Chicken Salad Recipe: This recipe has rave reviews. It’s perfect to make on Sunday evening and take throughout the week for work day lunches. Chicken Nuggets: These are a million times better than fast food. Your whole family will love them! Instant Pot Chicken Soup: Let your pressure cooker do all the work in this amazing recipe!
If you try this awesome baked chicken thighs recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I’m a girl who always gravitates towards stovetop meals and neglects my oven. But these baked chicken thighs are a great reminder of how perfect oven-ready meals are. This chicken thigh recipe can be made the night before. Throw together a simple marinade and refrigerate overnight. The following day, you can just pop them in the oven when you get home from work.
Olive Oil: The base of the marinade. I like to use regular olive oil and not extra virgin when I’m making marinades. Honey: Adds some sweetness to balance the acidity of the lemon juice. Lemon Juice: The acid of the marinade. Acid in marinades helps to break down the meat a little so that the flavors can permeate it. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always preferred to store-bought in recipes. Garlic: Adds a rich flavor profile. Dried Parsley Dried Thyme Dried Rosemary Salt and Pepper
Make the marinade. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the marinade to the chicken. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and ensure they are fully coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Bake. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meat that marinates for too long can become mushy because the acid (in this case the lemon juice) in the marinade breaks down the meat. This will result in meat that is gummy rather than tender. For chicken, marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 24 hours. This recipe calls for two pounds of bone-in chicken thighs. When you buy chicken thighs with skin on them you get that nice crispy layer of skin. You can also use this marinade for one pound of boneless chicken thighs. This is a great recipe to double if you are having company over. If you double the meat for this recipe, also double the marinade. Because oven temperatures can vary, the most important thing when baking chicken thighs, or any meat, is that you check the internal temperature of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is considered fully cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. See my recommendation below for an instant read thermometer that can be left in the meat while it is in the oven. If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, keep in mind that the juices from the chicken should run clear when you cut into it. If there is a pink hue to them, the chicken is not fully cooked.
My number one pick is my recipe for roasted root vegetables. The flavors pair perfectly with this chicken recipe, and you can see them together in the photos. Additionally, they cook at the same temperature as the chicken. Parmesan Roasted Broccoli also cooks at the same temperature as the chicken, and it is always a hit with my kiddos. My family loves my chopped salad recipe and it really rounds out dinner. If you really need some comfort food, make my Colcannon. It is insanely good.
