How To Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs in the Oven

I am a huge fan of chicken thighs, especially boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive, tasty, and easy to cook. In fact, I find it difficult to mess them up. They are just dark enough to stay tender, but not so dark as to put off people who prefer white meat. Everyone who eats regularly at my house has eaten chicken thighs.

In the summer I grill them every week, especially when I have a big table of people to feed. But in the winter, when I don’t feel like stepping outside to the grill but do feel like turning on the oven, I bake them. It’s hands down, the easiest, quickest way to cook chicken thighs. Here’s how to do it.

• It’s the easiest and quickest method. Simply season the chicken thighs, place them in a baking dish, and bake until done. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.
• Sauce options are limitless. You can make a quick sauce of nearly any oil, acid, and spices.

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: It’s always worth talking about where you get your meat. And I certainly don’t mean to be didactic — I think meat is something most of us are conscious of, and we all try to get the best stuff we can. My point is really to say that chicken thighs are one of the cheapest, easiest things to buy organic or pasture-raised.
• Sauce ingredients (optional): Here I combined a couple tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic cloves, and a dash of red pepper flakes.

1. Heat the oven and season the chicken. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Make a sauce (optional). Place minced garlic, olive oil, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Whisk until combined.
3. Toss the chicken with the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to combine.
4. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Place the chicken in a single layer in an 8- or 9-inch baking dish.
5. Bake the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs cook quickly. Bake until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F.
6. Rest the chicken. Remove the baking dish from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the chicken rest for a few minutes.

You can double this recipe and bake the chicken in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

If you want to add a little more punch to the chicken, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Homemade dressing: Try honey mustard dressing, lemon vinaigrette, Christine’s house dressing, or any basic vinaigrette.
• Spicy chili-garlic sauce: I often make an Asian-inspired sauce with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and lots of chili-garlic sauce.
• Bottled salad dressing: You can also pour pre-made salad dressing over the chicken before baking.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• Garlic Bread
• Caesar Salad
• Sautéed Kale
• Homemade Rice-A-Roni
• Crispy Skillet-Fried Potatoes