Is there any food that isn’t good when drenched in garlic butter? It’s the easiest, most fool-proof way to make something insanely delish. So, because it’s the week after Thanksgiving and I don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I whipped up these quick Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs. They only require about five minutes of prep, about 30 minutes in the oven, and then they’re ready to eat!

Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs

What to Serve with Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs

First things first, you’ll have a lot of delicious lemony garlic butter in the bottom of your baking dish, so you definitely want to serve this chicken with something to soak it up, or spoon it over. Today I served mine with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and some simple steamed green beans, both of which benefited from a generous drizzle. Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes would also be awesome, as would some Homemade No Knead Bread, or even just a bed of rice.

Can You Make This With Chicken Breast?

The cooking times and temperatures listed below are specific to boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you prefer boneless chicken breast, I suggest following the instructions in my Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breast recipe. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will require a longer cooking time, but unfortunately I have not tested this with that type of chicken so I don’t know the exact time needed.

For the Best Results, Use a Meat Thermometer

Ovens can vary, baking dishes can vary, the size of chicken thighs can vary. All of these factors can affect baking time, which is why it’s so important to have a meat thermometer. The digital meat thermometer (affiliate link) I use is extremely affordable and let’s me know without a doubt whether my meat is cooked to a safe temperature, and whether I’m in danger of overcooking my meat. ;) 

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

 

How to Make Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Add 4 Tbsp butter to a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds or until the butter is melted. Add 4 minced cloves of garlic, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper (about ⅛ tsp), and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

Stir the garlic butter ingredients to combine.

Place five boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a baking dish, then spoon the garlic butter mixture over top. Use the back of the spoon to spread the garlic butter over the surface of the chicken thighs.

Slice a lemon into half-rounds then scatter the lemon pieces in the baking dish with the garlic butter coated chicken.

Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF. Use a spoon to drizzle the juices from the baking dish over the chicken pieces, then top with another tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley just before serving.

Don’t waste a drop of that garlic butter from the baking dish! It’s great on the chicken, potatoes, to sop up with bread, or drizzled over your vegetables!

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