Healthy Recipes Blog

  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
×
Home » Chicken Recipes » Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Mar 28, 2025
344 Comments
4.99 from 742 votes

Jump to Recipe Review Recipe

This is my go-to recipe for boneless chicken thighs. It's incredibly easy, making it perfect for weeknight dinners. Simply apply olive oil and spices to the thighs and bake them for 30 minutes. It's as easy as can be and so delicious.

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are served in a white baking dish.

Chicken is easy and affordable, so I make it often for my family, and this recipe is one of my favorites. It has a winning combination of a truly easy recipe that's also delicious. The prep time is 10 minutes and the bake time is 30 minutes, so it's a quick recipe, too. Even the leftovers are good, although I prefer to enjoy them cold rather than risk drying the chicken when reheating it.

Ingredients and Variations

The ingredients needed to bake boneless chicken thighs.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

  • Fresh chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. It's one of my favorite chicken parts because it's cheap, readily available, easy to cook and eat, and wonderfully juicy!
  • Olive oil: You can use melted butter or ghee instead of olive oil. Melted butter is especially good. You can use salted or unsalted butter - I tried both, and both work equally well. The drawback to butter is that it can solidify on cold chicken pieces.
  • Seasonings: I use quite a few spices and recommend using them all. They add wonderful flavor! I use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Instructions

Oven-baking is my favorite way of preparing chicken thighs. It's easy, but you don't sacrifice any flavor. The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and add olive oil and spices. I use my hands to make sure they are well-coated.

Using hands to mix spices into boneless chicken thighs.

Arrange the chicken in a rimmed baking dish. A 9x13-inch pan works well. Bake the chicken in a 400°F oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Baked boneless chicken thighs are ready.

Italian Seasoning Variation

Sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy, I spray the thighs with olive oil and sprinkle them with a teaspoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. While not as good as the original recipe, they are very flavorful, and it's a fun variation my family enjoys. Here's a photo that shows what this version looks like:

Boneless chicken thighs seasoned with Italian seasoning.

5 stars rating. My family loved it! I made it again for a potluck, and it was a hit. So easy and quick. I'm so glad you mentioned not needing to trim the fat - that saves time and is my least favorite part of cooking thighs.
Heidi
Read more comments

Recipe Tips

Bake Different Sizes Together

If you buy them in pre-packaged trays at the supermarket, boneless chicken thighs come in different sizes, as shown in the photo below. It's OK to bake them all together until the biggest ones are cooked through. The small ones will still be juicy and delicious!

Different sizes of boneless chicken thighs arranged in a baking dish.

Trimming the Fat

You can trim the fat, but I don't, as shown in the photo below. Most of it melts away during baking, and what remains is delicious - fat adds flavor to food. The fat also helps protect the chicken from drying out in the oven, keeping it juicy.

Raw boneless chicken thighs in a bowl. Fat was not trimmed.

Using a Sheet Pan

I typically use a 9x13-inch ceramic baking sheet. I experimented with baking the thighs on a sheet pan, as shown in the photo below. The result was very good, and the thighs turned out nicely browned and flavorful, but I think a baking dish is better at keeping them juicy.

Boneless chicken thighs on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Serving Suggestions

Since I bake the chicken in a 400°F oven, I like to serve it with a side dish I can cook in the same oven. So, I often serve it with any of the following:

  • Baked shiitake mushrooms
  • Zucchini casserole
  • Broccoli tots
  • Jicama fries
  • Roasted asparagus
  • Roasted carrots
  • Roasted cabbage
  • Mini peppers

It also pairs well with easy stovetop side dishes like creamed spinach (shown in the photo below), zucchini noodles, and sautéed mushrooms.

Two boneless chicken thighs are served with creamed spinach.

Storing and Using the Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I usually shred or slice them and add them cold to a salad, as shown in the photo below. They go well with arugula salad, spinach salad, and Cobb salad.

A salad with slices of leftover chicken thighs.

If you'd like to reheat them, it's best to do so gently, in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also reheat them in a 350°F oven until heated through. Be gentle - the chicken will dry out if you reheat the leftovers too aggressively, especially in the microwave.

