Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs (Mediterranean-Style)
“Delicious chicken, but special shout out for the sauce!! So good that I immediately made another batch and put it on pasta for our next meal. Yum!” Danielle
Bring a Mediterranean flair to your dinner table with these easy baked boneless chicken thighs, packed with flavor from a savory coating of tomato paste, garlic, fresh basil, lemon, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. Finish with fresh diced mango for a burst of sweet sunshine.
Ok, mango is not exactly Mediterranean, but its silky sweetness works perfectly with the tender, richly seasoned chicken. You’ll see.
What to expect
Although I typically grill boneless chicken thighs (see our grilled chicken thigh recipe collection), baking them in the oven allows me to prep the rest of dinner at the same time, super handy on a busy weeknights.
The saucy coating is simple to make and can even be prepped ahead. Just blend all the ingredients and toss with the chicken. If you have time, let it marinate a bit for extra flavor, but honestly, you can skip it since the sauce is very flavorful.
The recipe comes together in about 30 minutes with minimal effort if your thighs are on the thinner side, or a little longer for bigger pieces.
Expect a deliciously layered dish: depth from the tomato paste, tangy lemon, bright basil and thyme, and a pop of sweet, juicy mango on top. I sometimes add a light drizzle of honey on top for extra shine and sweetness.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Smaller thighs will bake quickly. Larger ones will be a bit juicier and take longer to bake.
- Mediterranean sauce: Fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, mango, tomato paste, garlic, green onion.
Substitutions
- Chicken: Replace the thighs with boneless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness). This recipe is also delicious with any fish or shrimp, and even tofu, with adjusted cook times. Check out our grilled basil salmon with mango.
- Greek yogurt: I use this for extra moistness. Swap in sour cream instead if that’s what you have on hand. Skip it or use dairy-free yogurt for a dairy-free version.
- Basil: Replace with fresh oregano or dried Italian seasoning.
- Lemon juice: Try white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Brown sugar: Honey, white sugar or maple syrup will work just as well.
- Green onion: Swap with chives or shallots.
- Mango: Peaches or nectarines would be perfect too. For a savory topping, skip the mangos and try chopped briny olives, chopped fresh cherry tomatoes or chopped roasted red peppers.
Variations
- Spice level: adjust to your liking. You can swap the red pepper flakes with smoked paprika if you like.
- Top with a mango-salsa instead of plain mango.
- Cooking method: Feel free to grill the chicken (see recipe notes). Or make a sheet-pan meal by adding asparagus or snap peas to the baking pan (they both cook quickly).
Step-by-step instructions
Tip
I don’t worry about browning/charring the chicken in this recipe since it’s well coated with a deep-coloured sauce, and you are covering the finished dish with diced mango.
You can, however, reduce the cook time a little and broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes close to the heat source if you want it a little bit charred.
Shortcuts
- Shave off a few minutes using a higher oven temperature of 425F/218C. Just don’t overcook the chicken, or it will be dry!
- Use smaller thighs – they will cook in less than 15 minutes.
- Use pre-chopped garlic in a jar, tube or in frozen cubes.
- Skip the marinating.
- Add some quick-cooking veggies to the baking sheet like asparagus, to avoid making a separate side dish.
What to serve with Mediterranean chicken thighs
Keeping with a Mediterranean-style theme, here are a few ideas:
- Salads: tabouleh, orzo salad with grilled vegetables, tomato and onion salad
- Sides: roasted zucchini, Greek lemon potatoes, grilled zucchini slices, sweet and tangy grilled eggplant.
- Grains: Mediterranean rice, mushroom couscous with spinach, quinoa salad with fresh vegetables.
- Dips on the side: tzatziki, baba ganoush, red pepper dip, or hummus.
- Warm pita – and a nice glass of wine!
Recipe FAQs
More boneless chicken recipes
- spicy honey-lime chicken
- grilled Vietnamese chicken
- bang bang chicken (almost authentic)
- crispy honey-garlic chicken
If you love Mediterranean food, try something in our collection of Mediterranean recipes.
