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These oven-baked chicken pieces are everything you want in a no-fuss, weeknight dinner. Coated in a smoky, savory seasoning blend and roasted until golden, the chicken comes out juicy, tender, and perfectly seasoned in every bite.
Using a whole chicken cut into parts, this recipe gives you juicy dark meat and tender white meat, all baked to perfection. The star is the chicken seasoning: a smoky, savory blend of garlic, paprika, onion, and herbs that gives every bite big flavor without relying on store-bought packets. You’ll love this simple recipe that’s classic comfort food done right.
Why You’ll Love This JUICY Baked Chicken
- Big flavor, no fuss. A smoky blend of paprika, garlic, and herbs gives this chicken tons of flavor. No seasoning packets needed.
- Juicy and tender. Bone-in, skin-on pieces bake up crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle.
- That golden crispy skin! Starting hot and finishing low gives you that irresistible crust without drying out the meat.
- Works with anything. It’s an easy dinner that pairs with whatever you’ve got—potatoes, salad, roasted veggies, you name it.
What You’ll Need
This basic oven-baked chicken recipe uses whole, fresh chicken and a classic combo of herbs and spices. It’s super easy, which is super great, if you ask me!
- Chicken: For this recipe, you’ll need a 3 to 4 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces. Make sure the pieces are bone-in and skin-on. You can remove the skin before eating.
- Oil: You can use regular olive oil or cooking spray, if you’d prefer.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Use half a teaspoon of each.
- Paprika: Using smoked paprika gives a wonderful depth of flavor to the seasoning mixture.
- Garlic & Onion Powder: Half a teaspoon of each is an easy way to add intensity of flavor.
- Dried Oregano & Thyme: These classic herbs add a wonderful fragrance and taste.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
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Classic Oven-Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds whole chicken, cut into 6 to 8 pieces, bone-in and skin-on (I used 4 drumsticks, 2 bone-in chicken thighs, and 2 bone-in chicken breasts)
- Olive oil or cooking spray
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Take chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet or a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.
- Grease chicken pieces with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil.
- In a small mixing bowl combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onions powder, thyme, and oregano; mix to combine.
- Sprinkle chicken pieces with the prepared seasoning; rub it all around.
- Transfer chicken to previously prepared baking dish, and arrange them chicken skin-side up. Leave a little bit of space in between the chicken pieces.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Lower temperature to 350˚F, and continue to cook for 10 to 20 more minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken registers at 165˚F. I highly recommend to use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer for accuracy.
- If you’d like a crispier browned skin, place chicken under the broiler the last 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Transfer chicken pieces to a serving plate.
- Tent a piece of foil over the chicken and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How Long to Bake Chicken in the Oven
For this recipe, you’ll bake the chicken pieces at 425˚F for about 45 to 55 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the pieces. Bone-in, skin-on cuts like thighs and drumsticks take a bit longer, but that higher heat helps the skin crisp up while keeping the inside juicy. To be sure it’s cooked through, use a meat thermometer. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165˚F in the thickest part.
Save Those Juices
- There should be some really yummy stuff left in the pan once the chicken is done. Depending on the size of your dish, you may have a lot or a little. Either way, don’t waste it! The pan juices from oven-baked chicken are delicious drizzled over rice or whatever side you like. If there’s enough left over, you can turn the juices into a gravy by following the directions for my turkey gravy with pan drippings.
Serving Suggestions
- Veggies: You can’t go wrong with skillet zucchini and mushrooms, garlicky steamed broccoli, or sauteed broccolini. This stacked roasted eggplant is another favorite side.
- Pasta: Baked chicken goes perfectly with saucy pasta recipes like spicy rigatoni vodka and my one-pot Caprese pasta. This garlic butter asparagus pasta is another dish that’s got it all. Try it and see!
- Potatoes: Nothing says “comfort food” like juicy baked chicken and a pile of fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes! I also love these cheesy potatoes and crispy garlic parmesan roasted potatoes.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- Store in the fridge: Place leftover roasted chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: Put the chicken in a baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake it at 350°F until just heated through, removing the foil toward the end of the cooking time to crisp up the skin.
- Can I freeze it? Definitely! Start with cooled chicken. Take the meat off of the bones and place it into a freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible before sealing. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Worked wonderfully. My spices were slightly different as I needed to use what I had, but the temperature and timing was perfect!!
I’m very glad to hear it worked out! It’s great that the timing and temperature were spot on, even with the spice swaps! Thank YOU! ๐
When I oil my chicken for baking the oil heats up and fills the house with smoke. Am I doing something wrong or how do I prevent this?
Hi there! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your question! ๐ The oven might be running a little too hotโsometimes ovens run hotter than their set temperature, so an oven thermometer can be a helpful tool to double-check. The type of oil could also be the culprit! Try using an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil or olive oil, as some oils tend to smoke at lower temperatures. Also, one possibility is that there might be something stuck to the bottom of the oven, like a bit of oil or food residue, which can start smoking when the oven heats up. This happens to me a lot because I cook so much ๐ but it can usually be solved with a quick cleaning.
The recipe for the chicken legs looks good and I would like to get it.
Very yummy and juicy ended up using chopped onions instead of onion powder and worked out great
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Trying this tonight donโt have the onion powder what would be a good substitute thanks canโt wait to try
Hi! You can just leave it out or add more garlic powder or whatever else you like to use.
If I need two baking dishes to fit my chicken will I need to increase my cooking time?
Hi!
Nope, that stays the same. Hope you’ll love it! ๐
Great spice blend and chicken cooked perfectly!