Boneless skinless chicken thighs are all the rage these days. I think it’s because they cook as quickly as chicken breasts but are juicier and more full of flavor.
My favorite way to cook chicken thighs is in a frying pan. They get nice and brown and crispy that way. However, cooking on the stovetop is not hands-free at all. Therefore, on busy weeknights, my preference is to bake the chicken thighs. And if you realized they are still in the freezer, don’t worry. Find out how to thaw chicken quickly.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Baking Chicken Thighs
In this video, I show you how to bake the chicken thighs unrolled and get them wonderfully browned on the bottom. They can be baked rolled up or unrolled depending on your preferences.
How To Bake Chicken Thighs
Preheat the oven to 400°F. You want that slightly higher heat so the thighs brown a little bit.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. I usually use olive oil in a mister like this one.
Then just season the chicken thighs lightly with salt and anything else you’d like to use. I use black pepper and garlic powder usually. Sometimes a little bit of paprika or chili powder is a nice touch.
How Long To Bake Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs?
They actually don’t take very long. If you keep them rolled up the way they are in the packaging, they’ll take about 25 minutes.
If you unroll them before baking them so that they’re almost like filets, then they’ll be ready in 18-20 minutes. However you do it, be sure to use an instant read thermometer to make sure that their internal temperature is at least 165°F.
One thing that I really like to do, and you can see this in the Baking Chicken Thighs Video above, is to put a rack of my oven in the lowest position. Then I’ll actually preheat the even to as high as 450F. Unrolled, lightly oiled and seasoned, chicken thighs then go onto a pan, which goes onto that low rack. They take about 20 minutes to cook, and in that time the bottoms get nice and brown from being so close to the heat.
Should You Marinate Chicken?
Chicken thighs are already very tender and stay juicy if cooked correctly, so it’s not absolutely necessary.
A marinade will add some nice flavor to your chicken thighs, though. My favorite chicken thigh marinade is over here. It has lemon juice, honey, herbs, and a little soy sauce for some nice rich flavor. It acts as a marinade and brine combo, giving you perfectly seasoned and moist chicken.
Should You Brine Chicken Thighs?
Since chicken thighs are already very tender and juicy, a brine isn’t really needed for most cooking methods. If you really want to brine, I suggest only 30-60 minutes, but using the marinade recipe above is the better option if you’re looking to add extra juiciness.
There you have it, my favorite hands-free way to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs. I hope you enjoy this and that you discover how tasty and versatile chicken thighs are.
More Baked Chicken Recipes
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- How to Bake Chicken Leg Quarters
- Shake and Bake Chicken
- Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs
Podcast Episode About Baked Chicken Thighs
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Recipe
Boneless skinless chicken thighs are all the rage these days. I think it’s because they cook as quickly as chicken breasts but are juicier and more full of flavor.
See the video in the post above for the unrolled version which gets you wonderfully browned chicken.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 green onion, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on the baking sheet. You can leave the thighs rolled up or unroll them.*
- Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Drizzle or spray (using a mister like this) the thighs with more olive oil.
- Bake until cooked through to 165°F as read on an instant read thermometer, 18-20 minutes for unrolled chicken thighs, and 22-25 minutes for rolled up chicken thighs.
- Garnish with green onions, if desired, before serving.
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Notes
*Something I really like to do to get the baked thighs nicely browned on one side, and you can see this in the Baking Chicken Thighs Video above, is to put a rack of my oven in the lowest position. Then I’ll actually preheat the even to as high as 450F. Unrolled, lightly oiled and seasoned, chicken thighs then go onto a pan, which goes onto that low rack. They take about 20 minutes to cook, and in that time the bottoms get nice and brown from being so close to the heat elements, but the meat is still tender and juicy.
This post originally appeared in August 2020 and was revised and republished in August 2023.
Can you use FROZEN boneless chicken thighs for this recipe?
Ally, yes you can, as long as the chicken thighs are not frozen together in a clump. If they are, thaw them in cold tap water or in the microwave, just until you can separate them. Then, in general, according to the USDA, the time needed to cook chicken straight from frozen is about 1.5 times as long as fresh. The recipe says 22-25 minutes at 400F, so you’ll cook them for 33-38 minutes, making sure they’re 165F internally. If you try it, come back and let me know how it goes!