Chicken wings are delightful, but these baked Buffalo chicken thighs improve the meat to bone ratio dramatically. If you want a meal, try using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for a hearty, spicy main dish. If you serve them with carrot and celery strips on Romaine leaves, you'll sneak in a salad, before your family will know it.
Ingredients
- skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs: 4 piece
- salt: 0.75 tsp
- black pepper: 0.5 tsp (freshly ground)
- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder: 1 piece
- olive oil spray:
- unsalted butter: 2 Tbsp
- hot sauce, such as Frank’s® RedHot® Original: 0.33333 cup
- Worcestershire sauce: 0.5 tsp
- garlic granules: 0.5 tsp
- cayenne pepper: 0.25 tsp (to taste)
- Romaine lettuce leaves:
- 1/2 cups carrot sticks: 1 piece
- 1/2 cups celery sticks: 1 piece
- ranch dressing: 1 cup (or as needed)
- parsley sprigs: (for garnish, fresh, optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
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Trim excess skin and fat from thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken thighs in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag.
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Stir together salt, pepper, and baking powder in a small bowl until well blended. Add seasonings to the bag. Seal the bag; shake and move chicken around to evenly coat with seasonings.
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Place seasoned chicken thighs on the prepared pan, skin side up, and spray with olive oil spray.
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Bake in the preheated oven until chicken skin is brown and crispy, chicken is no longer pink at the center and juices run clear, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of chicken should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and cayenne. Remove from heat and keep warm.
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Remove chicken from the oven; brush thighs evenly with hot sauce mixture.
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Serve on a bed of Romaine leaves, with fresh carrot and celery sticks, and ranch dressing for dipping. Garnish with fresh parsley.
