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!
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!
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!)
- 1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 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.
- Serve with my Cauliflower Mac and Cheese!
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.
Alison says
Would boneless chicken thighs work? These look delicious and I have some boneless thighs on hand
Kellie says
Made this tonight for the first time & my family loved it! So crispy! So tasty! Thank you for sharing!
Anna says
I have never left a review for a recipe until today! Me and my family could not believe how amazing this chicken came out. Thank you!!!!!! This is going to make my Keto journey well worth it!
Tina Courtois says
I want to Mae the trite what spices do you use?
jenniferbanz says
The same spices in the recipe
Evan Halperin says
This method works awesome with regular wings.
Angel Butler says
Omg!! This chicken is amazing! I love the crispy skin and juicy meat. Well done ! From now on I will beusingthis technique for baked chicken. Thank you!!
Maria says
WOW. This recipe is simply amazing! The chicken is juicy, the skin is super crispy…all in all, it is absolutely DELICIOUS! New family favorite!
Erin says
These were so good. Crispy but juicy and very Lorie mess!!
Mary Ann says
I’d like to make this recipe tonight. It looks and sounds wonderful. Would this turn out crispy if I used my broiler pan to bake them? I don’t have a cooking rack. Thanks so much.
Mary Ann
jenniferbanz says
That should work just fine
Lily says
Thank you so much for this. Now making it for the third time this way to get the skin low carb crispy. The first time I did it as recipe called for. Second time I layered the inside with seasoning and Parmesan cheese. This time I stuffed with creamed spinach.
Adie says
These were terrific and enjoyed by absolutely everyone. Will definitely make again
Lori says
Excellent recipe. I was skeptical but it worked. Just used half the amount of chicken with the spices. So if I use the whole amount will double the spices part. Worked out perfect. Also had to use onion flakes as I was out of onion powder. My child who doesn’t like chicken thighs loved this recipe. Very very yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Emily Jacobs says
This was awesome! I followed the recipe exactly (including the 2 tbs baking powder) except for two things:
1. Tweaked the spices a little for my own preference
2. Spritzed some cooking oil on the chicken about halfway through baking to make sure the seasoning got properly toasted.
Definitely will be doing this again!
Laurine says
I’ve made these many times with thighs and they are great! Tonight I’m giving chicken wings a try! Any suggestions? Just started to bake at 250
Cassie says
Could I do this on the BBq instead with the same result?
Kim says
This I should wonderful! I just started Keto and this is a great replacement for flour. Who knew?!? Baking powder.
Micheline says
WOW…that is all I can say. I made these tonight and they were delicious!!! Finally crispy chicken…I thank you, thank you for this.
Sarah says
Made these a few times now, and wanted to comment to those who feel the baking powder is too prominent. After some of the skin fat has rendered down, and near the end of the high temp cooking, use a brush to baste the skin with the juices/fat that has rendered. It will moisten that powdery residue from the baking powder, but still be crispy. Hope this helps.
Jodi says
I don’t have a cooking rack, will it still turn out ok just on foil?
jenniferbanz says
It would be sitting in its juices so they would be less crispy
Stacie says
Can I use xanthan gum instead?
jenniferbanz says
No, xanthan gum is only good for thickening.
Sara says
Amazing. I’ve made these now 3 times. So addicting. Super crispy! Next day not as crispy after in fridge but still super good and never any leftovers. Will try this recipe soon with drumsticks!
Perfect for my low carb diet… sort of a KFC fix! Thanks so much!!!!
jenniferbanz says
If you do end up with leftovers, you can reheat them in a skillet with the skin side down to get the skin crispy again. So glad you like the recipe!
Leslief says
I just made these tonight. They were delicious!
Thank you!
Sandy says
I made theses tonight and they were scrumptious! But I used boneless, skinless thighs. Very good and tasty!
Judy says
I made the recipe exactly and my chicken skin didn’t crisp up and it didn’t taste salty or spicy enough for my taste. I am now going to recook it at 500 to crisp the skin up. Hopefully it will crisp up. Definitely not enough salt in this recipe.
shirley says
just discovered your blog/webb site, love your easy approach to keto! can’t wait to try !
liesl says
this recipe is so good. I use skinless chicken and just lessen the time at the end. we use them in salads, they’re a hit!
jenniferbanz says
So glad you like it!
Kay says
Wow, Jennifer, this chicken is WONDERFUL! I made it last night, and it is da bomb dot com! Baking powder was the difference! (But you are correct to warn everyone to make sure its evenly distributed.). Thanks for your efforts! My new favorite chicken recipe!
jenniferbanz says
I loved reading your comment and I am so glad you liked the recipe! Thank you!
EasyRoasted5 says
I’ve tried a lot of Mess Crispy Chicken Thighs Recipe , and with this one I feel like I finally hit gold! Full chicken taste, beautiful gold colour, perfect salt, no fussy steps and done in the same amount of time (or less) as other recipes. This was really good. Thanks
jenniferbanz says
So glad you liked them!
