21 Best Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Recipes

Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are one of the most versatile and affordable kitchen staples, as you really don’t need to add a lot to the already flavorsome, salty, and deliciously savory meat.

In short, they’re a ‘minimum effort, maximum flavor kind of ingredient that you can throw in the oven with just a few extras and be safe in the knowledge that you’ll be met with a comforting, delicious meal once you open the oven door.

In our minds, they trump chicken breasts every time as, unlike breasts, chicken thighs are very difficult to overcook, and as they have more fat content than breast meat, they’re much more flavorful.

Keep scrolling for 21 of the best boneless chicken thigh recipes.

1. Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs & Green Beans Skillet

Fattier cuts of meat often call for ‘low and slow cooking in the oven, and so this stovetop boneless skinless chicken thigh recipe is a great option if you’re short on time.

It’s all cooked in one skillet, making it washing up as well as time friendly.

It takes just 25 minutes to put together. While this recipe alone is a great one for if you’re following a low carb or keto diet, serving it alongside a mound of creamy mashed potatoes will bring this into the classic family favorites hall of fame.

2. Cream Sauce Chicken Thighs

Juicy chicken thighs smothered in a decadent creamy sauce? We don’t know about you, but that sounds like a dish we are up for any day of the week.

Topped with bacon, these creamy chicken thighs are intensely savory and salty in a great way and go with any accompaniments you choose.

Pasta, crusty bread, or a giant heap of mashed potatoes and steam vegetables on the side to inject a bit of color, and you have yourself a deliciously comforting meal.

3. Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

This is a great Italian-inspired one-skillet meal!

Topped with grated parmesan, this simple dish takes just 30 minutes to put together, making it a perfect weeknight meal with minimal clean-up.

You’ll need just 7 ingredients: a can of tomato sauce, chicken thighs, heavy cream, garlic, fresh spinach, fresh basil, and parmesan for that salty, tangy finish.

Serve with dried Italian herb roasted potatoes or on a bed of noodles, making this an extra comforting meal.

4. Spicy Honey Lime Chicken Thighs

A dish with a balance of sweetness and heat can be a truly magical thing to eat, and this dish is one of them.

The fresh lime juice is the secret ingredient here as it really cuts through the sweet, sticky sauce and gives this dish a real zing.

Our top tip here is to use a non-stick skillet as the sugars in the sauce can quickly caramelize and burn if using a regular pan or skillet.

5. Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

With a prep time of just 10 minutes, this will surely become your new go-to recipe for cooking chicken thighs perfectly every time.

The secret here is to marinate the chicken thighs for a few hours before baking, as this helps to tenderize the meat, resulting in juicy and flavorful meat.

The marinade is made with olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, and mayonnaise (yes, you read that correctly!)

It may sound like an odd addition, but the mayo really helps to tenderize the meat, and you can’t taste in the finished dish.

6. Oven Baked Greek Chicken Thighs

Aside from being totally delicious, this dish is relatively healthy, so if you’re on the lookout for healthy chicken thigh recipes, look no further than this one right here.

Greek yogurt is used to marinade the meat and is really the star ingredient here. The lactic acid in the yogurt actually breaks down the collagen and proteins in the meat, making it really tender and succulent.

You could serve this with any side dishes of your liking, but we would recommend serving with a Greek-style salad and warm pita bread for mopping up the juices!

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7. One-Pot Creamed Spinach Chicken

Simple but elegant, this simple but delicious dish is simple enough to become a weeknight staple but would also impress at a dinner party or gathering.

Heavy cream is infused with garlic, shallots, dried herbs, and white wine to create a decadent, creamy sauce that everyone around the table will love.

If you want to continue on the path of minimum effort and maximum impact with side dishes, crusty bread or garlic bread and a green salad with an Italian dressing would work well here.

8. Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

If you have a busy day or will be out of the house for a while and want to return home to a delicious meal that’s ready to go, this is the recipe for you.

Chicken thighs are great for slow cooking as they are very forgiving, and the fat content makes it difficult for them to dry out!

Sun-dried tomatoes here are the secret ingredient, as they add a real depth of flavor and savory tang to the dish.

All you will need to do come serving time is pour in the heavy cream and the spinach and leave for 5 minutes before serving.

9. Sticky Baked Asian Chicken Thighs

This boneless chicken thigh fillet recipe is seriously packed with flavor and is one that once you start making, you won’t be able to stop!

If you’re in the mood for sweet and sticky takeout chicken but want a healthier and more affordable option, these thighs will satisfy your cravings.

The sweetness comes from sweet chili sauce and orange juice, which also helps to tenderize the meat and keep it really juicy.

