Italian Dressing Chicken

These Italian dressing marinated chicken thighs are pan seared in a skillet to get a nice golden skin and then we transfer them to the oven to finish cooking. Our baked Italian Dressing Chicken thighs are made with just a few ingredients and they turn out tender, juicy and flavorful every time!

We marinate our Italian salad dressing chicken in a simple marinade made with our homemade Italian salad dressing mix, olive oil and red wine vinegar.  It’s super easy to make and it is SO good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy. This chicken quick and easy to make with little fuss and minimal clean up.
• Flavor. These Italian baked chicken thighs are marinated in Italian salad dressing so they have a really great flavor. 
• Budget Friendly. We use chicken thighs for this recipe which are less expensive than chicken breasts.

Italian Salad Dressing Chicken Ingredients

We marinate the chicken for about 1 hour, but if you’re short on time let the thighs marinate for at least 20-30 minutes.

• Chicken. Using We use bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, which helps keep the chicken moist and tender during the cooking process, and the skin gets beautifully crispy when seared in the pan. If you use boneless and skinless thighs, they will cook quicker, and they will be just as tasty, but they won’t have the nice crispy skin. 
• Olive Oil AND Butter. We use a little olive oil and butter to pan sear the chicken in a skillet before transferring them to the oven.
• Marinade. Our marinade is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and basil, celery salt and red pepper flakes. Or if you’re short on time, use 3/4 cup of your favorite store-bought Italian salad dressing instead of homemade Italian dressing.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Italian Dressing Marinated Chicken

1. Dry Chicken With Paper Towels. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. 
2. Whisk Ingredients For Marinade. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl.
3. Marinate Chicken. Place the chicken thighs in the bowl and turn the thighs over so they are all evenly coated in the marinade.
4. Refrigerate Chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chicken for an hour or 20-30 minutes if you’re short on time.
5. Transfer To Oven.  Using tongs, transfer the chicken to an oven safe skillet or baking dish and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. The actual time to cook the chicken will vary depending on the size of the chicken thighs and the temperature of your oven.
6. Rest Chicken. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan for 3-5 minutes before serving. Baste the chicken a few times in the drippings as it rests.

How To Make Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade

This Italian dressing chicken marinade is super easy to make. Just combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, water and seasonings in a wide-mouth mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake, or simply whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.  You can also blend the ingredients together in a wide-mouth mason jar using an immersion blender (stick blender) to emulsify the dressing, or add the ingredients to a stand blender and blend the ingredients. When you emulsify the dressing with a blender, it makes a thicker dressing that doesn’t separate so quickly.

How Long To Marinate Chicken In Italian Dressing

Marinate the chicken in Italian Dressing for 1 hour, or you can marinate it for 20-30 minutes if you’re short on time. We don’t recommend leaving the chicken in the Italian dressing marinade longer than 12 hours.

Can I Use Store-Bought Italian Dressing?

Yes! Use 3/4 cup of your favorite bottled Italian Dressing to marinate the chicken with.

Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead Of Thighs?

Yes you can! We recommend using boneless chicken breasts. Either leave them whole, or slice them in half lengthwise for thinner pieces that will cook quicker. 

What To Serve With Italian Baked Chicken Thighs

This is a simple chicken dish to make and we like to serve it with a simple side dish. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Vegetables. Steamed Broccoli, Corn on the Cob, Sauteed Zucchi or Oven Roasted Vegetables.
• Mashed Potatoes. Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Basil Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
• Salad. Serve with our Garden Salad, Simple Kale Salad, Romaine Salad, Italian Salad, Italian Pasta Salad or Pizza Salad.

More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes

• Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• One Pan Italian Chicken
• Greek Chicken Bowl
• Marinated Greek Chicken 
• Pan Seared Chicken Breast
• Chicken Milanese
• Easy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich