Chicken thighs cooked in an oven at 180°C (conventional) will take approximately 40-50 minutes for bone-in and 25-30 minutes for boneless. The only reliable way to confirm they are done is by using a meat thermometer to ensure they reach an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F).
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°fan, gas mark 4. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of Flora Buttery with herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice and rub generously over the chicken thighs. Place the chicken on a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes until it's golden and cooked through.
Instructions
You can cook chicken at 180°C (350°F) for a gentler roast, ideal for even cooking and juiciness, or 200°C (400°F) for faster cooking and crispier skin, often with a high-heat start before reducing the temperature, but always ensure the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F) for safety, using a meat thermometer as your guide. 180°C is great for breasts or whole chickens (longer time), while 200°C works well for quicker batches of thighs/drumsticks or getting a roast started.
In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, chicken thighs should be fully cooked after about 45 minutes. You'll know they're done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F.
Chicken thighs in the oven take between 40 and 45 minutes when cooked at a lower temperature for more tender results. When roasting them to crisp up at higher oven temperatures, a shorter cooking time of between 35 and 40 minutes will be enough.
Season the chicken generously with sea salt and black pepper. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and roast for a further 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Cooking time is generally 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165°F in the thickest part. Amazingly, all the chicken pieces wind up cooking at about the same rate — dark meat pieces cook a bit slower than white meat, but the thickness of the breast meat means everything finishes around the same time.
While it's completely safe to eat dark meat chicken that's been cooked to 165°F, the meat is actually more tender and juicy if it's cooked to 170°F and allowed to rise to 180°F with carryover cooking.
Unlike lean chicken breasts, thighs contain more fat and connective tissue. When thighs are brought to 175–195°F, the collagen melts, the fat renders, and you're rewarded with juicy, tender meat that practically falls off the bone.
Oven baked chicken thighs always come out juicy, tender, and delicious. This recipe couldn't be easier to prep, bone-in thighs are seasoned, baked, and then popped under the broiler for crispy crunchy skin and juicy meat.
Preheat your oven to 175°C (fan-assisted) or 180°C (conventional). Spread chicken thighs evenly in your roasting dish to ensure consistent cooking. If marinated, loosely cover with foil to lock in heat and moisture. After 40 minutes, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
Oven Cook From Chilled - If freezing at home defrost thoroughly before cooking. Before cooking, preheat oven 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas 6. Remove all packaging and place the chicken legs into a shallow roasting tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks – Can Go Up to 80-85°C
Unlike breast, thighs and drumsticks have more fat and connective tissue, which means they stay juicy at higher temps. Best method: Cook to 75°C minimum, but 80-85°C makes them fall-off-the-bone tender.
180 to 185 because of thighs. That's when they get tender and juicy. But the reason why is because they're not gonna be held liable for someone sticking a probe in a thin spot and seeing 165 and pulling it when the inner thigh next to the whole chicken cavity is 150. Cook to 185 and it's done throughout.
What internal temperature should you cook chicken thighs to? Chicken thighs, whether bone-in or boneless, are good at an internal temp of 175 degrees Fahrenheit, but they're even better at 195. Knowing this, what's the best way to cook thighs and drumsticks? The key is to cook them slowly.
Put the chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper + a good drizzle of olive oil. Add other seasonings as desired. Spread chicken in a baking dish or on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Roast Chicken Parts
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), season the parts generously with kosher salt, rub with oil, and roast. The breasts should be done in 30 minutes and the legs in 45, so pull them out accordingly—the meat should be fully white in the middle, and not even a little pink.
The USDA guidelines lists approximate cooking times of 40 to 50 minutes for 4-to-8-ounce chicken thighs roasted at 350 degrees. In our basic meal prep boneless chicken thighs recipe, they take about 25 to 30 minutes baked at 425 degrees F.
After just ten minutes prep you can stand back and let the oven work its magic. It doesn't get much easier! Most roast chicken recipes ask you to cook the chicken at 180 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Chicken thighs and all chicken dark meat generally taste better when cooked to higher temperatures (175 F to 180 F) due to their higher amounts of connective tissue. Cooking thigh meat to 165 F will yield chewy, rubbery meat, but at 175 F to 180 F, it will be tender and juicy as the collagen melts and turns to gelatin.
Cooking & Recipes
Season with salt and pepper, or your favourite sauce, cover with foil and oven roast at 180°C/Fan 170°C/Gas mark 4 in the centre of a preheated oven. Cook for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove foil approximately 10 minutes before end of the cooking time to ensure a crispy skin.