Best Baked Chicken Thighs

Preheat oven to: 400 degrees (F)

Remove (fully defrosted) chicken thighs from packaging. Rinse with water, cut off any excess skin, then pat dry with paper towels.

Put the thighs in a metal or glass bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil.

In a small bowl, blend the salt, pepper, and other spices. Sprinkle over the thighs in the bowl, then toss the thighs with your hands until the oil and spices are evenly coating the meat.

Place the thighs in the pan, or directly in the skillet. If using a baking pan, do yourself a favor and line it with a sheet of foil. (Makes clean-up so much easier).

Bake 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature hits 180-190 degrees. (Chicken is safely cooked at 165 degrees, but the result is more tender at the higher temperature.)

Recipe is for about 8 thighs, so scale the seasoning for more or less. The original calls for just one tablespoon oil, which is just silly. The secret here, of course, is the seasoning. Other than that, it is easies to prep the seasons in a bowl on the side. Drop the thighs into a metal bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle in the seasoning and thoroughly mix with your hands. Saves time and does a better job. Use a cast iron skillet or cooking pan. At 400 degrees F, Pyrex and other oven-safe cookware can break.