These baked boneless skinless chicken thighs are my kids' favorite way to make chicken. The spiced thighs get roasted on high heat for 15 minutes before finishing under the broiler, making for a caramelized, flavorful coating on top that can be used in so many different ways.
Who said chicken was boring hasn't made these chicken thighs. This is Favorite Chicken Recipe #1 in our house. Their second favorite is the Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken (also that uses chicken thighs!). The chicken is juicy (ain't nobody like dry chicken), flavorful (ain't nobody like plain chicken), and easy (ain't nobody got time to spend cooking elaborate meals).
My daughter calls this chicken better than Cava chicken, which happens to be her favorite "fast food" chicken. I'm going to consider that a huge win.
When you're tired of chicken...
These boneless skinless chicken thighs are my family's absolute favorite way to eat chicken. They were so tired of chicken breast. No matter how I cooked it -- baked, grilled, poached, you name it, they were sick of it.
These chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, versatile, and so easy to make in the oven. They can be on your table in under 25 minutes, with 2 total minutes of prep. Yep, that's right!
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If you love chicken, be sure to check out the Easy Chicken and Gravy, Cast Iron Chicken with Roast Vegetables, and Stuffed Chicken Breast with Stuffing recipes.
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Ingredients You'll Need
The ingredients are minimal, and you likely already have them in your pantry.
- chicken thighs - You'll want about 8 chicken thighs. I love to double the recipe and have them for 2 dinners or a dinner and a couple of lunches throughout the week.
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar - Absolutely essential to the recipe. The natural sugars in the vinegar caramelize onto the chicken when they go under the broiler and mmmm is it delicious.
- smoked paprika - Feel free to use regular paprike but I do think the smoked paprika adds much more flavor.
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- garlic powder
- salt + pepper
The recipe card below has the exact quantities and more detailed directions!
How to Make the best baked chicken thighs
The boneless skinless chicken thighs are so easy to make. The whole meal is ready in less than 25 minutes, making it one of the most winning weeknight dinner recipes I have in my arsenal.
- Step 1: Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices into a small bowl. Mix together until combined. Let sit for a minute while you get the chicken together.
- Step 2: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to get as much moisture out of the chicken thighs as possible.
WAYS TO USE THE BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS
I absolutely love to mix up how I'm serving the chicken thighs to keep it fresh. While there are plenty of nights where I serve the chicken thighs sliced up with whatever veggies we have on hand, other days I get more creative. Here are some of the ways we've used the juicy boneless skinless chicken thighs:
- Sandwiches and Wraps
- Pita Pockets - pita + garlic yogurt sauce
- Chicken pesto panini
- Make it a Bowl
- Mediterranean bowl (think a Cava copycat bowl): cucumber + tomato + feta + olives + hummus
- Southwest bowl: rice + black beans + corn + avocado + lime crema
- Harvest Bowl: Substitute the chicken thighs in the Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl Copycat
- Tacos, Quesadillas, and Flatbreads
- Street tacos with cilantro + onion
- Chicken quesadillas + caramelized onion
- Greek flatbread with tzatziki + herbs
- Salads that Feel Like Dinner
- Caesar salad + Caesar dressing + roasted chickpeas
- Apple and Candied Pecan Salad
- Southern Cobb Salad
SO many options!
Storage
Store the chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Other Favorite Chicken Recipes
Try these other chicken recipes to spice up your regular weeknight dinner rotation!
Weeknight Dinners
Here are some of my latest weeknight dinner recipes you'll love!
Juicy & Easy Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Take out a quarter sheet pan.
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and all of the spices. Stir with a spoon. Let rest for just a minute. You'll notice the mixture will turn into a paste. This is good!
- Place boneless skinless chicken thighs on sheet pan. Pat thighs down with a paper towel to get as much moisture off of them as possible. Even divide the seasoning mixture on top of each of the thighs to coat them.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Move the chicken thighs to the broiler. Broil for 4-5 more minutes. Be careful when using the broiler, as your chicken can easily burn if you're not paying attention. When the chicken is cool, slice or cube the chicken for so many different kinds of dishes. Enjoy!
John says
Fast, easy, delicious