Baked Chicken

Our Baked Chicken recipe is so straightforward you can practically make it with your eyes closed. Only 2 ingredients and 2 additional pantry staples. Staples likesalt, pepper, and olive oil don’t count as additional ingredients in the foodie world as they are ingredients we typically always have on hand. This dish takes 2 minutes to whip up and one second to devour. The chicken is so flavorful and juicy you will be licking your fingers and wanting more.

What stands out

Did we mention straightforward and? The time-to-yummy ratio is way in your favor with this Baked Chicken recipe. No one will know it took you no time at all and the results are fantastic. Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs helps ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out in the oven so you’ll get a juicy piece of chicken every time. The seasonings are simple and you can use whatever jarred pesto or marinade you have in the fridge to amp it up.

How to Prepare Baked Chicken

First, preheat the oven to 400°F (200F) and then add the chicken thighs to an oven-safe baking dish.

Next, add a touch of olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.

Now, add the sun-dried tomato pesto and then with clean hands massage everything well.

Next, bake it uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour or until nice and golden.

Finally, enjoy with your favorite side dish!

Kitchen tip

Keep in mind that the sun-dried tomato pesto has salt, seasonings and cheese so we don’t want you to season the chicken too much. The pesto already has all of the salty and nutty components, and that’s what makes it the ultimate shortcut!

Swaps

1. Feel free to use any pesto you love or even homemade pesto as well. The tomato pesto recipe in our Sun Dried Tomato Pasta would be here!
2. You can certainly make this with chicken breast but you will need to reduce the time depending on the size. They will take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes in the oven. We suggest using a meat thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165F you know it’s ready.
3. We've kept the spices here simple because the pesto has everything you need. You could add some additional garlic, onion powder, parsley or even paprika if you’d like.

Serve it with

• A simple salad such as our Wedge Salad or Simple Green Salad.
• Our Crispy Parm Potatoes or Simple Risotto Recipe would be on the side.

Questions

Can i make this Baked Chicken recipe with chicken breast?

Yes, you can certainly make this with chicken breast but you will need to reduce the time depending on the size. They can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes in the oven. The longer you cook a chicken breast, the dryer it becomes so please cook it accordingly or use a mark meat thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165F you know it’s ready.

What other kind of pesto would work in this straightforward baked chicken recipe?

Feel free to use any jarred pesto you love. Switch it up with a traditional herb and parm pesto, a roasted red pepper pesto or an olive tapinade-style pesto. You could even use a homemade pesto such as the recipe in our a strong Sun Dried Tomato Pasta or our a strong Basil Walnut Pesto.

Can make this recipe in the air-fryer?

We haven’t tried this, but we don’t see why not! Read your manual on your mark air-fryer for the recommended temperature and cook time and be sure to check the internal temperature to make sure it’s cooked to perfection.

Can i prep this ahead of time?

Yes, you can certainly prep this the night before. Marinate the chicken in the baking dish, wrap it up tightly and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, just remove the wrap and then pop it right in the oven to bake.

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

• 6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper, optional
• 3 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto, or any pesto you like

Equipment

• Baking Dish
• Redmond Real Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and add the chicken thighs to an oven safe baking dish.
2. Add a touch of olive oil, pinch of salt, and pepper is optional.
3. Add the sun-dried tomato pesto and with clean hands massage everything very well. Bake it uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour or until nice and golden.
4. The bake time will depend on the oven so keep an eye on it. Mine took 45 minutes. Enjoy