Buffalo Baked Chicken Thighs

These baked Buffalo chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful and so easy to make! Enjoy them as is or use them to make wraps, bowls, salads and more.

Jump to:

• The Ingredients
• The Method
• Leftovers and Storage
• Make it Your Own
• Serving Ideas
• Notes for the Best Buffalo Chicken Thighs
• And if you liked this recipe...
• Recipe Card
• Comments

Buffalo chicken is one of those flavors that I can't get enough of. From wings to Buffalo chicken chili to nachos and even Buffalo ranch veggie dip, I find ways to add it to everything.

And while my Buffalo chicken potato casserole is a regular in the rotation, sometimes I just want those saucy bites of Buffalo chicken as a dish of their own.

So I stripped things back to the basics with this simple Buffalo chicken recipe and it was even better than I had hoped for. I think you'll love it too because it is:

• Minimal effort but maximum flavor. This chicken uses just a handful of ingredients and cooks mostly hands off but is full of the bold, crowd-pleasing Buffalo flavor.
• Versatile and easy to use. Enjoy the chicken as is with some sides or add it to wraps, salad, nachos and more.
• Juicy results. Using chicken thighs (and ideally a thermometer), the chicken does not dry out with baking.

The Ingredients

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs- This recipe is written for boneless thighs and bone-in cannot be easily substituted (they take longer to cook). I give more specific directions below in the "make it your own" section. Boneless chicken breasts can be used in this recipe though you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
• Frank's Red Hot Sauce- Another similar cayenne hot sauce could be used but this is the one that I most associate with "buffalo chicken wing" flavor.
• Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter. If it is salted, you may want to slightly reduce the amount that you use to season the chicken.
• Sea Salt- Table or kosher salt will also work. Adjust to taste.
• Black Pepper- Just a little seasoning to bring it all together.

The Method

Leftovers and Storage

To Store: Store leftover Buffalo chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Reheat in a 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through or rewarm in the microwave.

Make it Your Own

• Use Bone-In Chicken Thighs- To make these with bone-in thighs, you will need to increase the bake time to about 40-50 minutes. Check the internal temperature to ensure they are cooked to a minimum of 165 F (though 180 F is recommended for more "fall off the bone" thighs). I also recommend broiling for 2-4 minutes after they are cooked in order to crisp up the skin.

Serving Ideas

• Potatoes: Enjoy these thighs with a side of air fryer potatoes, roasted, mashed potatoes or even fries.
• Grains: Serve the chicken over a bed of rice, quinoa or farro.
• Pasta: Such as Sautéed Spinach Pasta or Cherry Tomato Pasta. Or use it as the chicken in this Buffalo pasta salad.
• In a wrap: Slice the chicken and add it to a tortilla along with lettuce, shredded carrot, thinly sliced celery and ranch dressing for a buffalo chicken wrap.
• Vegetables: Roasted Asparagus and Carrots or Sautéed Frozen Green Beans (or roasted green beans) are all tasty.
• Salad: Serve the chicken alongside a Santa Fe Salad or simple spinach salad.
• Nachos: Use this as the chicken on top of Buffalo chicken nachos.

Notes for the Best Buffalo Chicken Thighs

• Use a meat thermometer. For perfectly cooked chicken, use a meat thermometer to reduce the need for guessing (or the risk of raw or overcooked meat!) and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
• Reserve some sauce for serving. Only use about ⅔ of the sauce on the chicken before baking and reserve the rest for adding just before serving. Be sure to be careful to avoid cross contamination with the sauce that you are using at the end.

And if you liked this recipe...

...you might also like:

• Oven Baked Chicken Skewers
• Buffalo Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker)
• Chicken Spinach Rice Casserole

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