Description
Cowboy butter chicken thighs brings juicy, tender chicken together with a rich, savory butter sauce loaded with garlic, herbs, and a touch of heat that makes your dinner table feel like a celebration. Brown the thighs until golden, then simmer them in that incredible butter sauce until everything melds into pure comfort on your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Seasonings:
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
Fats and Flavoring:
- 0.5 cup prepared cowboy butter, softened
Instructions
- Get your oven heating to 375°F and grab a 9×13-inch baking dish for your chicken.
- Pat your 4 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels so the skin gets crispy.
- Lay the thighs skin side up in your baking dish in a single layer.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of kosher salt evenly across all your chicken pieces.
- Take your ½ cup of softened cowboy butter and spread it generously over each thigh.
- Slide the dish into your 375°F oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Pull the chicken out and spoon all those pan juices and melted butter back over the thighs.
- Crank your oven up to 425°F and return the dish for 5 to 10 minutes until the skin turns golden and crispy and the thickest part of the thigh hits 165°F on your thermometer.
- Let your chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes on the counter before plating, then pour every last drop of that buttery pan sauce over the top.
Notes
- Pat your chicken thighs completely dry before cooking, since moisture prevents the skin from crisping up properly.
- Make sure your cowboy butter is soft enough to spread easily, or it will tear the delicate chicken skin when applied.
- Basting the chicken halfway through cooking keeps the meat juicy while the skin browns, so don’t skip this step.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking so the juices redistribute throughout the meat, making each bite more tender and flavorful.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 573 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 290 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg