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.
Oven Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
Marinade Instructions
- Whisk together everything except the chicken for the marinade. Place the chicken into a gallon-size zip-close bag and then pour the marinade over it.
- Place in the refrigerator and let it marinate for 24 hours. Turn the bag over a couple of times throughout the day, to ensure that everything is covered in marinade.
Baking Instructions
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and then place the chicken thighs on the foil.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, checking every few minutes after 25. Chicken thighs will not turn white, so determine whether it is done cooking by when the juices are clear.
Nutrition
{originally posted 6/17/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/9/20}
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Super chicken recipe – right up my alley! I'll be gratefully using this many times
Thanks!
Mary
Bryan says
350 for 35 mins?? Are you crazy that will be pink around the bone.. 350 50 mins – 1 hr comes out perfect every time..
Mary says
This recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, which will be completely cooked through in the designated time, Bryan. However, if you choose to use bone-in chicken thighs (a delicious choice as well) then yes, they will need to cook for 1 hour.
Janine says
What about using balsamic vinegar instead of red wine?
Kit White says
I think this looks tasty but was flabbergasted at the sodium and other nutrition content. I think you ran it through the app but didn’t take into account that when eating the chicken, we would not be consuming all of the marinade. I’m on a salt restricted diet and hope you can give me some idea of what the nutrition would really be once the chicken it taken out of the marinade.
Mary Younkin says
I honestly can’t say, Kit. You’d only consume a very small portion of the marinade, but I don’t have a way to adjust the recipe’s nutritional information to show that. Thanks for your comment though, as I just realized that I didn’t have a number of servings in the recipe card.
Eileen Cremer says
Can you do this with chicken breasts?
Mary Younkin says
Yes, just watch the cooking time as it will vary according to size, Eileen.
Judy Ann says
This marinade sounds so good, but we really prefer chicken breasts. Could it possibly be done with white meat?
Mary Younkin says
Yes, that will work fine, Judy.
cathy almeter says
H, the recipe looks delicious and easy.
Mary Younkin says
I hope that you enjoy the chicken, Cathy!
Marianne says
This looks delicious! The picture shows the thighs sliced. Do you do that before or after roasting?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Marianne! I sliced the chicken thighs after roasting. I hope you love the recipe; happy cooking.
Debra says
Do you think this would work as a freezer meal? It sounds delicious and want sone ideas for easy meals for a new Mom.
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Debra. These chicken thighs should freeze well.
Liz says
I’m assuming you cook without the marinade but wondering if you could cook in the marinade – especially if cooking breasts instead, would keep them moist? Just wondering … thanks!
Mary Younkin says
It isn’t necessary, Liz. You might also run the risk of boiling them a bit when cooking with too much liquid. They’ll be plenty moist without the extra marinade. Just take care not to overcook.
Shelia says
What about using chicken breast with this recipe?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Shelia! You could use chicken breast in this recipe as well. Just remember that it’s going to be slightly more dry, so you may need to adjust the cook time accordingly.