Cooking boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oven can be a bit tricky. You want the meat to come out moist and juicy, but not dry or rubbery. So should you cover the baking pan with foil or leave it uncovered? Here’s what I’ve learned from my trials and errors in the kitchen.
The Benefits of Using Foil
Covering the pan with foil while baking chicken thighs does provide some benefits
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Retains Moisture – The foil traps steam and moisture inside the pan rather than allowing it to escape into the oven air. This helps keep the meat juicy.
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Cooks Evenly – The foil helps the chicken cook evenly, especially if you have stacked or overlapping pieces in the pan.
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Easy Clean-Up – Any drips or spatters will be contained on the foil, making clean-up much easier No need to scrub baked-on residue off the pan.
So if you want juicy, evenly cooked chicken thighs and less mess to deal with, using foil is a good option.
Potential Drawbacks of Foil
However, there are a few potential drawbacks to using foil that you should consider:
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Skin Softening – If the chicken has skin on, the foil can make it soggy and less crispy.
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Steaming Not Browning – Covering the pan can inhibit the maillard reaction, that delicious browning and caramelization of the meat.
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Loss of Flavor – Any juices released from the chicken during baking won’t reduce and concentrate into a tasty glaze for basting.
So if you want crispy skin and rich browned flavor, foil may not be the best choice.
Compromise Solution
My preferred method is a compromise approach:
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and any other spices or herbs.
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Place the thighs in a baking dish in a single layer, skin-side up if using skin-on thighs.
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Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. This initial uncovered time allows the chicken to brown a bit.
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Then tent the dish loosely with foil and continue baking 10-15 minutes more until fully cooked through.
The brief uncovered baking gives you some nice browning. But the extended covered time retains moisture, allows even cooking, and makes clean-up easy.
Additional Tips
Here are a few more tips for ensuring tender, juicy oven-baked chicken thighs:
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Don’t overcrowd the pan. Too many thighs inhibits browning.
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Brush chicken with oil or melted butter before baking for added moisture and flavor.
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Flip thighs over halfway through cooking if you want both sides to brown.
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Let thighs rest 5-10 minutes before serving so juices redistribute through the meat.
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Bake at a high temp (400-425°F) for best results. Lower temps increase drying out.
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Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness; thighs should reach 165-175°F.
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Add veggies to the pan to roast along with the chicken.
Recommendation
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Thighs
You can serve SO many things with baked chicken thighs! It’s such a versatile meal. Try serving with:
- Green beans
- Mashed potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- Fresh fruit
- A simple side salad
- Baked beans
- Corn salad
- Cole slaw
- Potato salad
- Roasted beets, broccoli, zucchini, or another favorite roasted veggie
Store baked chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 4 months.
You can use leftover chicken thighs in anything you’d use cooked or shredded chicken in! Add to soups, burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken casserole, or enchiladas!
To reheat baked chicken thighs, place them on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Chicken thighs are done cooking when they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside, but 165 degrees F on in the inside. The inside should also no longer be pink when you cut into the chicken.
This recipe automatically yields a nice and crispy skin thanks to the use of butter and finishing the thighs with the foil removed. If you want it extra-crispy, you can remove the foil after 30 minutes and finish the chicken for another 20-30 minutes uncovered.
How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs
Bake chicken thighs for 40 minutes covered with foil on a baking sheet. This traps in the moisture and allows the juices to stay intact. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes to finish the chicken and allow the skin to get crispy. An instant-read thermometer will register 165 degrees F. when finished.
Is it better to bake chicken covered or uncovered?
FAQ
Should I bake my chicken thighs covered or uncovered?
For crispy skin and even cooking, bake chicken thighs uncovered. Covering chicken thighs while baking will result in a steamed texture rather than a crispy one.
Should I cover chicken thighs with foil in the oven?
But I know you are wondering– should you cover chicken thighs when they are baking? The simple answer is, no. We don’t cover our skin-on chicken thighs because we want that skin to get nice and crispy!
Do you bake chicken at 400 covered or uncovered?
Should I use aluminum foil when baking chicken?
Prevents over-browning: Foil can shield the chicken from direct heat, preventing excessive browning or burning on the surface.