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Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
updated Nov 14, 2023
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Cooking chicken thighs in the oven is as easy as 1-2-3.
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I am a huge fan of boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive, tasty, and easy to cook. In fact, I find it difficult to mess up chicken thighs. They are just dark enough to stay tender, but not so dark as to put off people who prefer white meat. Everyone who eats regularly at my house has eaten chicken thighs.
So, what’s my favorite way to cook them? Hands down, the easiest, quickest way to cook chicken thighs is in the oven. Here’s how to do it.
Why Baked Chicken Thighs
In the summer I grill these babies every week, especially when I have a big table of people to feed. But in the winter, when I don’t feel like stepping outside to the grill but do feel like turning on the oven, I bake the chicken in the oven. To do this, I simply season the meat, place them in a baking dish, and roast until done. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.
27 Quick Chicken Thigh Recipes
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Of course, there are plenty of other ways to cook chicken thighs. I just love how quick these are. They are truly a
Where to Buy Chicken Thighs
It’s always worth talking about where you get your meat. And I certainly don’t mean to be didactic — I think meat is something most of us are conscious of, and we all try to get the best stuff we can.
My point is really to say that chicken thighs are one of the cheapest, easiest things to buy organic or pasture-raised. Even at a high-end butcher counter, these only cost me $4/pound, for instance.
What to Serve with Chicken Thighs
If you want to add a little more punch to the chicken, here are a few ideas to get you started.
- You can make a quick sauce of nearly any oil, acid, and spices. Here, for instance, I combined a couple tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic cloves, and a dash of
red pepper flakes
- I often make Asian-inspired sauces with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and lots of chili-garlic sauce.
- You can also pour pre-made salad dressing over the chicken before baking.
How To Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs in the Oven
Cooking chicken thighs in the oven is as easy as 1-2-3.
Serves 2 to 3
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound
boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
For the sauce (optional):
- 4 cloves
garlic
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon
packed brown sugar
- 1 pinch
red pepper flakes
Equipment
Bowls
Spoon
Whisk
9-inch or 8-inch baking dish
Aluminum foil
Instructions
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Heat the oven and season the chicken. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. The most basic seasoning that this meat really needs is salt and pepper. At this point, if I'm not adding another sauce, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the meat too, to help it brown well in the oven.
Make a sauce (optional). Mince 4 cloves garlic and place in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar. Whisk until combined.
Toss the chicken with the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to combine.
Transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Place the chicken in a single layer in an 8- or 9-inch baking dish. No need to grease the dish, just lay the chicken inside.
Roast the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs cook quickly. Roast until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If they are not ready, continue roasting and checking the temperature every 5 minutes.
Rest the chicken. Remove the baking dish from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. This will help it be more tender. Eat and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Doubling: You can double this recipe and bake the chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Filed in:
autumn
budget
Chicken
Dairy-Free
dinner
easy
