Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Before adding anything to the chicken, be sure to pat it dry with paper towels. Editor's Tip: We recommend you never wash raw chicken before cooking it. Washing doesn’t do anything to protect you or the meat from bacteria; it just makes it wet. And excess moisture will inhibit a crispier chicken thigh.

Combine the garlic powder, thyme, salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with the olive oil. Rub the garlic powder mixture all over the chicken thighs. Editor’s Tip: To make cleanup easier, line the baking pan with aluminum foil first. You could also place the chicken pieces on a rack set over a foil-lined baking pan. This will allow air to circulate around the chicken and cook more evenly. Be sure to spray the rack with a little cooking spray so the chicken doesn’t stick.

Bake the chicken, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the thighs reads 170° to 175°. This will take 25 to 30 minutes. Test the temperature at the lower end of the cook time, and add more minutes as needed. Once it’s done cooking, allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes, then sprinkle with additional fresh thyme, if desired.