouldn’t (old school, no skin). So I ate his since I am doing Keto. Just delicious. I will be making this again and again. Even though I used a rack my chicken on the bottom wasn’t crispy. Do you have any advice about this. Made lots of juice in the pan which I also like. Thanks again
.
Michelle says
This recipe is delicious!! My son told me it was the best chicken he’d ever ate!
Barbara says
1/2 tablespoon of salt? All we tasted was the salt
jenniferbanz says
Did you use kosher salt? 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt for 4 pounds of chicken thighs is pretty standard. 4 pounds of chicken thighs would be about 8 thighs.
Jody says
Nani, did you increase the temp in the oven after the first 30 minutes? It goes a second half hour but at 425 degrees. Should work brilliantly. I did let mine go a little longer because I was waiting for another dish to cook.
Martha says
Love this recipe, crispy perfect every time! Using baking Powder on buffalo or hot wings works well too!
Jody says
I made this last night and my family LOVED the chicken thighs. My son said several times how much it tasted like KFC. LOL I will definitely be making this again – even for the simple fact that I’m not eating meat protein for two weeks and missed out on it. Thanks for the recipe!
Diann says
This was a great recipe. I had two lbs of chicken and I tweaked the recipe accordingly. I didn’t have smoked paprika (out), so I used regular and the liquid smoke tip. I had another casserole in so I couldn’t do the temps the same, so I did 350 until temp, and we loved it. It takes a little longer to cook that way, but it was fine. Love this recipe!
Nyoka says
I’m wanting to make this with leg quarters. I’ll probably have to play with the baking time but I’m excited to make it. My mom use to pretty much make the same thing but with cornstarch instead of baking powder. I didn’t know baking powder would crisp up. Thanks for the tip!
Peter says
Are you using a conventional oven or a convection type?? Does affect temperature setting.
I made this dish and everyone loved it.
I think that I would use parchment paper versus foil next time. The other thing that I should have done is remove the chicken when increasing the oven temp t0 425. I left the chicken in the oven and found that I had to shorten the final bake time to prevent burning.