These paprika baked chicken thighs make the most of delicious fragrant spices and herbs that you may already have in the pantry! Easy to make in all simple recipe steps, cook up these juicy spiced chicken thighs as a hearty protein for lunch or dinner.
As you can probably tell from my creamy paprika chicken and air fryer paprika chicken recipes, I love to cook with sweet paprika! It's got a delicious fruity, earthy flavor and is so colorful and vibrant.
This recipe joins my other paprika chicken recipes as an easy weeknight dinner idea, with simple steps but lots of flavor. Pair with mashed potatoes and veggies for a hearty meal!
Have a peek at my paprika chicken soup for another flavorful lunch or light dinner idea!
Jump to:
Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken - I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe so they are juicy, full of flavor and affordable too.
- Paprika - I use sweet paprika, which scores 0 on the SIGHI list for histamine. If using smoked paprika (likely not suitable for low histamine readers), I suggest to reduce the quantity a little.
- Brown sugar - just a pinch to bring some sweetness and a little caramelization to the chicken thighs.
How to Make Baked Chicken with Paprika
Making these baked paprika chicken thighs couldn't be more simple and all you need are pantry staples, an ovenproof dish, kitchen tongs and a meat thermometer.
All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Combine chicken and spices
Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towel. In a large bowl, add the chicken, olive oil, sweet paprika, thyme, garlic, brown sugar, salt and black pepper, if using (image 1).
Step 2: Coat the chicken thighs
Use your hands to coat the chicken thighs in the oil, herbs and spice. Coat the chicken all over, so it's all nicely seasoned! (image 2).
Step 3: Sear the chicken
Drizzle olive oil in your skillet. Once hot, sear and cook the chicken thighs each side so they have some browning. They don't need to be cooked through at this point (image 3).
Step 4: Bake the paprika chicken
Transfer the chicken thighs to an ovenproof baking dish. Bake in the oven until the chicken has crispy edges, and is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F at their deepest point (image 4).
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Coat the chicken thighs. Rub the oil, herbs and spice all over the chicken so it both has a delicious flavor in every bite, and crispy edges too.
- Give them some room! Space the chicken thighs out slightly in the skillet and in the baking dish for even cooking and so they get some browning from roasting rather than steaming.
- Adjust the cook time. Chicken thighs will vary slightly in size, so adjust the cook time accordingly.
- Use a meat thermometer. Check for an internal temperature of 165F using a meat thermometer for safe cooking of the chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use chicken breasts for this recipe. The cook time will likely be slightly less, so adjust timings accordingly, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Yes, it's very easy to freeze these baked paprika chicken thighs. Simply allow to cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. My low histamine readers may wish to read the SIGHI advice on freezing food.
Serve your chicken hot with my mashed potatoes and cauliflower, rice or quinoa and some veggies too for a hearty dinner. Or, my mum likes this recipe cold (she simply leaves the chicken to cool) and pairs it with fresh salads!
More Baked Chicken Recipes
There are lots of easy baked chicken recipes to choose from here, including my rosemary thyme chicken and ricotta stuffed chicken, and these tasty dinner ideas:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you, so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon paprika I use sweet paprika for this recipe*
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar optional
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Add to a large bowl.
- Pour 1.5 tablespoon olive oil into the bowl, along with the paprika, dried thyme, brown sugar, minced garlic, salt and black pepper (if using). Use your hands to fully coat the chicken thighs in the paprika marinade.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon (or more, if needed), of olive oil in your skillet. Once hot, use tongs to place the chicken thighs. Sear and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes each side, so you have some browning.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to an ovenproof dish. Pour any of the spiced paprika marinade left in the bowl over the thighs. Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, so they are cooked through and with an internal temperature of 165F using a meat thermometer at their deepest point.
- Let the chicken thighs rest for 5 minutes, then serve up with sides of your choice.
Notes
- Adjust the cook time according to the size of the chicken thighs, as they vary slightly.
- Chicken breasts can also be used for this recipe. They will take a little less time to bake in the oven.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- garlic, which scores 1 with a note, 'In small amounts, usually well tolerated after cooking'.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Comments
No Comments