Buffalo Chicken Thighs (Baked)

These Buffalo Chicken Thighs baked in the oven will be your new favorite way to make chicken. SUPER easy to make - they are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and coated in a finger-licking seasoned coating, then buffalo sauce. Are you ready? Bonus: make these keto by using crushed pork rinds.

Why You'll Love This

"I love buffalo wings - but you know what I DON'T love? There is no meat on them! A lot of work, little return. lol. These buffalo chicken thighs, on the other hand, are meaty, crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside - and you can rarely mess them up." 🙂 - Kori

Super Easy

I make these A LOT because they are super easy. Make the seasoning, coat the thighs, then bake. Only a few ingredients and you've got a main dish that your whole family will love.

Tasty

These are seriously good. I'm not just saying that - they are loaded with flavor from the seasoned coating and buffalo sauce. Baking chicken thighs skin side down in a bit of butter creates a very flavorful and crispy buffalo chicken thigh.

I have always loved wings, but they just never have enough meat on them. Enter the chicken thigh - so meaty, extra juicy, crispy outside, easy to bake, and they rarely dry out. Who doesn't love a good buffalo chicken recipe?

Healthy

A healthy homemade recipe I think you will enjoy. Here are a few ways to make them even healthier:

• These chicken thighs are oven baked instead of fried.
• Make it keto and low carb by using pork panko instead of flour. Brush the thighs with olive oil. Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch. Make sure your buffalo sauce is keto friendly.
• Want to lower the fat in this recipe? Omit the butter and use a fat free nonstick spray, dip chicken in water instead of brushing with olive oil. You could also go with skinless chicken thighs.

How To Serve

Here are some of my favorite ways to serve buffalo chicken thighs - including toppings, sauces, and side dishes:

• Garnish with cilantro, chives, or parsley.
• Serve with blue cheese sauce or ranch dressing. I always include celery and carrots sticks for dipping. They are often classic sides to buffalo chicken anyway.
• Sprinkle a little cheese on top, like blue cheese crumbles, queso fresco, or even parmesan cheese.
• Some side dishes that go well with these chicken thighs are: Blue Cheese Wedge Salad, Roasted Cabbage, Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad, and one of my favorite side dish casseroles - Baked Zucchini Casserole with Cheese.

What You'll Need

Pin

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Buffalo Chicken Thigh Recipe:

Be sure to see the recipe card for exact quantities.

• Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs - because this recipe tastes best with crispy skin and a juicy inside, I chose bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. You can also use skinless and boneless chicken thighs if you are looking to lower the fat. However, you will lose a little flavor and some of the crispiness.
• Butter - the butter is used to crisp the skin and give a golden brown color.
• Olive Oil - the olive oil is also used to crisp up the skin and help the coating to stick. You can dip the thighs in water if you would like to cut out some of the fat.
• Flour - use all-purpose flour, a baking mix like Bisquick; If you are following a low carb or keto diet, use pork panko.
• Kosher Salt
• Celery Salt - celery always seems to accompany chicken wings, so why not bring that flavor into the seasoning? It's delish!
• Smoked Paprika - using smoky paprika gives it an amazing flavor, but you can use regular paprika as well.
• Ground Black Pepper
• Buffalo Sauce - make my 5-minute healthy buffalo sauce or any favorite brand or make your own.

Variations

Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to your buffalo chicken thighs:

• Give them a garlic twist by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Make buffalo chicken wings instead of thighs, bake in an oven at 400-degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165-degrees F).
• Make a ranch-style buffalo thigh by adding 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix to the coating mix. Eliminate the celery salt.

How To Make

Here's how to make these buffalo chicken thighs:

For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.

Make Seasoned Coating

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the flour, paprika, salt, celery salt, and black pepper to a gallon-sized plastic bag or a medium-sized mixing bowl. Shake or stir to combine.

Melt Butter

Line a baking sheet with foil, and place the butter on the sheet.

Bake in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is melted.

Coat Chicken

Brush the thighs with olive oil.

One by one, place each chicken thigh in the bag and shake.

Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and place them on a plate until ready for baking.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the butter around.

Place the coated chicken thighs on the baking sheet, skin side down.

Bake Chicken

Bake chicken thighs for 35 minutes and then turn over so they finish baking skin side up.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is done (165-degrees Fahrenheit).

Toss With Buffalo Sauce

Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and drizzle with buffalo sauce. Toss gently to coat.

Serve

Garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro, or chives with a side of ranch or blue cheese sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Kori's Tips

• Don't forget to get to melt the butter on the baking sheet - and place the thighs skin side down. The butter is flavorful and this step helps to give that oven-fried chicken taste with a crispy golden skin.
• Chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165-degrees Fahrenheit - the USDA recommended safe cooking temperature.

FAQs

📖 The recipe.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

If you are looking for more delicious chicken thighs recipes, check these out:

• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
• Italian Style Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
• Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika
• Low Carb Chicken in Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
• Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
• Chicken Fajita Soup (Crockpot + Instant Pot)
• Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot)

• Buffalo Keto Chicken Wings
• Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (Low Carb, Keto, Sugar-Free)
• Garlic Parmesan Wings Air Fryer Recipe
• Lemon Pepper Wings Air Fryer Recipe
• Chicken Breasts in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Bone In Chicken Thighs