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 tonight and was very good. I only had Dijon horseradish mustard and it was still very good. First time seeing your post and I love the way you post your recipes, no guess work and love the tips.
Can I use chic breast in this recipe?
Yes, you can! Slice them in half and reduce the baking time 5-7 minutes.
Made this a few times. It’s my son’s favorite chicken recipe and he is a picky eater even tho he’s an adult now.
Hi! This was a good quick recipe ! The chicken had a nice tangy flavor .. I roasted some potatoes on a different pan to serve with the chicken, but wonder if all could be done in the same pan ?
Hi Tricia – If you want to add potatoes for a one-pan bake, I suggest first parboiling the potatoes for about 10 minutes (cut them into about 1 1/2-inch pieces), then add to the baking dish with the chicken. Be sure to use a slighter larger pan so everything can cook in one layer.
Made as written, doubled the sauce. Marinated for 4 hours. Absolutely delicious! Highly recommended.
Really delicious! I wasn’t sure how the mustard and tomato paste were going to come together, but it really was a wonderful dish, enjoyed by whole family. Love the sauce! Thank you for the recipe!
Recipe was super yummy. My one issue was it was watery instead of carmelized. I used 10 thighs so I used more paste and mustard, etc. Still overall an excellent flavour and I will make it again.
Thanks for sharing, Shelley! If you make this again with 6 or more thighs, try using a slightly larger pan. The wider surface area will help concentrate the pan juices.
I was looking for a new way to prep the chicken thighs yesterday evening … I was stuck in a rut of three recipes on my rotation; then I came across this one. It sounded quick and easy, I had all the ingredients, and so we went ahead. Well, this was so incredibly delicious that we almost licked our plates. I only had 5 thighs (just myself and my husband) but I made all the sauce because we like lots of sauce and it was to die for. I immediately defrosted more thighs and made two batches this morning which I vac sealed and popped in the freezer for even quicker meals or nights when we don’t want to cook. Thanks for this recipe, I will look around on your site for more!
So glad you enjoyed! You might like this chicken thigh recipe with lemon and rosemary: https://familystylefood.com/roasted-chili-chicken-thighs-with-lemon/
This marinade is fantastic. However the cooking time was way over what was needed. The chicken was overcooked.
Glad you liked it! If you find your chicken is fully cooked before the stated cook time, it could have to do with the size of the thighs and the particular oven (some run hotter/cooler than the set temp). An instant read thermometer is very helpful to determine doneness – anywhere between 160-165 is considered safe.
Really good!!! I made 1 1/2 times the sauce with 8 chicken thighs and I would do that again (I like things saucier). My family loved it (except for the kid who hates dark meat and he loved it until he realized it wasn’t white meat- which was after the first piece).
I do 8 times the amount because I use a lot of chicken, but after cooking there’s a lot of sauce which is not thick. Am I doing something wrong? First time I made it using exact amounts there was barely enough to spread around. How should it look when done? should sàuce be thick still?
Hi Debra: Are you baking 8x the amount of chicken, including 8x the sauce? That would be 14 pounds of chicken. If so, it’s best to use multiple baking dishes or pans that contain the chicken without crowding it too much. If there isn’t much air circulating around the chicken it will steam rather than roast, creating a lot more juice. Ideally, the finished pan juices will be saucy, but not too liquidy.
I made this. Followed the recipe exactly. Not impressed, unfortunately. I think it may be the combo of lemon juice and tomato paste in the sauce. Just seemed a bit acidic and wonky with heat.
I absolutely loved this recipe!!!! I made it as the recipe read – no changes, no subs. It is a keeper.
Thank you!
Ive been using green onions because I’ve never had shallots, but am going to buy them tonight. However wwhenn I looked up shallots it says don’t brown them because like garlic they get bitter. The recipe says to let them brown. What should I do?
Hi Debi, The shallots won’t get too brown in this recipe, just crisp on the edges. If you’re worried you won’t enjoy the slightly caramelized flavor, tuck any the shallots under the chicken so they’re not exposed.
My son’s and I love this recipe. However over and undercooking meat always worries me. Why do you bake it on high temperature? I e been cooking it longer at 325 because I worry about not cooking chicken long enough.
Hi Debra – Higher oven temperatures (400-450 degrees) work great for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. That temperature helps them cook quickly, and it adds a little sear on the outside, which adds flavor. It’s fine to bake them at 325 degrees, but they should take longer to cook and won’t turn out as browned. Lower oven temperatures are excellent for whole chickens and pieces that have bones and skin, because at hotter temps the skin will brown too quickly (and burn) before the meat is cooked through.
D.B. why does heat have to be so high. I always worry about over or under cooking meat. I’ve made this many times, but at 325. Is that a problem?
Hi Debra – Higher oven temperatures (400-450 degrees) work great for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. That temperature helps them cook quickly, and it adds a little sear on the outside, which adds flavor. It’s fine to bake them at 325 degrees, but they should take longer to cook and won’t turn out as browned. Lower oven temperatures are excellent for whole chickens and pieces that have bones and skin, because at hotter temps the skin will brown too quickly (and burn) before the meat is cooked through.
I I did . My family loved it!!!
Hi . I wasn’t sure if you bake the chicken covered or uncovered?
Hi Jane – Bake it uncovered.
This is a staple recipe now. It’s so easy and delicious!
Love this. I’m on Atkins diet though how many carbs in each thigh? And I only have toaster oven. What temp do I use
Hi Debra – There are 11 grams of carbs per thigh (including the sauce). Set your toaster oven to 425 degrees. You may want to set to broil for the last few minutes, depending on how your toaster oven works.
I will give this recipe 4 stars because the chicken was perfect and juicy, but I didn’t love the sauce which I found odd because I LOVE Dijon and everything else in the ingredient list. I did marinade for about 6 hours.