10. Simple Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs

These thighs require so little effort but are really delicious and simple, making them a great weeknight option.

The thighs are rubbed with a flavor-packed seasoning blend made up of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and, when roasted in the oven, results in a flavorsome crust to top the juicy chicken underneath.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or rice to keep things simple.

Whatever you choose to serve them with, we guarantee this will become a family favorite!

11. Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ready in 30 minutes, these chicken thighs, baked in a tried and tested combination of honey mustard, are a quick but impactful dinner option.

The recipe calls for Dijon mustard, but if you find it too strong and spicy for your taste, you can switch it out for yellow mustard instead.

We would serve this with herby rice or mashed potatoes mixed with a little mustard and chopped green onions.

What would you serve with these thighs?

12. Asian Glazed Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Are you always on the hunt for more recipes to utilize your air fryer? Because we are!

Using the air fryer here cuts down on time in the kitchen, as you don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat, and it helps with achieving that crunchy exterior and moist interior in a minimal amount of time.

Topped with sesame seeds and green onion, these thighs are sweet, sticky, salty, and fresh all at once.

13. Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lemon and garlic are another one of those tried and tested combinations that pairs so well with chicken.

The tang and sweetness of the lemon really help to cut through the richness of the meat and brings a freshness to the finished dish.

Using the instant pot obviously cuts down on cooking time, but you’re still left with the flavorful juices at the bottom of the

pot once it’s finished cooking and makes us think that this dish would be best served with rice to soak up all of those juices.

14. Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs

This is easily one of our favorite savory boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes out there.

Made in just 5 minutes (did you re-read that in disbelief?), this lemon and thyme-infused chicken has all the flavor of chicken thighs that have been sat for hours in a marinade, but that in reality, took you less than 5 minutes to prepare.

Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of white wine for a dish that feels fancy but requires none of the effort.

15. Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Boneless chicken thigh recipes are usually high in fat content as the thighs bake in their own fat and juices, but this recipe is great if you want the flavor of thigh meat but not the fat as the excess fat here drips down into the pan.

What’s more, allowing the excess fat to drip away into the pan ensures that the coating on the chicken here stays really crisp.

The crust is made with smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, pepper, brown sugar, and salt and is seriously delicious!

16. Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs

If you love the combination of sweet, salt, spice, and sour that Thai cuisine is so famed for, you have to try this recipe!

The marinade is made with coconut milk, sesame oil, fish sauce, ginger, cilantro, garlic, and hot chili paste…. are you drooling yet?

This is also a great recipe for dairy-free guests, as coconut milk means enjoying this creamy, rich sauce.

Serve with a noodle salad or rice and top with lime wedges and extra cilantro.

17. Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

Keto and low-carb diet-friendly, these chicken thighs are a great weeknight meal option that goes from kitchen to table in less than 30 minutes.

As well as adding flavor and texture, the bacon helps keep the chicken extra moist and tender.

These are rich, so pairing them with lightly roasted green vegetables like green beans or cauliflower rice would be great side dishes.

18. Baked Chicken Thighs

This is a fail-safe way of cooking chicken thighs quickly and with minimal prep.

Very little flavor is needed with chicken thighs as they are already so flavorful. Still, the minced garlic, Italian seasoning blend, and ground paprika really help amp up the flavor.

Do you have your own seasoning blend for chicken thighs to share? Let us know!

Tip: marinading the chicken for at least 2 hours will result in maximum flavor here, but if you’re short on time, they’re still great without any time to marinade.

19. Keto Chicken Thighs

What makes these thighs so special? The silky, red sauce!

The sauce is made up of blitzed roasted red peppers, garlic, and goat cheese and really helps to brighten this dish.

We appreciate that goat cheese is not to everyone’s taste and so if you’re not a fan, try crumbled feta instead.

Serve with riced cauliflower, and you have yourself a staple keto recipe that you will want to revisit time and time!

20. Cilantro Lime Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs wrapped in a zingy, herby, and garlic-infused sauce? Sign us up!

You’ll need just 6 ingredients for the flavor-packed marinade: cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and olive oil.

To save time on chopping and dicing, this recipe saves time by adding the marinade ingredients to a blender and pouring this straight over the chicken.

This recipe is so versatile, too! You could use the chicken in tacos, burritos or serve in lettuce cups for a low-carb option.

21. Mustard-Glazed Baked Chicken Thighs

This recipe calls for just 4 ingredients and takes under 30 minutes from kitchen to table.

The chicken thighs are brushed with melted coconut oil, poultry seasoning, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper and baked in the oven until golden and glazed on top.

We recommend making a little extra of the glaze and cooking it up with green beans over the griddle for a flavorful and light side dish.