These are the best juicy and tender Boneless Chicken Thighs, marinated in dry rub, then baked in the oven and broiled until BBQ is caramelized! It will be a great easy recipe for a family dinner for a cookout party.
This is one of my favorite recipes for boneless skinless chicken thighs marinated, baked, and broiled in the oven. The final result; you will have juicy and tender aromatic chicken with mouthwatering caramelized BBQ sauce on top.
The recipe is based on my Instant Pot Chicken Wings. But since we are baking it in the oven, I let the chicken marinate first in herbs and spices to absorb all the flavors.
I like to marinate the meat a night before, so it takes no more than 30 minutes the next day to prepare the dinner.
Table of contents
Ingredients Marinade
Since this recipe is based on my current BBQ Wings recipe, I used the same seasoning:
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Oregano
- Thyme
And, since it’s not a dry rub but marinade, we need to add some olive oil.
How to marinate
You can marinate the meat in 3 easy steps:
- Wash and pat dry the meat and put it in a gallon size zip-lock bag.
- Add the seasoning and olive oil.
- Close the bag, mix everything together, and marinate 1-24 hours.
NOTE: I like to marinate it a night before or in the morning before cooking. This way it will be able to absorb more flavors. If you don’t have time, refrigerate it at least for an hour before cooking.
How to bake Chicken Thighs in the oven
After the meat is marinated, it takes less then 30 minutes to cook.
Place the meat on a baking sheet with a wire rack and bake at 400˚F for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170-175˚F.
When done, brush BBQ sauce on top.
Set the oven broil and broil for about 5 minutes or until the BBQ sauce is caramelized.
Tips for Best Results
- Marinade. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful meat will be. I think that overnight gives the best results.
- Cooking. Always use a meat thermometer to make sure that the meat is cooked through and safe to eat.
How to serve
This recipe is so much fun to serve for a big party or family dinner! I love to accompany it with different sides, vegetables, and salads. Here are a few ideas:
- Sides. Instant Pot Mexican Rice, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
- Vegetables. Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob, Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan.
- Salads. Chicken Macaroni Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad, Farro Salad Recipe, Potato Salad with Bacon and Eggs, BLT Pasta Salad.
- Dips. Best Tzatziki Recipe, Mango Avocado Salsa, Simple Guacamole.
- Other Meats. Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Instant Pot Chicken Tacos, Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
In this recipe, I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you want, you also can use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks. However, the cooking time will be different.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – bake for 20 minutes at 400˚F.
Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs – bake for 40-45 minutes at 400˚F.
Chicken Drumsticks – bake for 50-60 minutes at 400˚F.
It’s very important to make sure that your chicken is completely cooked. Here are a few tips:
1. The internal temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 165˚ Though, I prefer to cook mine till it’s 175˚F.
2. The juices from the chicken should come out clear.
3. If you have bones in the chicken, make sure that there is no meat with pinkish color on the bones.
You can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for about 4-5 days.
Check out more Chicken Recipes here:
- Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup
- Healthy Chicken Wraps
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!
Oven Baked BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the meat and put it in a gallon size zip-lock bag.
- Add the seasoning and olive oil.
- Close the bag, mix everything together, and marinate 1-24 hours.
- Place the meat on a baking sheet with a wire rack and bake at 400˚F for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170-175˚
- When done, brush BBQ sauce on top.
- Set the oven broil and broil for about 5 minutes or until the BBQ sauce is caramelized.
Notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – bake for 20 minutes at 400˚F.
- Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs – bake for 40-45 minutes at 400˚F.
- Chicken Drumsticks – bake for 50-60 minutes at 400˚F.
- The internal temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 165˚ Though, I prefer to cook mine till it’s 175˚F.
- The juices from the chicken should come out clear.
- If you have bones in the chicken, make sure that there is no meat with pinkish color on the bones.
I prepped this Saturday night and cooked it Sunday. It was delicious. I had 3.3 lbs of chicken thighs so adjusted seasonings accordingly. Fast forward to Monday night. I was dicing chicken leftovers to add to a cobb salad and popped a chunk in my mouth. OMG… it was even better a day later cold! While putting away the Sunday leftovers, my husband poured all the pan drippings on top. Not sure if the chicken absorbed more flavor because of that or not, but it was like eating…. candy. Chicken candy.
I have NEVER heard of NOT washing your chicken! I feel that comment was unnecessary and has nothing to do with the delicious recipe. All it did was make Veronika feel bad. Thank you for the recipe Veronika!
I prepped this Saturday night and cooked it Sunday. It was delicious. I had 3.3 lbs of chicken thighs so adjusted seasonings accordingly. Fast forward to Monday night. I was dicing chicken leftovers to add to a cobb salad and popped a chunk in my mouth. OMG… it was even better a day later cold! While putting away the Sunday leftovers, my husband poured all the pan drippings on top. Not sure if the chicken absorbed more flavor because of that or not, but it was like eating…. candy. Chicken candy.