30-Minute Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
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These baked boneless chicken thighs are the kind of dinner that gets people wandering into the kitchen asking, ‘What smells so good?’ They come out juicy and full of flavor, thanks to a quick pantry marinade made with Dijon mustard and tomato paste, and they’re topped with crispy, golden shallots. It’s a simple, one-pan recipe that delivers big flavor in about 30 minutes.
Baked chicken thighs are my latest go-to chicken dish to make on weeknights. This recipe pairs the juicy poultry with a crazy-simple pantry sauce-marinade combo mixed with Dijon mustard, tomato paste and sliced shallots that cook into caramelized sweetness.
What readers are saying:
“This recipe was amazing! My husband and I absolutely loved it! The tanginess of the mustard and lemon were simply out of this world.”
Key ingredient notes
This recipe is quick — less than 35 minutes start to finish. There’s no need to marinate the chicken before cooking, but if you have time to let them sit overnight or a few hours during the day you’ll get maximum flavor and convenience.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Here are my thoughts on chicken thighs: You gotta love how versatile they are. Boneless, skinless thighs have absolutely become a weekly staple in our house — they’re so much tastier than white chicken breast meat. Especially in this recipe, they stand up to bright flavors and oven-baking without drying out.
- Marinade: I honestly came up with this magical mixture on the fly one night — I was testing recipes in an Airbnb kitchen, using what was in the minimally stocked pantry cupboard. I grabbed Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and tomato paste and mixed it into a sauce with lemon juice and garlic. It tastes tangy and zesty, and couldn’t be easier.
- Shallots and thyme: I love the flavor of shallots and fresh thyme in this dish because it gives the dish a slightly elevated Frenchy feel. You can substitute with red onion and fresh rosemary, dried thyme or herbs de Provence for equally good results.
Recipe steps
1. Grab a medium-sized baking dish just large enough to snugly hold 6-8 chicken thighs. A 2-3 quart capacity dish or pan is ideal. Arrange the chicken thighs in the pan. 2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Scrape the sauce over the chicken thighs.
3. Toss the chicken with tongs so that the pieces are evenly coated. 4. Distribute the sliced shallots over the chicken, tucking them in here and there. You can bake the chicken immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours ahead. 
5. Bake the chicken thighs 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees. While while they’re in the oven, you can make these fresh green beans with almonds to serve with it.
30-Minute Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1½ – 1¾ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8 pieces)
- ¾ cup (120 g) sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
Dijon marinade
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Put the chicken in a medium (about 3-quart capacity) baking dish. If your pan/dish is not nonstick, spray it with cooking spray or line with a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean-up. Note: Your goal is for the chicken and shallots to roast in the oven while making a delicious pan sauce at the same time. If your pan is too large the juices will evaporate.
Mix the marinade
- Whisk together the mustard, tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili in a medium bowl.
Assemble and bake the chicken
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the pieces over to coat. Scatter the shallots over the chicken, poking them in between the thighs here and there. Some of the unexposed shallots will crisp and brown, while the covered pieces will bake and soften.
- You can bake the chicken immediately or cover and refrigerate the chicken and marinade up to 24 hours ahead.
- Bake the chicken uncovered 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is opaque and the juices are bubbling. Serve warm.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Make ahead: Marinate the chicken overnight in the mustard mixture and simply pop in the oven when you’re ready to cook dinner.
- Freeze the unbaked chicken in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake.
- Substitute fresh thyme with another fresh aromatic herb like rosemary or oregano. Dried herbs will work too, just reduce the amount by half.
- Optional: Add 1 cup of cherry tomatoes to the baking dish with the marinated chicken — they will burst and release their juice into the sauce.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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I made this chicken recipe tonight and it was really liked by all. Made one and a half times the recipe and added 15 mins to the cooking time. Also used rosemary instead of thyme. Delicious! Thank you.
This Dijon marinade was so good! I used bone in chicken breast only because my partner likes white meat, and it was on sale. I let the marinade sit in the fridge for about five hours and served it with green beans and quinoa. We ate it all up! So much flavor! Will add this recipe to our regular schedule.
