Italian Baked Chicken

Find out how easy it is to make delicious, crisp-skinned chicken in the oven with Italian Baked Chicken. Oven baked chicken with Italian seasoning has a crispy skin and juicy interior that makes it one of my all time favorite chicken recipes.

Overhead close-up shot of heavily seasoned chicken thighs on serving dish

Juicy chicken thighs with a crisp and flavorful skin are possible with less than 5 minutes worth of effort! This crispy chicken is made in the oven without any breading at all; the only ingredients you need are the chicken, a drizzle of oil, and a sprinkling of spices.

I’ve been making different variations of our crispy pan-fried chicken and crispy oven-baked chicken for the past few years and it just doesn’t get old. From Crispy Oven Baked Ranch Chicken to Crunchy Baked Chicken, I especially love this method for baking chicken in the oven.

If you think you can only get your chicken thighs crispy by frying them on the stove, you’ll be surprised by this recipe. There’s no standing over a stove frying each chicken thigh one at a time. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about any splashing oil!

Baked Italian chicken is juicy, tender and full of flavor from the Italian herbs, while the skin is just as crispy as your favorite pan fried chicken.

Vertical shot of heavily seasoned chicken thighs on serving dish

Oven Baked Italian Chicken Recipe

The recipe is dead easy and my whole family loves this chicken. It will likely be the easiest chicken dinner you’ll ever make. No marinade, no fancy ingredients, just a sprinkling of spices that are likely in your pantry already.

I like to serve these Italian seasoned chicken thighs with the Italian Rice Pilaf from my cookbook and a salad, but it would also work well with coleslaw, pasta salad, or potato salad. Every time I serve a platter of Italian baked chicken for dinner it disappears so fast I can hardly make it back for seconds!

This is a meal that makes both kids and adults happy and for that reason it’s definitely a winner.

crispy baked Italian chicken thighs on blue plate

How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs

To make this Italian baked chicken, you’ll need the following ingredients:

chicken thighs
olive oil
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper

This chicken gets its Italian flare from a generous rub-down with a blend of Italian herbs and spices. Any store-bought Italian spice blend works well, or you can use your handy Homemade Italian Seasoning!

Overhead shot of heavily seasoned chicken thighs on serving dish

Crispy Baked Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking tray or half-sheet pan (I use this sheet pan when making this recipe.) with foil and place all the chicken pieces on it, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings, and flip each piece skin side up.

Drizzle a little oil over the skin on each piece of chicken and rub lightly to coat. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, and spices.

Bake for one hour, until most of the fat has rendered out of the chicken and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Vertical close-up shot of heavily seasoned chicken thighs on serving dish

Baked Chicken Recipes

If your family loves chicken dinners as much as mine, you can never have too many baked chicken recipes. We at chicken multiple times a week and never get bored with it thanks to all the fabulous ways we’ve found to prepare it.

When you’re in the mood for an Asian inspired meal, try my Sticky Asian Chicken or this Asian Glazed Orange Chicken by Foodie Crush. My kids also request this Sriracha Honey Cashew Chicken quite often.

One of our all time easiest dinner favorites is this Sheet Pan Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes by Barefeet In The Kitchen. The whole thing comes together in one pan making it perfect for a weeknight meal.

Need more ideas for baking chicken legs? I put together a list of The Best Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes to help you out!

For a stove top version of this Italian chicken, try my recipe for Pan Fried Italian Chicken Thighs. We love the chicken prepared both ways! The stove top version is great when your oven is occupied baking something else and you’re trying to get everything on the table at once.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking tray or half-sheet pan with foil and place all the chicken pieces on it, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings, and flip each piece skin side up.
Drizzle a little oil over the skin on each piece of chicken and rub lightly to coat. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, and spices.
Bake for one hour, until most of the fat has rendered out of the chicken and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

{originally published 10/18/16 – recipes notes and photos updated 8/26/24}