Cooked 40 chicken thighs at 350 instead of 425 and now I don't know what to believe

Wendy Perry · 2026-10-01T18:30:03.690783+00:00

So last Tuesday I had a big family meal at my place in Sacramento, 22 people, and I needed 40 chicken thighs done at once. My usual move is a hot oven at 425 for about 35 minutes, nice color, skin gets crisp. But I was running late and doubled up two sheet pans low in the oven, so I dropped it to 350 for 50 minutes just to keep things from burning on top. Here is the weird part. The skin came out way better than my usual method, crackly and even, and the meat was juicier all the way through with zero dry spots near the bone. I have been cooking thighs hot and fast for close to a decade and I was sure that was the only way to get good skin, so now I am second guessing myself. My buddy who runs a diner says low and slow is cheating because you lose that roasted flavor, and he has a point, the meat tasted a little more steamed than roasted. But the texture was so much better that I am thinking about switching my whole approach. Has anyone else gone from high heat to low heat on thighs and stuck with it, or did you go back?

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Cooked 40 chicken thighs at 350 instead of 425 and now I don't know what to believe | Chefs - SMM Buzz