This dinner’s a winner. Hardest part is remembering to take out the chicken so it can thaw and you can marinate it! I would recommend either lining the baking dish with foil or spray with cooking spray so clean up is easier. Served with roasted baby Yukons and a salad. On the rotation!
Great tip I will add that to the recipe!
So I just made this tonight & omg this was awesome!! I marinated the chicken the night before & doubled the sauce with the shallots & added a spoonful of raw honey. This was so good with mashed potatoes & asparagus. Definitely a keeper!!
The honey addition sounds so good!
Thanks for the healthy and delicious recipe. Will definitely make it again.
Great recipe! Next time I’ll increase the amount of marinade a bit. Served with roasted butternut squash.
Fantastic recipe! Huge hit with my dinner guests. Will make again and again. Followed directions exactly except added extra garlic, as I always do. Served with couscous and roasted potatoes. I will marinate all day next time for even extra flavor. This is now one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes. Thanks!!
Yay I’m so glad you enjoyed this Leslie!
Just wondering exactly how much lemon juice? A whole lemon? Or splash of fresh lemon juice?
Thanks so much!
Hi Marie – A great question! I call for the juice of one lemon, based on an average medium-size lemon which yields about 1/4 cup juice.
I was looking for a way to cook my defrosted chicken quickly and didn’t realize this was supposed to marinate until I was halfway into mixing ingredients. I didn’t have time to change course, so I went with it and am so glad I did! It was delicious the first night and leftovers were even better!!
Would this freeze well? I have wrist surgery coming up and want to fill the freezer while I have two functioning hands. Thx
Yes, you could freeze it for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe container. Reheat at 325-350 degrees (covered with foil) until warm, about 25 minutes.
I made this for the first time while looking for “different” chicken recipes. I used bone in thighs, (no issues) I prefer them. This recipe has Great flavor and will make again. My wife loved it. No salt issue for us, followed the recipe. Thanks!
Amazing and versatile! I like to put root vegetables in alongside the chicken so I create a full meal. This is now a go-to for me. YUM.
What can I use instead of tomato paste?
You could use: 1-2 teaspoons canned chipotle pepper puree, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or just add 1 extra tablespoon Dijon.
Do you increase cooking time or just julienne the root veggies so they cook through? Yum!
Hi there – Do you mean the shallots when you say root veggies? If so, yes they are sliced thin. If you want actual root vegetables to serve with it (such as carrots etc.) I would cook them separately.
I’m sorry. I forget to rate it.
I give it a 10!!
WOW thanks and so happy you like it!
Maaaan this was so quick and good! I just happened to run across this recipe while searching for a chicken thigh recipe with Dijon mustard. 10 out of 10 recommend!
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Flavorful gourmet chicken dish. It was a huge hit and will be making it again soon. Part of my repoitoire now. Makes me look like I know what I’m doing.
Thank you Karen!
Cut the salt. The salt flavor overwhelmed the dish.
Of course you should cut the salt if you know you’re sensitive to it. Also, the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon kosher salt, which has a coarser texture and fluffier volume than regular fine grain table salt. If you’re not using kosher salt, you should always reduce the stated amount in any recipe by half.
Recipe was a hit with my husband and teenage son. I trimmed chicken and made the marinade in the morning which made dinner time super easy. I served with Zucchini noodles and biscuits. Easy weeknight dinner – thanks.
SO GOOD! When I made the sauce, it just tasted like an ordinary tomato sauce to me – BUT once it was all cooked, it turned into something totally different and amazing! I used bone-in, skin-on thighs that took 50 minutes @ 400F. Thanks for a simple yet gourmet-tasting recipe!
Thanks!
I have bone in thighs and was wondering how long it would take…
Hi Irene – If you’re using bone-in thighs, bake for an additional 10 minutes (or so) until the meat feels firm.
Delicious! Made this for my family and everyone loved it. Simple, easy to follow recipe. I especially liked how if you increase the # of servings the amount of each ingredient also increases. The chili flakes added a nice kick!
Aaron that makes me happy – so glad you enjoyed!
Very yummy! So yummy, I’m making it again tonight 🙂 I’m just going to add a little honey and use chicken wings instead.
I’m adding this to my dinner schedule for next week! Looks delish! xx