Baked boneless skinless chicken thighs in tomato sauce

Q: What temperature should I bake boneless skinless chicken thighs?

Whether theyre on a sheet pan, in a skillet, or in a saucy marinade, the best temperature for cooking boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oven is between 400°F and 450°F, with 425°F being the temperature we rely on most often.

Table of Contents Show

Baked Chicken With Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Preparation
What is Chicken Cacciatore?
How to make a healthy Chicken Cacciatore recipe:
What to serve with Chicken Cacciatore:
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
Even more easy chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
Reader Interactions
How long does it take to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs and at what temperature?
What temperature should I bake boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Is it better to bake chicken thighs at 350 or 400?

What do you do with tomato sauce if you’re not going to put it on pasta? There are all kinds of options, but one of them is to bake chicken in it: the chicken stays tender, and the flavor of the tomatoes penetrates all through the meat. Add a few zucchini in the same pan, and you’ve got dinner all ready to go.

For the tomato sauce, you could make your own – it’s not that hard if you’re not going for Italian-grandmother levels of authenticity, and it makes the whole house smell great – or go brand-hunting for something reasonably close to Paleo. Most stores will have at least one or two brands without a lot of added junk (check the cans if you can’t find it in the bottled sauces), but bear in mind that they probably won’t be the cheapest ones.

If you want more of a pasta-like experience, you could also serve this over roasted spaghetti squash or any other type of Paleo noodles, but it’s very tasty all on its own, and great for an easy lunch or a light dinner.

Baked Chicken With Tomato Sauce Recipe

SERVES: 4

PREP: 15 min.

COOK: 50 min.

Values are per portion. These are for information only & are not meant to be exact calculations.

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs;
2 zucchini, sliced;
1 onion, sliced;
12 cherry tomatoes;
1 cup tomato sauce;
1 cup vegetable broth;
1 tbsp. garlic powder.
1 tbsp. dried oregano;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Season each chicken thigh with sea salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.
In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce and the vegetable broth.
Place chicken in a baking dish, and top with the zucchini and tomatoes.
Pour the tomato sauce mixture over everything.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

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A healthy and easy dinner is on the table with just 10 minutes of prep! There's no need to sauté the meat or stand over the stove. Instead, this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Cacciatore recipe uses the oven to braise boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a thick, rich tomato sauce with plenty of fresh vegetables. A perfect family-friendly weeknight meal!

If you're not interested in standing in the kitchen slaving over your next supper, then a baked chicken cacciatore recipe is bound to become your new favorite dish. You get all of the delicious taste of a juicy, tender piece of meat that has simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce -- without any of the work!

What is Chicken Cacciatore?

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian, and refers to a meal that's prepared "hunter-style" with onions, herbs, and usually tomatoes, bell peppers and wine (source).

A classic Chicken Cacciatore recipe typically involves sautéing bone-in, skin-on chicken parts in a skillet, removing the chicken, and then sautéing vegetables in the same pan. The seared chicken is then returned to the pan with the vegetables and braised slowly in a tomato sauce for about an hour.

The end result is great, but many of us just don't have time for all of that! Instead, I've found a shortcut to achieve all of the flavors that you love from a traditional cacciatore with one single step!

How to make a healthy Chicken Cacciatore recipe:

First, season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish, large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven.

In a separate bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients:

onion
bell pepper
a can of crushed tomatoes
mushrooms
tomato paste
red wine
garlic, rosemary, basil and Italian seasoning

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken.

Finally, bake the chicken at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I like to leave the dish uncovered, which allows the sauce to thicken nicely.

Garnish the chicken and sauce with fresh herbs, if desired, and serve!

