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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 254kcal

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

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl.
Add the olive oil and spices. Use your hands to coat the chicken.
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.
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.
Serve immediately.

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.