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Quick and delicious baked boneless chicken thighs perfectly seasoned with a tangy, rich BBQ sauce. This chicken thighs recipe will become your go-to during the week with minimal prep and cleanup!
These baked boneless chicken thighs are my go-to chicken recipe during the busy workweek. Everyone loves them, and there is enough for leftovers. They are juicy and tangy and make the best main dish that goes with so many other recipes.
Plus, they are easy to prep with minimal cleanup!
The chicken thighs are seasoned with a quick mix of paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper and then tossed in your favorite BBQ sauce. Once you have seasoned the boneless chicken thighs you can bake them immediately or cover and marinate them for up to 24 hours.
Let’s talk about boneless, skinless chicken thighs. First, they are one of the easiest proteins to cook since it is hard for them to become dry or flavorless no matter how you choose to cook them. We love them in the air fryer or the oven for fast meals on busy weeknights. Chicken thighs are a darker meat, making them much juicier than boneless chicken breast.
How long to bake boneless chicken thighs?
One of the best things about chicken thighs is that they rarely become dry or flavorless no matter how you cook them. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook for about 25 minutes at 425°F in most ovens. An instant-read thermometer should read 165°F and the juices should run clear when the chicken is done. So easy!
Jump to:
- How long to bake boneless chicken thighs?
- Why you’ll love this baked chicken thighs recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Recommended Kitchen Tools
- How To Make Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Tips For The Best Results
- What to serve with baked boneless chicken thighs
- Recipe Variations
- How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
- FAQs
- More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Why you’ll love this baked chicken thighs recipe
- Juicy & Tender – Baking locks in moisture, making the chicken juicy and flavorful.
- Easy & Hands-Off – Just season + marinate, bake, and enjoy—minimal effort required!
- Bold BBQ Flavor—The sauce caramelizes beautifully, adding smoky, tangy, and sweet notes—it’s so good!
- Versatile & Healthy – this chicken pairs well with salads, veggies, or grains for a balanced meal.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the simple ingredients to make this quick and easy chicken thighs recipe.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – you will need 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs – about 1.5lbs
- Olive oil – to rub on the chicken to help the seasoning stick better.
- Seasoning blend – paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper
- BBQ sauce – you can use any BBQ sauce you like. I used Stubbs BBQ Sauce.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Kitchen tongs
How To Make Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
This chicken recipe could not be easier. Here is a summary with step-by-step photos of how to make it. Get the complete list of recipe ingredients and instructions in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Dry the chicken well.
Step 2: Season the chicken all over with the spice blend.
Step 3: Toss the seasoned chicken with BBQ sauce.
Step 4: Cover and marinate the chicken or place it onto a prepared baking sheet and bake it at 425°F for 25 minutes.
Step 5: Once the chicken is done, brush each piece with more BBQ sauce.
Step 6: Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Expert Tip: For the juiciest boneless chicken thighs, bake them at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness. For extra flavor and caramelization, broil for the last 2-3 minutes to add a slight char. Always let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing to retain their juices.
Tips For The Best Results
- Dry the chicken thighs well using a clean paper towel. This will help them get super crispy and flavorful when they bake.
- Marinate the chicken. Although you can bake the chicken right away, if you can marinate it in the seasoning and BBQ sauce for at least 1 hour before you bake it then it will become more juicy and flavorful. Of course, you can marinate the chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking it.
- Don’t overcrowd the chicken – place the chicken thighs about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet so they get golden, crispy edges as they bake up.
- Let it rest after cooking – once the chicken thighs are done baking, allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before you brush them with more BBQ sauce and serve them. The rest time allows the juices to redistribute making the chicken moist and flavorful once you cut into it.
What to serve with baked boneless chicken thighs
Here are some great side dishes to serve with these amazing baked chicken thighs.
Recipe Variations
- Ranch seasoned – brush the chicken thighs with olive oil then toss them in some ranch seasoning. This variation is great for kids.
- Italian seasoned – brush the chicken thighs with olive oil then rub them with an Italian spice blend of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Teriyaki – toss the chicken thighs in teriyaki sauce and bake them, then brush them with more sauce before serving.
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
To store: allow the baked chicken thighs to cool completely, them in an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Warm the chicken in the microwave, air fryer, or oven until warmed through.
FAQs
Yes, you can use bone-in chicken thighs in place of the boneless chicken thighs but be aware that you will have to adjust the cooking times since bone-in chicken thighs typically take longer to cook.
Yes, you can! Prepare the chicken as directed in this recipe. Then cook the chicken thighs at 360°F for 16-18 minutes in a preheated air fryer. Brush them with more BBQ sauce once they are done cooking and enjoy!
Baking the chicken thighs until the larger ones are cooked is fine. I like to remove the smaller ones as they cook faster but if you leave them in the oven they will still be juicy and delicious.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you try this oven-baked boneless chicken thighs recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
PrintBaked Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Quick and delicious oven-baked boneless chicken thighs perfectly seasoned with a rich, tangy BBQ sauce and baked until golden and flavorful. This chicken thighs recipe will become your go-to during the week with minimal prep and cleanup!
Ingredients
- 6–8 boneless skinless chicken thighs – 1.5-1.75 ounces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a clean paper towel and place them into a large bowl. Toss them in some olive oil.
- Mix up the seasoning (garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper) and rub it all over the uncooked chicken.
- Then toss the chicken in ⅓ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. At this point, you can cover and marinate the chicken thighs for 1-24 hours, or bake them right away.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and spray a medium-sized baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the seasoned chicken thighs onto the baking sheet and bake them on the middle rack of the oven for about 25 minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then brush each piece with more BBQ sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I used 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can also use bone-in chicken thighs but they may need to cook slightly longer.
- If your chicken thighs are different sizes, don’t worry, just cook them until the largest ones are fully cooked. They will all still turn out juicy and delicious.
- Choose any BBQ sauce you like. We used a gluten-free BBQ sauce to keep this recipe fully gluten-free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat portions in the air fryer, oven, or microwave until fully heated through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Healthy Main Dishes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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