Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs (2024)

Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs with garlic and sesame oil are incredibly flavorful, loaded with sweet and sour and umami flavors. These tender yet crispy boneless chicken thighs are easy to prepare and are a perfect meal prep recipe.

If you’re a fan of Asian food, all things teriyaki, sweet and sour sticky chicken, and/or garlic is your jam, these Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs are right up your alley!

They are so easy to prepare, turn out nice and tender, and contain all the flavors of the rainbow.

Tangy, sweet, sour, umami, with the tiniest kick, these tender chicken thighs are just so palate-pleasing!

Just like my Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs recipe, all we do to make this easy baked chicken thighs recipe is to marinate the chicken in our delicious chicken marinade, then bake!

Let’s dive into the ingredients for this easy recipe!

Ingredients for Asian Boneless Chicken Thighs:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: The star of the show here! Pick up 2 ½ to 3 pounds of boneless skinless thighs from the store. Skinless boneless chicken thighs are one of those goof-proof ingredients, as they have decent fat content to keep them nice and tender, they cook very quickly, and you still get a golden crust, even without skin.

Plus, there are so many different ways you can prepare boneless thighs. Chicken Adobo, Honey garlic chicken thighs or bbq sauce, anyone? Dark meat contains so much rich flavor that it doesn’t need a huge amount of doctoring to make it taste great, but trust me, you’re going to love this marinade for all types of animal protein!

You can also use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts if you prefer them! You will need to bake bone-in thighs or chicken breasts slightly longer, but you’ll end up with tender, amazing, best results.

Avocado Oil & Sesame Oil: Avocado oil and a touch of sesame oil add richness of flavor to the chicken marinade. Because sesame oil has a very potent flavor, you don’t need very much. If you love sesame oil, you can ramp up the amount if you’d like.

Fish Sauce: While fish sauce may seem intimidating if you’ve never tried it, it adds to the richness, salt content, and umami flavors of the dish. It is customarily used in many Asian dishes, so I recommend picking some up if you enjoy cooking Asian food at home. It doesn’t take very much to add a great deal of flavor, so do be sure to measure it!

Fresh Garlic: Loads of garlic bring so much flavor to these tasty baked boneless chicken thighs! If you love garlic, feel free to increase the amount, or you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of garlic granules or garlic powder.

Pure Maple Syrup: A small amount of pure maple syrup brings a lovely sweetness and stickiness to the marinade, which brings that iconic teriyaki flavor to these thighs. You can replace the pure maple syrup with brown sugar if you’d like.

Coconut Aminos (or Liquid Aminos): In case you aren’t familiar with coconut aminos, it is used as a soy-free replacement for soy sauce. If you do cook with soy, feel free to swap the coconut aminos with liquid aminos or soy sauce. If you make this switch, don’t add salt to the marinade, because both fish sauce and soy sauce have a great deal of sodium.

Sriracha (optional): A little sriracha adds just the slightest kick. The way I have the recipe written, the chicken is not spicy. Nevertheless, if you prefer very mild food, omit the sriracha. On the flipside, if you love spicy food, increase the amount of sriracha to your personal taste.

Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds that sour tang that is so delicious in Asian-style foods. You can also use cider vinegar or lime juice if you prefer.

Sea Salt: Because fish sauce and coconut aminos (or soy sauce) contain a decent amount of salt, you don’t need a huge amount of additional kosher salt. If you prefer your food less salty, don’t add the salt to the marinade and instead salt the chicken after it has finished baking if you feel it needs some. Also feel free to add black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste.

Now that we’ve covered the ingredients for these juicy chicken thighs, let’s make them!

How to Make Asian Boneless Baked Chicken Thighs:

Add all of the ingredients for the marinade (everything but the chicken) to a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Place chicken thighs in a zip lock bag or a small container along with the marinade, seal it, and slosh it around until the chicken is coated in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, ideally several hours (up to 24 hours).

When you’re ready to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer the chicken thighs, including the marinade to a large casserole dish.

Bake the chicken thighs on one of the rack that’s close to the heat element (I do 3rd rack from the top) for 20 minutes, or until it is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best way to make sure the chicken is fully cooked, and to avoid over cooking it, use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken.

If you’d like the chicken to have the glazed, caramelized effect, remove the chicken from the oven then baste it using the drippings in the pan with a spoon (or baster if you have one).

Place the chicken back in the oven and change it to the High Broil setting. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is deeply golden-brown. If you’re using bone-in thighs, the cooking time will be slightly longer in order to get crispy skin.

Serve the baked chicken thighs with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy!

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How Long To Bake Boneless Chicken Thighs?:

At 425 degrees Fahrenheit, it will take about 20 minutes to bake boneless skinless chicken thighs.

The best way of ensuring the chicken is not overcooked or undercooked is by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh to read the temperature.

Chicken is considered fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

How to Get Crispy Chicken Skinless Thighs:

While boneless skinless chicken thighs don’t have skin to get that yummy crisp, they can still turn out crispy!

To do so, use the High Broil setting on your oven to broil them for 3 to 8 minutes, or until they are crispy. Be sure to place them on a shelf that is near the top, but not all the way at the top. I go with the third shelf down.

Keep a close watch on the thighs, as the high broil setting is very hot and it is easy for food to burn when left unattended.

And that’s it! Everything you need to know about making mouth-watering delicious oven baked boneless chicken thighs!

If you love cooking in your air fryer, make my Crispy Air Fryer Asian Chicken Thighs!

What to Serve with Chicken Thighs:

Here are my top recommendations for side dishes to make alongside these Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.

• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garlic and Lemon
• Vegetable Fried Rice
• Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables
• Mayo-Free Coleslaw
• Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
• Easy Asian Cucumber Salad

Make these dreamy thighs on repeat!