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Easy Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs
Bring a Mediterranean flair to your dinner table with these easy baked boneless chicken thighs, packed with flavor from a savory coating of tomato paste, garlic, fresh basil, lemon, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. Finish with fresh diced mango for a burst of sweet sunshine.
Servings: 3
Equipment
- food processor, immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
- 1⅓ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, Note 1
- Garnish: one diced ripe mango (and chopped parsley) (peaches or nectarines are good too)
Tomato Basil Sauce (Note 2 for Variations/Substitutes)
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt or sour cream)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped (3 teaspoons)
- 1 large green onion, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup basil leaves, packed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons white sugar, brown sugar or honey (or more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 400F/204C. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil, sprayed with oil (for easy clean up).
- MAKE SAUCE: Place all sauce/marinade ingredients in a food processor bowl and process on high until the sauce is smooth. An immersion blender or blender can be used instead. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (add more sugar, basil or salt if needed). Reserve 2-3 tablespoons for final basting.
- PREPARE CHICKEN: Trim excess fat from chicken thighs, then toss them with ¾ of the sauce in a large bowl, coating evenly. If you have time, let chicken marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 6 hours).
- BAKE CHICKEN: Arrange boneless thighs in single layer on prepared pan. Bake on center rack for 12-20 minutes or until just cooked through. Bake time will depend on thickness of chicken pieces. Don't overcook. An instant-read thermometer should reach an internal temperature of 160F/71C (temp will rise with a 5 minute resting time). Note 3 to finish under broiler (I don't bother). Note 4 to grill chicken instead.
- TOP WITH MANGO AND SERVE: While chicken is baking, peel and dice the mango. Brush or drizzle remaining sauce on chicken. Transfer to a serving plate. Top with diced mango and chopped parsley. Add a light drizzle of honey if you like.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken options: boneless chicken breasts (score tops if thicker to allow sauce to penetrate). These will take from 15-22 minutes depending on thickness. Bone-in chicken thighs or breasts – cooking time will be longer. Instead of chicken, try salmon, cod, shrimp or tofu – adjust to shorter cook times.
- Variations and substitutes
- For a dairy-free version, skip the Greek yogurt or use dairy-free yogurt.
- Basil: Replace with fresh oregano or dried 1 tbsp Italian seasoning.
- Lemon juice: Try white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Green onion: Swap with chives or shallots.
- Instead of mango garnish: Chopped olives, chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or mango salsa.
- To broil for a charred finish: Reduce baking time slightly, then broil chicken close to the heat for 1–2 minutes. I usually skip this step since the sauce and mango add plenty of color.
- To grill chicken (instead of baking): Heat grill to medium-high heat (~425F/218C). Spray chicken with oil to prevent sticking and oil grates using a paper towel dipped in oil (hold it with tongs). Grill chicken for 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness), flipping half way through, until cooked through (instant meat thermometer should read 160F/71C – temp will rise with resting).
- Shortcuts:
- Shave off a few minutes using a higher oven temperature of 425F/218C. Just don’t overcook the chicken, or it will be dry!
- Use smaller thighs – they will cook in 12-15 minutes.
- Use pre-chopped garlic in a jar, tube or in frozen cubes.
- Skip the marinating.
- Add some quick-cooking veggies to the baking sheet like asparagus to make a complete meal (no need to make a separate side dish)
- Make ahead and store:
- The sauce can be made earlier in the day or 1-2 days ahead, kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
- I suggest dicing the mango closer to serving time so it doesn’t become watery.
- To serve in a buffet, cut chicken into pieces, top with mango and serve at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, first thaw in fridge overnight, then loosely cover and reheat in the microwave on 50% power for 3-4 minutes. Add short bursts of extra time if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 858mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1397IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg
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Delicious chicken, but special shout out for the sauce!! So good that I immediately made another batch and put it on pasta for our next meal. Yum!
Thanks so much for the shout out Danielle!