Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
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Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the part of the bird that actually benefits from oven heat — the fat keeps them juicy at high temperatures where a breast would dry out. Baked at 425°F for 25 minutes, they come out tender with caramelized edges and enough pan sauce to spoon over everything on the plate.
The marinade for these chicken thighs came together on the fly in an Airbnb kitchen — Dijon mustard, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic — and it’s stayed in my steady rotation ever since. It takes two minutes to mix and no time to marinate, and the tomato paste creates a glaze that sets into a crust at high heat.
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
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: The fat content is what makes this cut reliable at high oven heat — thighs have roughly twice the fat of a breast, which means they stay moist while the exterior caramelizes. A breast at 425°F for 25 minutes would be dry; a thigh at the same time and temperature comes out tender with some crust. The one thing that causes problems is overcrowding — if the pieces are packed too tightly, they steam rather than roast and you lose the crust. Use a pan just large enough to hold them in a single layer with a little room between pieces.
- Marinade: The combination looks casual but it’s built on balance — the tomato paste brings concentrated sweetness and body, while the Dijon and lemon juice provide the acidity that cuts through the fat in the chicken and keeps the flavors sharp. Together they create a coating with enough sugar to caramelize at high heat and enough acid to act as a quick tenderizer. Mix the marinade and chicken in the morning, refrigerate all day, and the flavor will be noticeably deeper by the time it hits the oven.
- Shallots: They’re worth seeking out rather than defaulting to onion. Their higher sugar content means they caramelize cleanly at high heat without turning bitter — at 425°F, the exposed pieces crisp at the edges while the pieces tucked under the chicken get soft and sweet. That contrast in texture is part of what makes the dish. If you can’t find shallots, red onion is the closest substitute, though it will be sharper and less sweet in the finished pan sauce.
How to bake boneless skinless chicken thighs
1. Use a baking dish just large enough to hold 6–8 thighs snugly — 2 to 3 quarts is ideal. A pan that’s too large causes the pan juices to spread and evaporate before they can form a sauce. 2. Whisk the marinade ingredients until combined. The mixture will look thick — that’s the tomato paste and mustard doing their job. A concentrated coating adheres to the chicken better than a thin one.
3. Toss the chicken with tongs so that the pieces are evenly coated. 4. Tuck the shallots in between the thighs rather than piling them on top. The pieces nestled under the chicken will soften into the pan sauce; the exposed ones will crisp at the edges. At this point you can bake immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. 
5. Bake uncovered at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the shallots are golden. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally — a thermometer is better than guessing.
What to serve with baked chicken thighs
These thighs are substantial enough to anchor a simple weeknight plate. Fresh green bean almondine is a natural pairing — the brightness of the lemon cuts through the richness of the pan sauce. Crispy smashed potatoes are a good call — the garlic and rosemary echo the marinade without competing with it. For a lighter option, marinated white bean salad doesn’t need cooking and holds up well alongside the pan sauce.
30-Minute Baked Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1½ – 1¾ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8 pieces)
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 finely chopped or grated garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- ¾ cup (120 g) sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Put 1½ – 1¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8 pieces) 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 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1-2 finely chopped or grated garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper in a medium bowl.
Assemble and bake the chicken
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the pieces over to coat. Scatter ¾ cup sliced shallots (about 2 medium) 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
- Marinate the chicken overnight in the mustard mixture and bake directly from the fridge — add 5 minutes to the cook time if the chicken is cold.
- Freeze the unbaked chicken in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake.
- 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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Just finished making (and eating!) these delicious chicken thighs. I don’t usually use boneless/skinless, but they were on sale. The only change I made was when I realized I had no lemons, so I used white wine vinegar, instead. So good! I’ll make these again, I’m sure.
I’m making this again tonight. My husband loved it !!! I serve it over rice, with fresh veggies on the side.
Made this tonight for dinner. It was so good. We all enjoyed it. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. I let the thighs marinate for 2 hours and I added some red bell pepper strips to the shallot mixture. Looking forward to the leftovers!
Absolutely loved this recipe. So quick and tasty. I’ll be making this again. Glad I found your website!
Can you taste the tomato paste in this recipe ??
Hi Kristy, the tomato paste flavor isn’t prominent, but it does add some tangy sweetness to the sauce.
We absolutely loved this recipe. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it Olga!
So delicious! My husband and I really enjoyed it. I only had four thighs but I kept the marinade the same and it was nice and saucy. We’ll be adding this to our favourites! 😊
I just have a question – Have you ever tried grilling the chicken thighs instead of the oven method?
Hi Jane – I have not tried grilling the thighs. You could certainly grill them after they marinate, but you will miss out on the pan juices that accumulate in the baking dish.
I made this exactly as written and it was quick, easy and delicious. Made the marinade again, using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and grilled them. So moist and flavorful!
This has become my absolute favorite recipe for boneless chicken thighs. So easy and so delicious! Takes no time at all to throw it together after a long work day, yet tastes like I worked on it for hours!
I’m not gunna lie, I forgot one of the critical things… the shallots on top. I didn’t have shallots, I was going to sub onion (I know they’re not the same, but close enough for my purposes) but just… plain ol’ FORGOT. Otherwise, I tried to follow the recipe closely. I saw some folks mention they wished there was a sweet element to the marinade, so I did add honey and a little balsamic to taste.
This chicken was SO JUICY, so easy to make, and clean up was a breeze. I used foil to line my 9×13 casserole dish. We all thought it was very tasty!! I cooked more chicken at the same temp afterwards with just oil and seasoning, same cut of chicken and a slightly shorter time since they were more spread out, and they were definitely not nearly as juicy.
Is the marinade supposed to be thick?
Yes, it should be fairly thick like the texture of mayonnaise. If your mustard or tomato paste is super thick, you can thin out the marinade a bit with more lemon juice or a little water.
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Hello.
Can I leave the red chili pepper out if I want? I can’t have spicy foods because I get heartburn.
Yes, absolutely!
Thanks.
This dish was a big hit! I followed the recipe exactly and served it with her bed quinoa and garden salad. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Making this about 8:30 this evening, when a friend leaves work, I am popping it in the oven! This sound so easy and delish. Marinating as I type. Baking and saving to slice and use in tortilla wraps with shredded brocc slaw. I saw where 1 commentor mentioned using honey as a bit of sweetener. I added a few drops of maple balsamic. Oh. My. Gosh.
Thank you for adding joy to our dinner!
This was delicious! I served it over coconut jasmine rice, and my whole family loved it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Delicious! Love how tasty, moist and easy this recipe is. I’ve made it several times & have frozen portions prior to baking & it turns out delicious each time. This one is a keeper!
Very delicious recipe! The sauce is amazing and wonderful over quinoa. A keeper, thanks!