Oven Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

Flavorful and tender marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs can be cooked on the grill or baked in the oven. We eat a great deal of chicken in this house and this is one of my favorite ways to cook boneless skinless thighs in the oven.

With just a little pre-planning, this makes a great weeknight meal. My oldest son compares the taste of this chicken to his favorite restaurant chicken dish, which makes this “fancy” tasting enough for a special occasion meal too, in my book!

Marinated Chicken Thighs

Boneless skinless chicken thighs soak up all the flavor of this tangy, savory marinade. The marinade itself is a simple blend of soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.

After whisking all the ingredients together, just pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and let it marinate.

The more time you can devote to marinating the chicken thighs, the better the flavor will be.

How Long to Marinate Chicken Thighs

I’ve made this chicken many different times now and marinating the chicken for the full 24 hours makes a big difference in the flavor for this recipe. 

While the chicken technically takes 24 hours to prepare, nearly all of that time is completely hands-off.

Start the chicken marinating on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll have yourself a delicious Monday night dinner!

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this chicken marinade:

• olive oil
• soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• red wine vinegar
• lemon juice
• dry mustard
• black pepper

Baking Boneless Chicken Thighs

Boneless chicken thighs are often easier to prepare and eat than chicken with the bone-in. If you buy your chicken boneless from the store, you pay for that convenience.

You can save on that price difference by learning to de-bone chicken at home! I have a handy guide for How to De-Bone a Chicken Thigh on the site for just this reason.

Removing bones from chicken thighs is a handy skill to have even if you do usually opt to buy your chicken already de-boned. It’s easy to master and allows the chicken to cook faster, ultimately saving you time.

How Long To Bake Skinless Chicken Thighs

The trickiest part of cooking chicken is always knowing exactly how much time it takes until it’s done.

When I was first learning to cook chicken, this is what I worried about the most. Too much time in the oven can leave you with tough, dry, chewy meat while too little time can have serious food safety risks.

That said, how long should you bake boneless chicken thighs? With this recipe, I recommend leaving the chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes to start.

If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If they’re not clear yet, leave the chicken thighs in the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes, checking on them every few minutes.

Keep in mind that chicken thighs don’t turn white when they’re fully cooked so you do need to keep an eye on those juices.

When in doubt, reach for your meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit when fully cooked.

Oven Baked Chicken Recipes

I love pan-fried chicken and grilled chicken, but oven-baked chicken is so easy, versatile, and delicious that it’s one of the most frequent meals I make for my family. These Marinated Chicken Thighs are juicy, tender, and full of rich, savory, tangy flavor.

If you like your chicken crispy it’s possible to get those results from oven cooking, too.

Oven Baked Crispy Chicken has the crispiness and flavor of frying without any time spent over the stove. This Crunchy Baked Chicken is a healthier and easier (but just as delicious) take on crispy crunchy fried chicken legs that’s unbelievably good.

When I want the essence and taste of barbecue but don’t have time or energy (or the right weather) to fire up the grill, I love to make Oven Broiled Chicken with BBQ Sauce.

For an Asian take on marinated oven baked chicken, try this Sticky Asian Chicken. It features a super easy marinade of just four ingredients that’s just perfect for busy weeknight meals.

There are so many tasty ways to make baked chicken, but these Marinated Chicken Thighs are near the top of the list for sure.

You can find my full guide to different recipes for Baked Chicken Thighs here. 

And for a whole new way to cook chicken, try these Instant Pot Chicken Thighs.

This chicken pairs well with just about any side dish. I served it with Roasted Red Potatoes and Sauteed Summer Squash, Bell Peppers and Onions and my entire family enjoyed the whole meal.

The chicken is also delicious with Lemon Butter Pasta and Rice Pilaf.

The directions below are for baking marinated chicken thighs in the oven, but this chicken also works great on the grill. 

originally posted 6/17/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/9/20