This easy dinner recipe is a delicious chicken recipe for kids. Baked chicken thighs are seasoned and baked, an easy dinner recipe for families.
A simple dinner idea your whole family will love.
Simple dinner recipes are ones I make over and over again. Especially healthy recipes for kids that my whole family enjoys, making mealtime a breeze.
Are you reading this because you have no idea what to serve tonight? I have been there way too many times. My solution? Stocking my freezer with inexpensive chicken thighs. These are always an easy dinner idea when I don’t really feel like cooking.
This kid-friendly chicken thigh recipe is a go-to meal at my home, and I’m sure it will become one of yours once you give it a try.
When you see chicken thighs on sale, stock up. You’ll never have to wonder what’s for dinner again!
For years I only bought and cooked chicken breasts. To be honest, I was a bit grossed out by the bones and actually didn’t eat meat from a bone for many years. Once I had kids and had to start feeding them, like 3 meals a day (haha) I started to get over my aversion to bone-in chicken.
I found it to be a great move. My family loves chicken thighs and are very excited when they here that is what’s for dinner. When I’m short on time, I toss them in the crockpot for another family favorite meal. You can check out the recipe here.
Why, as a dietitian, do I serve my family the dark meat of chicken? Well, dark meat often gets a bad rap.
Dark meat is actually high in healthy monounsaturated fats, similar to avocados. It is the skin of the chicken that you want to avoid.
I like to bake the chicken thighs with skin on, then take it off after cooking. The flavor you get by cooking with the skin on is worth it to me. If you want to cut back on calories and fat, simply remove the skin before cooking.
Chicken thighs are more cost-effective than chicken breasts. Bone in chicken is more flavorful as well.
Wondering how to bake bone-in chicken thighs?
Bone in chicken thighs are simple to cook. Heat your oven to 400 degrees, place the chicken thighs in a baking dish, season, and bake for 30 minutes, or to the internal temp of 165 degrees.
How to Defrost Chicken Thighs
A good tip for defrosting meat quickly is to put the meat in the sink with cold water. In order to do this, make sure the meat is in a leak-proof plastic bag. Submerge the bag in cold water, changing every half hour. For 1 lb of meat, it should take about an hour. For more ways to safely thaw meat check out this article by the USDA.
Serve with a side of brown rice and Green Bean Satay and you have well-balanced dinner meal your whole family will enjoy! Or click here for more Chicken Thigh Recipes.
Some of my favorite tools needed for this recipe:
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PinDescription
Easy Baked Chicken Thighs are an easy and delicious weeknight meal that your family is sure to enjoy. The perfect 30-minute dinner!
Ingredients
- 6-8 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper toweling.
- Place on baking pan.
- Sprinkle seasonings onto chicken thighs. No need to measure, you can simply liberally sprinkle seasoning onto chicken.
- Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- For crisper skin, broil for 1-2 minutes, watching to not burn spices.
- Thermometer should read 165 degrees when cooked.
Nutrition
- Calories: 120
Do you cook with chicken thighs?! I’d love for you to share your favorite recipe below!
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Mariangelica @ Chasing Littles says
Thanks for the recipe! Although I’m vegetarian, my husband isn’t and chicken is like his weakness haha. I will totally pass him this recipe and he’ll be so excited! Thanks for sharing and your photos loos phenomenal!
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Mariangelica! Hope he enjoys 🙂
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
I’m bookmarking this! I’m a vegetarian but my husband loves chicken thighs and I never make them for him because I couldn’t find an easy way to make them! This is perfect!
Create Kids Club says
You can’t get much easier! I hope he likes them!
Chrissy @ Snacking in Sneakers says
Chicken thighs are definitely one of my fav things to cook. They’re so easy and versatile and CHEAP! I love how you can make a lot of frugal recipes with them.
Create Kids Club says
Me too Chrissy. Once I realized the cost savings, how much my kids loved them, and how simple they were, I have stocked my freezer full 🙂
Emily @SinfulNutrition says
So simple and delicious! I don’t cook chicken thighs nearly as much as I should. They’re so much more flavorful!
Create Kids Club says
They really are, Emily! I never cooked with them until one day I picked some up on sale. My family loved that dinner so much, I continued buying them 🙂
Tee says
Chicken is my favorite and I’ve always been pro chicken thighs despite the bad rap! Will definitely keep this recipe handy!
Create Kids Club says
That’s great news 🙂
abbey sharp says
I love cooking chicken thighs with the skin on too! Helps keep in the juices and flavours! This looks great .
Create Kids Club says
I makes a huge difference in flavor for sure!
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I’m a lifelong dark meat girl! More flavor, more tender. And you are so right, bone-in chicken is even more flavorful. Definitely pinning this recipe
Create Kids Club says
So happy to hear this Karyl! I do hope you enjoy the recipe, and thanks for pinning! 🙂
Chris Courtney says
Thanks for the recipe. Very simple. One question. You noted that you patted the chicken thighs. Do you wash the thighs before cooking? Some people do and some don’t.
Create Kids Club says
Great question Chris! I live by the belief that washing raw chicken does not clean it. In fact, rinsing raw chicken can spread harmful bacteria such as Salmonella or Campylobacter around the kitchen, which left uncleaned, can lead to trouble. Cooking the chicken to an internal temp of 165 degrees kills all potentially harmful pathogens and is the way I go!
Mary says
My family loves this recipe!
★★★★★