Easy Baked Chicken Thighs with Grape Jelly

This delicious and easy-to-make chicken recipe combines the sweetness of grape jelly and tangy vinegar to create a tasty sauce for oven-baked chicken thighs. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or an impressive Sunday supper.

If you are looking for more quick and easy chicken recipes, try these gluten-free chicken spiedini or this grilled chicken leg recipe.

Jump to:

• Introduction
• More reasons to love this easy recipe
• Let’s prep our recipe
• Instructions
• Tips on how to keep chicken moist in the oven
• FAQ
• Storage and Reheating
• Healthy sides for baked chicken
• Recipe origins
• Recipe

Introduction

Are you looking for delicious and easy dinner ideas with chicken that your whole family will love?

Look no further than this tasty baked chicken thighs with grape jelly recipe!

This surprisingly simple dish is made with just a few basic ingredients, yet it has so much flavor!

The combination of savory chicken thighs and sweet grape jelly creates an amazing balance of flavors that everyone at the table will enjoy. Plus, with only 10 minutes of prep time, this meal is ready in under 60 minutes from start to finish – perfect for busy weeknights!

More reasons to love this easy recipe

• Besides being flavorful and easy to make, this baked chicken thigh with grape jelly is also very versatile. You can serve it with almost any vegetable side dish.
• If you like more spice, add a few pinches of chili flakes or this bomba sauce for an extra kick.
• Additionally, you can use different types of jelly for a unique twist on the flavor.
• The combination of sweet (grape jelly) and sour (vinegar) ingredients in this recipe creates a delicious flavor that appeals to almost everyone.

As a dietitian and a mother, there are a few more reasons I love this easy dish. Chicken thighs are an excellent source of protein and are affordable and quick to prepare, especially for those busy nights.

Let’s prep our recipe

The only two simple ingredients we need to prep for this recipe are the onions and the garlic.

Let’s prep the garlic: Crush 2 cloves with the side of your knife. Remove the papery skins and chop off the tips. Give them a rough chop and set them aside. 

Chop the onions: Cut off the stem and root ends of 1 small onion. Then, peel the outer skin and cut the onion in half from top-to-bottom. Lay each half flat-side down on the cutting board. First, make thin slices, about ¼-½ inch thick, from top-to-bottom. Then, turn the onion 90 degrees and make thin slices to create your diced onions.

Instructions

Now that our ingredients are prepped let’s bake our chicken thighs!

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.

Whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken thighs in a small saucepan. More specifically, the 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 small chopped onion, 1 cup of grape jelly, ¾ cup of tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for a few minutes and then set aside.

While waiting for the basting sauce to boil, place 3 kg (6-7 pounds) of skinless and boneless thighs in a 13 x 9″ baking dish.

Once the sauce is ready, pour it over the chicken pieces and turn them over to ensure they are coated evenly.

Bake in a preheated oven, uncovered, for 50-55 minutes or until the internal temperature of 165°F/74°C is reached in the thickest part of the meat. Turn over and baste the chicken with the sauce every 15 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs like chopped chives or Italian parsley.

Tips on how to keep chicken moist in the oven

• Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking. Chicken is done at an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. [source]
• The chicken stays moister and tender by baking at a lower temperature (325°F to 350°F) for longer.
• Keeping the chicken juicy is as simple as basting it frequently with its marinade and flipping it every 15 minutes to ensure it cooks evenly in the oven.
• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving, allowing the internal juices to redistribute.

FAQ

Storage and Reheating

Any leftover baked chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen and reheated later. To reheat, place chicken thighs with the sauce in an oven-safe dish and bake at 350°F/175°C for 15 minutes or until heated.

Healthy sides for baked chicken

Sweet and sour baked chicken thighs go well with a variety of sides. Some healthy options include steamed green beans, a leafy green salad, or a carrot slaw. Additionally, a roasted root vegetables recipe or roasted broccoli pairs perfectly with this dish!

To round off your meal, serve with some cooked quinoa, brown rice or plain noodles for an easy and nutritious chicken dinner.

Recipe origins

Many decades ago, this simple chicken recipe was given to me by one of my dear cousins, who found it in the Wednesday food section of the local paper. If you have visited me before, you will know that many of my simple recipes have their origins in this local paper.

This quickly became one of my favorite recipes for preparing boneless skinless thighs.

As usual, I adjusted it to my taste and available ingredients. For example, I replaced the ketchup with my homemade tomato passata. Tomato sauce also works well in this recipe.

During my most recent Costco run, I stumbled across Last Mountain’s Saskatoon Berry – which was perfect since I had run out of homemade grape jelly! The results were delicious!

I hope you can try this recipe and make it your own by experimenting with various ingredients.

Enjoy!

★★★★★ If you have made this chicken thighs recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

This post was originally published on October 30, 2016, and republished on February 5, 2023, with updated content, photos and a video.  Thanks for sharing!