Crispy Convection-oven Fried Chicken Thighs

The skin on these chicken thighs is superb – it’s thin, crackly and exceptionally crispy. I can’t imagine thighs getting much crispier than this, even if you deep-fry them. Seriously, it can’t get any better than this.

Yield:
10 thighs
Category:
Chicken & Other Birds
Cuisine:
American
Prep Time:
5 min
Cooking Time:
30 min
Total Time:
35 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lbs, trimmed) 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder (not baking soda, it's not the same)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp Buffalo wing sauce (plus more to taste; see notes)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
  2. Dry chicken thighs with paper towels really well. Try getting them as dry as possible. Sprinkle on salt, paprika, pepper and baking powder and gently rub with your hands all over, ensuring even coverage. (See note).
  3. Lay the chicken thighs on the cooling rack, leaving a little space between the pieces. You may want to spray the cooling rack with PAM or rub it with some oil to minimize sticking.
  4. Transfer the thighs to a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and/or parchment paper. Either is optional, or course, but makes cleaning much easier.
  5. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Switch the oven to 425F convection. This is very important. You must use convection to get the same crispiness.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes for moderate crispiness and supreme juiciness. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes for ultimate crispiness and fall-off-the bone tenderness, with perhaps a tiny bit reduced juiciness.
  7. Remove the th

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