Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Thighs Recipe (Boneless)

Enjoy flavorful boneless skinless buffalo chicken thighs that are easy to prepare and oven-baked to crispy perfection in just 30 minutes.

Why You'll Love These Buffalo Chicken Thighs

These oven-baked boneless buffalo chicken thighs are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. While some of our favorite recipes feature bone-in chicken thighs, like my honey Dijon mustard chicken thighs with rosemary, I love the convenience of boneless chicken thighs. They require less prep time, cook faster, and are easier to handle. To keep the thighs tender, we start with a drizzle of olive oil, followed by a seasoning blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. The chicken is baked at a high temperature, which crisps the exterior while keeping the center moist. Halfway through the bake, you'll generously coat the chicken in buffalo sauce twice to lock in the flavor. The chicken is then finished with a quick broil to slightly char the sauce. Here are a few more reasons why you’ll love this buffalo chicken thighs recipe:

• This buffalo chicken recipe is quick and easy to make. Who doesn't love a 30-minute dinner recipe?
• Minimal ingredients with lots of flavor. The tender chicken is coated in a homemade seasoning blend and slathered in spicy buffalo sauce.
• Perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prep. Leftovers don't have to be boring, in fact, we often make buffalo chicken thighs and my thin sliced chicken breasts for quick and easy meals throughout the week. My husband eats his chicken cold on top of salads, while I prefer mine warm with roasted murasaki sweet potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Thighs Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these baked buffalo chicken thighs:

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken Thighs: You'll need 1.5-2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 chicken pieces). Bone-in chicken thighs will work too, but you'll want to increase the cooking time to 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
• Oil Olive: Coating the chicken in olive oil keeps the meat tender and juicy and helps the seasoning to stick, giving the exterior a flavorful crisp. You can also use avocado oil, which has a high smoke point, perfect when cooking at high temperatures.
• Seasoning: A simple blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper seasons these buffalo thighs perfectly. 
• Buffalo Sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought buffalo sauce or homemade buffalo sauce for this recipe. Our preferred brand is Primal Kitchen, I love the simple ingredients and spicy flavor. 

Find the printable recipe card with full instructions and measurements below.

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Thighs

• Step 1: Season the chicken. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then place them in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasonings and oil on both sides of the chicken using your hands.
• Step 2: Bake until crispy. Place the chicken thighs on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your hands, gently press down on the thighs to flatten them. Then, place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Step 3: Add the buffalo sauce. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven. Using a pastry brush, apply half of the buffalo sauce to the top of the chicken, reserving the remaining sauce for later. Place the thighs back in the oven for 8 minutes.
• Step 4: Coat the chicken in the sauce once more. After 8 minutes, remove the thighs from the oven and generously coat them with the remaining buffalo sauce. Turn the oven to broil, then return the coated chicken thighs to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce begins to char and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the oven and let the chicken thighs rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, resulting in more tender and juicy chicken.

Serving Suggestions

This buffalo chicken thigh recipe is delicious as is, but for even more flavor, sprinkle the tops with chives and blue cheese crumbles. You could even serve the chicken with a small bowl of ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing off to the side. And if you are looking for a few dinner or lunch side dishes to pair, here are some of our favorites: 

• Sweet potatoes: Whether caramelized baked murasaki (Japanese) sweet potatoes or our oven-roasted chili cumin sweet potatoes, these flavorful potatoes complement the spicy chicken thighs.
• Greens: Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts or asparagus with balsamic glaze are two easy side dish staples we make throughout the week, perfect with these buffalo chicken thighs.

Expert Tips

Follow these easy tips for the best-tasting buffalo chicken thighs:

• Flatten the thighs. Similar to my thin sliced chicken breast recipe, flattening the chicken thighs will help them cook faster and evenly. You can use a meat mallet to pound the thighs thin, but I find they will easily flatten by pushing them down with clean hands.
• Bake then coat in buffalo sauce. Most buffalo chicken recipes call for marinating the chicken thighs, but I find that this results in a gummy, less crispy texture. That's why we add the sauce in the middle and at the end of the baking process. The broil at the end gives the sauce a light caramelization and char.

Storage Instructions

• Storage: Leftover chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Reheating: These buffalo chicken thighs can be reheated in the microwave until warm.
• Freezing: Once the chicken has cooled to room temperature, store it in a freezer-safe airtight container for 3-4 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight then reheat as listed above.

More Chicken Recipes You'll Love

• Thin Sliced Chicken Breast: The most tender and juicy garlic paprika chicken breast, cooked to perfection.
• Honey Dijon Mustard Chicken Thighs: These skin-on chicken thighs are made with a homemade honey mustard sauce with garlic and rosemary. Crispy skin baked until golden brown, coated in a tangy sweet sauce.
• Roasted Honey Lavender Chicken Thighs: A provincial meal for any occasion. Roasted chicken with a honey lavender marinate, reduced into a sauce.

I hope you love this buffalo chicken thighs recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

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