Valentina Ablaev
These baked boneless chicken thighs are the protein of dreams—juicy thighs in a creamy marinade, baked to crisp perfection. This oven-baked chicken thigh recipe might just be the only way you’ll ever want to make chicken again!
Best Chicken Recipe!
When there are so many different ways to make chicken, you may wonder why you should bake the chicken – why not pan-sear chicken on the stovetop, or cook chicken in the air fryer? Don’t get me wrong, those are great ways to make a delicious chicken, but here are a few reasons why this method is our favorite way:
- Perfect for a crowd: This oven-baked boneless chicken yields three pounds of chicken, ideal for a large group, as opposed to cooking in a pan. You can even make a double portion.
- Low-effort cooking: Oven-baked chicken requires minimal hands-on effort! The oven does all the hard work, and you don’t need to touch the chicken until it’s done!
- Best marinade: made with mayonnaise, this marinade both tenderizes and flavors the chicken throughout.
Ingredients for Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Chicken thighs – Boneless chicken thighs make for the best entree!
- Mayo – Mayonnaise makes for the best base for a marinade. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out!Don’t like mayo? Try our easy baked chicken recipe, which uses an olive oil-based marinade!
- Seasoning – A simple and flavorful blend of salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, and paprika.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- A large glass bowl is ideal for marinating meat and is incredibly easy to clean.
- Use a glass baking dish with large rims to bake the chicken without spilling over the juices. You can also use a sheet pan for this recipe.
- When cooking chicken, we love an instant-read thermometer!
Switch Up the Flavors
Our seasoning blend is flavorful and straightforward, but here are some other incredible flavor combinations to add to the mayo marinade:
- Mediterranean: Our shawarma chickenis a fan-favorite, and the seasoning blend is out of this world! To add a Mediterranean twist to this chicken, season it with cumin, coriander, and turmeric!
- Italian: Season the chicken with an italian seasoning blend and serve with pasta!
- Mexican: Season the chicken with homemade taco seasoning for a delicious flavor combo! Use the chicken to make easy chicken tacos topped with a simple pico de gallo!
Boneless Chicken Thighs in the Oven
- Prep chicken. Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs and add them to a large bowl. Mix mayo and minced garlic. Add the mayo marinade to the chicken and mix.
2. Season. Season the chicken on all sides with the seasoning mix and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
3. Bake. Add the chicken to a baking dish in a single layer and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
How Long to Marinade Chicken?
We recommend marinating the chicken for at least 3-4 hours or up to overnight. If you’re on a time crunch, a 30-minute marinade time will do.
How long do you Cook Chicken Thighs?
Bake time for boneless skinless chicken thighs:
- 400°F for 35-45 minutes
- 375°F for 40-50 minutes
Bake time for bone-in skinless chicken thighs:
- 400°F for 35-45 minutes
- 375°F for 40-50 minutes
Other Cooking Methods
Although we love the ease of oven baking, here are a few alternative methods to make this delicious chicken!
- Stovetop
1. Cook the chicken in a hot pan with oil.
2. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes per side and cover with a lid.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. - Airfyer
1. Air fry the chicken at 380°F for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. - Grilled
1. Add the marinated chicken to a hot grill.
2. Cook for 10 minutes per side.
Expert Tips:
- Don’t skip the marinade time: The marinade is crucial to tenderizing the chicken and making it juicy!
- Check doneness: Cooking times may vary depending on your oven. Look for a golden-brown color and ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Extra crispy: For a crispy crust, broil on high for a few minutes after baking—just watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
How to Serve Chicken Thighs
- Chicken salad: Our bbq chicken salad is a salad so good, you won’t think you’re eating a salad!
- Chicken bowl: Use this chicken as the protein in your rice bowls to recreate a Chipotle chicken bowl!
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Serve the chicken cold over a salad, or reheat in a pan.
- Freeze. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat: Add the frozen chicken to a warm pan and cover with a lid. Cook until reheated.
More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken thigh recipe, be sure to try our other easy entree recipes; here are some of our favorites:
One Pan Meals- Casseroles
- One Pan Meals
- Hot Sandwiches
- Casseroles
- One Pan Meals
- Chicken Wings
- Hot Sandwiches
If you tried this baked chicken thighs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground paprika
Instructions
- Trim off any excess fat from the chicken thighs and discard it.
- In a bowl, whisk together mayo, oil, and minced garlic.
- Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl and coat with the mayo mixture.
- Season the chicken on all sides with salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika, and give everything a good mix.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge, or overnight.
- Transfer the chicken into a baking dish, in a single layer.
- Bake at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the chicken is crisp and golden brown.
- Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- How long to marinade the chicken? For the best flavor, marinade the chicken for 3-4 hours or up to overnight. If you don’t have the time, marinade the chicken for at least 30 minutes for tasty results.
- How do I know my chicken is done cooking? When the crust of the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, the chicken is done and ready to serve.
- Refrigerate. Store leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days.
