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The best baked chicken thighs are tender, juicy, and seasoned with a simple blend of pantry spices. Best of all, dinner’s ready in about 30 minutes!
For more ways to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, check out this chicken thigh marinade, these bourbon-marinated baked boneless chicken thighs, and our favorite oven bbq chicken thighs, too!
Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs are a Quick Dinner
I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love baked chicken thighs! They’re just one of those universally appealing proteins that works well for both kids and adults. Plus, boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook quickly in the oven and stay tender and juicy. They’re practically impossible to mess up! We can all use some new options to keep mealtime interesting, so file this one away…
Serve the oven baked chicken thighs with almost any of your favorite sides. They’re delicious with buttermilk mashed potatoes, a traditional coleslaw recipe, cast iron cornbread, and 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits — making them a convenient and crowd-pleasing entrée for potlucks, parties, picnics, and weeknight family dinners.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Bake as much chicken as you need to feed your family. Typically, 8 boneless, skinless thighs weigh about 2 – 2 ½ lbs. total; however, you can easily scale the ingredients to serve a smaller or larger group. If you prefer to substitute with a different cut of chicken (such as boneless skinless chicken breasts), you’ll need to adjust the total cooking time.
- I love to use cornstarch when baking meat or creating seasoning blends. It absorbs excess moisture, creating a crispier exterior on the chicken. You’ll also find this trick in my oven fried chicken breast and these breaded pork chops.
- Brown sugar helps the chicken brown in the oven, while also balancing the savory ingredients.
- We prefer mild sweet paprika here so that it doesn’t overpower the dish, but you can use smoked paprika for a bolder, smokier flavor.
How to Bake Chicken Thighs
Prepping this chicken takes about 10-15 minutes, and then the oven does the work! It’s just enough time to throw together a quick salad, microwave some rice, or slice a baguette. A simple, nourishing, and delicious homemade dinner is absolutely possible…even on your busiest nights! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a bowl.
- Stir together the olive oil, cornstarch, brown sugar, and other herbs and spices. It will have a paste-like texture.
- Add the seasoning mixture to the bowl of chicken. Toss to coat. You can do this with tongs, with a rubber spatula, or just get in there with your clean hands.
- Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Don’t use parchment paper here, because you can’t put parchment paper under the broiler. The foil just makes clean-up really easy!
- Bake the chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F, about 20-25 minutes. You can switch them to the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes or so if you like them a bit crispier and charred on the outside.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the baked chicken thighs with just about any of your favorite veggies and sides. They’re delicious with Charleston red rice, this classic Southern cornbread recipe, a house salad with candied pecans, roasted yellow squash, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, creamy baked mac and cheese, and this easy broccoli casserole recipe.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or grease a baking dish. Set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a bowl.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the olive oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. It will form a paste-like texture.
Add the seasoning mixture to the chicken; toss so that the chicken is completely coated.
Arrange the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet or in the greased baking dish.
Bake until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 20 to 25 minutes. For a more charred, crispy exterior, place the chicken thighs under the broiler during the final few minutes. Just keep a close eye on them because they can burn quickly. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, while the chicken is still warm.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also store the chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use leftover chicken on sandwiches, in wraps, on pizzas, in quesadillas, or on salads for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 29gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 912mgPotassium: 402mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 366IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 2mg
Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe Variations
- Make the chicken spicy by adding cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!
- For really great baked bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, try these roasted chicken thighs with garlic and herbs.
- If you’d like to prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts, they’ll typically bake a bit faster (unless they’re very thick). Start with 400°F for 15 minutes, and then check them from there. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F (no pink on the inside and the juices should run clear).
