Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – Easy baked chicken thigh recipe for tender & juicy boneless chicken thighs with a delicious lemon & garlic marinade your whole family will love. Great for meal prep, too!
Here’s What You Need
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe.
chicken – boneless skinless chicken thighs. Thighs are the dark meat, which is more tender and juicy than the white meat. May substitute bone-in thighs.
Note: Bone-in, skin-on thighs take longer to cook. So, be sure to increase cooking time to 35-40 minutes if using bone-in thighs.
canola oil – May substitute olive oil or any neutral flavored cooking oil. Oil helps keep the meat from becoming dry. It also works as a vehicle to convey flavor into the meat. (Anatomy Of A Marinade by Bethany Moncel from The SpruceEats.)
lemon juice – fresh squeezed, or bottled. Lemon juice is an acid that works to flavor and tenderize the meat.
salt – kosher salt or table salt. Salt is a flavor enhancer. Without it, food tastes bland. It also works to tenderize the meat.
garlic – fresh, minced. May substitute jarred minced garlic, or garlic powder.
herbs – dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary
Substitution Suggestion – fresh herbs – May substitute fresh herbs for the dried herbs. A few sprigs of each, up to a small handful in total will be just right.
green onion – chopped. May substitute yellow onion, or onion powder.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
It’s easy to make tender & juicy boneless chicken thighs every time following a few simple steps.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine Ingredients. Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Seal the bag and squeeze the bag to mix it all together.
- Marinate. Place the bag in a large bowl and make sure all the meat is covered by the marinade.
For best results, let it marinate in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes.
- Transfer. Remove the meat from the bag and transfer it to a baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Reseal the bag and discard the used marinade. It’s important to use the marinade a single time to prevent cross-contamination.
- Bake. Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes and the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
We recommend checking the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh with an instant-read thermometer.
Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the thighs.
- Rest Meat and Serve. Let the cooked meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into it. Then serve it with your favorite side dish. We love to serve it with roasted potatoes, or some creamy homemade coleslaw. It’s also great to use as meal prep for salads, or as an add in for pastas, or fried rice.
Variations
Seasoning Variations For Baked Chicken
- Spicy – Add some heat with some cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning.
- dry rub- Use a dry rub instead of the marinade. Try our smoky spice rub recipe with the flavors of brown sugar, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- – Try our homemade Italian seasoning blend with red pepper and garlic.
- Asian Flavors – Swap out the marinade for some soy sauce and green onion.
Makes a great marinade for beef like skirt steak, flank steak, or try tip, too!
Chicken Thighs Recipe FAQs
How do you keep boneless chicken thighs from drying out?
Make sure you don’t overcook thighs. Keep an eye it and remove the it from the heat when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
How do you know when boneless chicken thighs are done?
We recommend using an instant-read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the thighs will be fork tender, and the juices will run clear.
Do you bake chicken at 400 covered or uncovered?
You can bake them covered or uncovered. If you bake it covered, you’ll have less spattering in the oven. It will also be more tender.
How long to bake boneless chicken thighs at 400?
It takes about 25-30 minutes to bake boneless thighs at 400°F.
Pro Tips
How long to marinate? For best results, marinate the meat for a minimum of 15 minutes up to 10 hours in the refrigerator.
Meal Prep Tip. A great way to plan ahead for easy weeknight dinners is by prepping bags of marinating meat and storing them in the freezer to take out as needed. Thaw a bag in the refrigerator overnight and it’ll be ready to cook the next day.