These bold and flavorful Stacked Mexican Chicken Thighs are one of my new favorite ways to prepare chicken! Just trim up the chicken, add the marinade ingredients, stack in a loaf pan and bake! The result? The most moist, flavorful and easy seasoned chicken that’s perfect for tacos, bowls, salads and more!
About This Recipe
It’s no secret I love Mexican recipes around here and these Stacked Mexican Chicken Thighs definitely hit the spot! After I discovered how easy it was to prep chicken thighs in a loaf pan, I knew I had to try more recipes!
These mexican thighs are so incredibly moist and juicy! Baking the chicken in a loaf pan allows the juices and fat to continuously render and baste the meat creating that super tender and juicy texture. I’m telling you, this is my FAVORITE way to cook chicken thighs.
And you all know I love chicken breasts and tenderloins, but these chicken thighs are seriously worth a little higher fat and are foolproof. I promise you can’t mess these up!
Use this mexican chicken recipe for your favorite tacos, salads, burrito bowls and more!!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: My boneless thighs were labeled just 4.5 fat for 4 oz. Just make sure to give them a good trim of any excess fat before adding to the marinade.
- Greek yogurt: I used nonfat Greek yogurt but you can also sub dairy-free for sour cream or yogurt.
- Lime juice: I highly recommend using fresh lime juice for these chicken thighs (the store-bought juice doesn’t have the same fresh effect)
- Olive oil: You can also sub for avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil if you prefer something else.
- Tomato paste: Since we’re only using one tablespoon I always recommend buying the tomato paste in a tube so you can easily seal it up and reuse for another recipe!
- Honey: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the acidity and smokiness of the other ingredients
- Seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and smoked paprika
- Green onions and shallots: Adds a subtle onion flavor that helps to enhance the flavor.
Dietary Adaptations
GF/DF: I love using Forager plant-based sour cream in place of yogurt if I need this to be dairy free. It will make very minimal changes to the macros.
How To Make
- Spread your thighs out so they’re not folded up, and trim off any unwanted fat. No need to go crazy here! Add chicken to a large bowl and mix well with the remaining ingredients. You can cook right away or let it marinate for a couple of hours or even overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425 when you’re ready to bake your chicken. Let the chicken come to room temp if possible, and stack the marinated thighs tightly on top of each other in a loaf pan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then carefully drain the liquid from your loaf pan into a bowl (you might want to drizzle it back on later) and turn the pan upside down onto a cutting board. Chop it up and use in bowls, tacos, burritos, salads etc!
Serving Suggestions:
These Stacked Mexican Chicken Thighs make the easiest, most delicious protein for any of your favorite meals! Chop it up and serve with tacos, salads, burrito bowls, etc. Here are a few of my favorite macro-friendly ways to enjoy these chicken thighs:
- Pineapple Radish Salsa
- Mexican Chopped Kale Salad
- Easy Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Spicy Mango Slaw
- Fresh and Easy Corn Salsa
- Mexican Street Corn Salsa
- Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Mango, Grilled Chicken, and Light Chimichurri
- Light Mexican Caesar Salad
For More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Baked Yogurt and Herb Chicken Breasts
- Loaf Pan Chicken Shawarma
- Air Fried Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Baked Breaded Chicken
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Stacked Mexican Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat (1119g)
- ⅓ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (80g)
- juice of one lime 30g
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 15g
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil 15g
- 1 Tbsp. honey 21g
- 2 Tbsp. cumin
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 ½ Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- ¼ cup green onion chopped 40g
- ¼ cup shallots sliced (30g)
Instructions
- Spread your thighs out so they’re not folded up, and trim off any unwanted fat. No need to go crazy here! Add chicken to a large bowl and mix well with the remaining ingredients. You can cook right away or let it marinate for a couple of hours or even overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425 when you’re ready to bake your chicken. Let the chicken come to room temp if possible, and stack the marinated thighs tightly on top of each other in a loaf pan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then carefully drain the liquid from your loaf pan into a bowl (you might want to drizzle it back on later) and turn the pan upside down onto a cutting board. Chop it up and use in bowls, tacos, burritos, salads etc!
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Man, what a great recipe! I’ve made this twice to rave family reviews. It will certainly become one of our go-to dishes. Thank you! (Also, I used Forager yogurt as that’s what I had on hand and it was yummy!)
Easy and so flavorful.
So easy and so so good! Staple in our house
Which of your sauces would you use with these thighs? Also, would love a peruvian green sauce (aji verde) lightened up with your touch!!
Another delicious and easy recipe! I usually prefer chicken breasts, but the ease of these thighs has won me over! I used Forager sour cream for non-dairy and couldn’t tell the difference! More recipes using this stacked method please, it makes meal prep so simple!