You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Recipe Card

Baked boneless skinless chicken thighs in a white baking dish.
4.99 from 742 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

This is my go-to recipe for boneless chicken thighs! Simply apply a rub of olive oil and spices and bake them for 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 254kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Prevent your screen from going dark

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - not regular paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl.
    Raw boneless chicken thighs in a bowl. Fat was not trimmed.
  • Add the olive oil and spices. Use your hands to coat the chicken.
    Using hands to mix spices into boneless chicken thighs.
  • Arrange the seasoned thighs in a single layer on a rimmed baking dish, such as a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. If there's some residual oil and spice mixture in the bowl, brush it on the chicken pieces.
    Different sizes of boneless chicken thighs arranged in a baking dish.
  • Bake until the thighs are cooked through, juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the largest thigh reads 165ºF. In my oven, this takes about 30 minutes.
    Placing boneless chicken thighs in oven.
  • Serve immediately.
    Baked boneless chicken thighs are ready.

Notes

  • If you buy them in pre-packaged trays at the supermarket, boneless, skinless chicken thighs come in various sizes. It's OK to bake them all together until the biggest ones are cooked through. The small ones will still be juicy and delicious!
  • You can trim the fat, but I don't. Most of it melts away during baking, and what remains is delicious. The fat also helps protect the chicken from drying out in the oven.
  • The smoked paprika is an important ingredient that adds great flavor. Please don't skip it.
  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I usually shred them and add them, cold, to a salad. If you'd like to reheat them, it's best to do so gently, in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also reheat them in a 350°F oven until heated through. Be gentle - the chicken will dry out if you reheat the leftovers too aggressively, especially in the microwave.
  • Once cool, the leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 4 ounces | Calories: 254 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 26 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 602 mg

Save this Recipe!

We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.

Disclaimers

Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Share this Recipe

17.0K shares

More Chicken Recipes

  • Poached chicken slices are served on top of spinach salad.
    Poached Chicken
  • Greek chicken is served with lemon slices.
    Greek Chicken
  • Thai chicken salad is served in lettuce cups.
    Thai Chicken Salad
  • Moroccan chicken is served in a white saucepan.
    Moroccan Chicken

Comments

    Leave a Comment or Ask a Question: Cancel reply

    Please be polite. If you had any issues, I would love to help you troubleshoot before you rate the recipe.

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *.


    Recipe Rating




  1. Juju says

    May 22, 2025 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    Followed the recipe and turned out delicious

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      May 22, 2025 at 8:20 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much for the review.

  2. LeAnn Tucek says

    May 21, 2025 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    When I first saw this recipe I thought that's my recipe. I use all the same spices except I use regular sweet paprika nstead of smoked paprika. I also add the juice of one lemon. Outstanding!

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      May 21, 2025 at 7:26 pm

      Glad you like it, LeAnn! Thank you very much for the review and for sharing your delicious tweaks.

  3. Debra Stevens says

    May 18, 2025 at 7:59 am

    Has anyone made these and then froze them for later use. Recipes sounds so good and easy.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      May 18, 2025 at 10:47 am

      Hi Debra,
      Once cool, these can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. I'll go ahead and add this info to the recipe. Thank you for the question.

« Older Comments
A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.

Welcome!

Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

Start Here

Popular Recipes

  • Korean ground beef is served in a bowl with chopsticks.
    Korean Ground Beef

  • Sautéed shrimp are served on a white plate with a napkin.
    Sautéed Shrimp

  • Baked pork chops are served in a cast-iron skillet.
    Baked Pork Chops

  • Turkey burgers are served with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.
    Turkey Burgers

  • Three cauliflower steaks are served on a white plate.
    Cauliflower Steak

  • Baked cod is served on top of asparagus.
    Baked Cod

Footer

Logos of media outlets that featured Healthy Recipes Blog.
↑ back to top

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Newsletter

Terms

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Copyright © 2011-2025 • The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease • All recipes were tested, photographed, and written by a human • Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog [at] gmail.com.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Please comment below. Your email won't be published. If you had any issues, I would appreciate the opportunity to troubleshoot before you rate. Please be polite. Thank you!

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required