It’s April Fools – are you guys fans of April Fool’s day jokes? I totally wanted to one here, but I didn’t get my shit together in time so all I have are these crispy oven baked thighs, which isn’t much of a loss in my books, but I do get a kick out of funny pranks!
Non-hijinks aside, these crispy thighs are my kind of chicken. They’re the kind of toss ’em and pop ’em in the oven kind of situation. I used panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for two reasons: 1.) it’s ultra crispy and 2.) I miss Japan so much that I’m incorporating Japanese ingredients into my food in any way that I can.
If you haven’t had panko before you definitely need to up your bread crumb game. I want to say that comparing panko to breadcrumbs is like comparing a supermarket steak to an incredible dry-aged, bone-in rib eye: they’re the same beast, but they aren’t the same at all. Panko, at least real panko, is light, crispy and giant. The crumbs have more of a flake-like quality, which makes them extra-crunchy. Panko is made from crustless Japanese bread and in Japan you can actually get grades of panko based on crumb size. The bigger the flake, the better the crunch.
Crunchier is most definitely better. But, you know what? I’m the only one in this household that is so passionate about panko. Mike definitely does not think that there’s a difference and…gasp, he didn’t think these thighs were that good. But, you know, he’ll take deep-fried thighs over oven-baked any day, so there’s that. Then again, I would too! Nonetheless, panko for life!
Crispy Oven Baked Thighs Recipe
serves 4
- 1 cup panko
- 4-6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Toast the panko in a dry pan over low heat until golden brown and crunchy, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, stir in the spices and move to a shallow container.
Dip the chicken thighs in the buttermilk and then the panko mixture, pressing to make sure the crumbs stick on both sides.
Place the chicken, skin-side up on a lined baking sheet or wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 40-45 minutes. Enjoy hot!
I completely share your panko obsession, and don’t even buy normal breadcrumbs anymore.
Sure, many things are great when you fry them, but there’s something special about crispy chicken.
Ooh mama, just found a box of panko when I was cleaning out my cupboard and have had a weirdly persistent craving for chicken soooo I think I know what I may be making in my very near future. YUM
This is my kind of chicken, no foolin’. :) I’m not much for April fool’s jokes – I’m too gullible.
Steph, it’s already embarrassing how many of your recipes I make for weeknight dinners. Definitely adding this one to the repertoire tho.
I love panko crumbs too. This recipe shows why. I wish I could just grab one and eat it.
Beautifully browned—perfect. I can ‘taste’ the crunch now.
These look so good! I love chicken thighs.
I love to oven fry, and I refuse to use dry, icky chicken breasts when I could use chicken thighs. This recipe is right up my alley!
OMG ME TOO!! So many. And this one is bookmarked for sure. Panko is my jam and these look perfect.