Diane says
What is the carb count with the baking powder? I always heard no baking powder on low carb?
jenniferbanz says
Less than one gram per serving. Just about every low carb baking recipe has baking powder.
Robynn says
I’ve made this three times, it is good but sometimes the baking soda is too much or comes out of the oven with dry patches.. I now just hand rub the baking powder and seasonings using less too avoid this and then before baking I spray them with canola or vegetable oil, this has helped 100% and still have the desired crispness.
madison larue says
thanks jenifer for this amazing resipe my parents love this so much that they want me to make this again and a again if there are more recipes like this pelease let me know thanks
jenniferbanz says
Thank you for your comment, Rose. I have done some research and I have decided to reduce the salt amount in the recipe.
Dede Mitchell says
Hi I discovered on another site that it is a certain type of baking powder. Some powders have,aluminum, you need to get the Aluminum free powder. I had Rumford aluminum- free baking powder. And go easy on the salt but feel free to add any dry salt-free options. -Dede
jenniferbanz says
Sorry to hear that, Debra. I’ve made this recipe several times and have never tasted the baking powder. Did you use 4 pounds of chicken thighs?
Maria says
Do you have a suggestion for a substitution for baking powder? I was excited to make these until I realized that it’s not Whole 30 approved with the baking powder in it.
jenniferbanz says
I’m sorry Maria, I didn’t realize baking powder wasn’t Whole 30 approved. I’m thinking you could just leave it out and they will be a little less crispy.
Joanna says
WOW this came out beautifully! I have a garlic allergy so modified the garlic powder with some dry oregano and Chili powder was divine! I will be sharing this with all of my heath conscious friends and family!
Kat says
Deeeelish! Perfect. A frequent meal at our house. Thank you!
jenniferbanz says
I love hearing that!
Dawn says
What is the purpose of moving the rack up in the oven? Is it for ovens that have a heating element on top? Mine is just a broiler at the top.
Marilyn says
Did you leave the chicken in the oven while the temp was increasing to 425?
jenniferbanz says
Yes
Kim says
So you leave the chicken in the oven and move up the rack and set to 425 do you bake another 25-30 min after temp reaches 425?
jenniferbanz says
You don’t have to wait for the temp to reach 425. Just 25-30 minutes after you move the rack up.
Helen says
You actually cook the thighs at 250 as the first step? That doesn’t seem very hit.
Becca says
I thought so too. I’m going to make this now by instruction and see what happens.
Ailene moore says
I have made these more times than I can count. I also sent every one of my friends the recipe!!!! They are perfect every time! Has anyone tried it with chicken legs? Thanks again!
jenniferbanz says
That’s so great to hear! I have used this recipe with chicken legs and they were amazing!
Susie says
I admit did not have much confidence in this recipe but looking for a different thigh recipe that could be gluten free. It was delicious!! And, my finicky hubby asked for it again. Thank you!
jenniferbanz says
That’s so good to hear, Susie!
Danielle says
All I tasted was baking powder I don’t know what I did wrong I did exactly what the recipe called for…
jenniferbanz says
Sorry to hear that, Danielle. If you end up trying again, you could mix the chicken with the seasonings in a large zip lock bag or a large bowl with a lid. It might get distributed more evenly that way.
Tina says
Maybe you accidentally used baking soda? I have mixed up baking powder and baking soda more times than I like to admit!
SJ says
I had same experience and used a ziplock bag, tasted just like baking powder on the chicken skin. ?
Iris Gluzman says
Did anyone try this with boneless, skinless chicken? You know, the one your son take out of the freezer when he does not read the whole text you send him.
jenniferbanz says
I would do the seasoning but not the baking powder. Then bake them in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes ?
Barbara says
So if skinless, just bake for a total of 20-25 minutes? And at 250F or 425F? Thanks! I bought a big bag from Costco & didn’t realize they were skinless & boneless.
jenniferbanz says
I would cook at 350 for boneless skinless. And you will not need the baking powder.
Frankie says
Lmao i can so relate! ??
Janet says
Hi are you thawing the chicken first?
jenniferbanz says
Yes…I will edit my post!
Mary // Chattavore says
I love crispy chicken thighs! These look excellent!
Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman says
You literally had me at “No Mess”! I can’t think of the number of times I’ve avoid making fried chicken because I just don’t want to clean up the mess afterwards. I will definitely be giving this a try!
Linda @ foodhuntress says
I’ve never used baking powder as a crisping agent before but I’ll have to try it. These look extra crisp and delicious!
Patty @pattysaveurs.com says
This is also a staple in my house, I find it very handy and love that it doesn’t mess my stove, but I never knew about rubbing the chicken skin with baking powder, will try your way next time! Thanks
Lokness says
These chicken are making it hungry even though it is only 9:30am! The chicken skin looks super crispy and the meat is moist! YUM!