What to serve with Chicken Cacciatore:

Italian-inspired sides are traditionally served with Chicken Cacciatore. Here are a few options that go best with the dish:

Pasta
Rice
A loaf of crusty bread
A simple green salad dressed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
2-Ingredient Italian Sugar Snap Peas

Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. I used three very large chicken breasts, which required about 45 minutes in the oven. The type of baking dish that you use can also impact the amount of time that your meat needs in the oven. For instance, meat cooks faster in a cast iron braiser (as shown in the photos), than it does in a glass or ceramic baking dish. As a result, baking time suggested is merely an estimate. To know exactly when your meat is done (and to avoid over-cooking or under-cooking the chicken), I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. You know that the chicken is perfectly cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast tenderloins for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If using chicken thighs or tenderloins, decrease the baking time to about 25 minutes.
You can bake this easy chicken cacciatore recipe in a casserole dish, in a Dutch oven, or in a large oven-proof skillet.
Have leftovers? This chicken cacciatore recipe will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. To keep it fresh longer, you can freeze the extra chicken and sauce in a tightly-sealed container for up to 3 months.
Want to prep ahead? Place all of the raw ingredients in the dish, as instructed, cover and refrigerate overnight before baking. Alternatively, you can prepare all of the ingredients in a dish, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 1 month before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allow the dish to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking, and then bake as instructed.
Don't want to use the red wine? You can substitute with beef broth or balsamic vinegar.

Even more easy chicken recipes that you might enjoy:

Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Mushrooms
Dump-and-Bake Mediterranean Chicken
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Marsala
Dump-and-Bake Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Thanks to this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Cacciatore recipe, a healthy and easy dinner is on the table with just 10 minutes of prep!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked chicken breast recipes, chicken cacciatore recipe, easy chicken breast recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 - 6 people

Calories 261.3kcal

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or substitute with chicken thighs or chicken tenders)
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
¼ cup red wine
2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
For serving: rustic bread, rice or cooked pasta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, or use a large oven-proof skillet, Dutch oven or braiser.
Season chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, and place in prepared baking dish.
In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Pour tomato mixture evenly over the chicken.
Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. If using chicken tenders or boneless chicken thighs, decrease the baking time to about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf; season the sauce with salt and pepper (to taste). Serve chicken and sauce with bread, rice or pasta, if desired.

Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. I used three very large chicken breasts, which required about 45 minutes in the oven. The type of baking dish that you use can also impact the amount of time that your meat needs in the oven. For instance, meat cooks faster in a cast iron braiser (as shown in the photos), than it does in a glass or ceramic baking dish. As a result, baking time suggested is merely an estimate. To know exactly when your meat is done (and to avoid over-cooking or under-cooking the chicken), I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. You know that the chicken is perfectly cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast tenderloins for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If using chicken thighs or tenderloins, decrease the baking time to about 25 minutes.
You can bake this easy chicken cacciatore recipe in a casserole dish, in a Dutch oven, or in a large oven-proof skillet.
Have leftovers? This chicken cacciatore recipe will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. To keep it fresh longer, you can freeze the extra chicken and sauce in a tightly-sealed container for up to 3 months.
Want to prep ahead? Place all of the raw ingredients in the dish, as instructed, cover and refrigerate overnight before baking. Alternatively, you can prepare all of the ingredients in a dish, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 1 month before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allow the dish to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking, and then bake as instructed.
Don't want to use the red wine? You can substitute with beef broth or balsamic vinegar.

Reader Interactions

How long does it take to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs and at what temperature?

The USDA guidelines lists approximate cooking times of 40 to 50 minutes for 4-to-8-ounce chicken thighs roasted at 350 degrees. In our basic meal prep boneless chicken thighs recipe, they take about 25 to 30 minutes baked at 425 degrees F.

What temperature should I bake boneless skinless chicken thighs?

Whether they're on a sheet pan, in a skillet, or in a saucy marinade, the best temperature for cooking boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oven is between 400°F and 450°F, with 425°F being the temperature we rely on most often.

Is it better to bake chicken thighs at 350 or 400?

The higher the temperature when baking chicken thighs creates that golden brown outer skin that protects the dark meat from over cooking and tenderizes the inside making it even more flavorful and tender. I like to bake chicken thighs at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes long.