This Baked BBQ Chicken is juicy, tender, and coated in our homemade Easy BBQ Sauce for a sweet, smoky, and delicious finish. It’s easy to make in the oven and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a backyard cookout.
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🍗 The Ingredients
The simple ingredients come together to create juicy, flavorful chicken with a sticky, caramelized finish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions) below.
📝 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken pieces: Bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks stay especially juicy and develop beautifully crisp skin. You can use a mix of pieces, but choose cuts of similar size so they cook evenly.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: These work well, too, but cook faster. Begin checking them after about 20 minutes, then add the sauce near the end.
- Olive oil: A little oil helps the seasonings coat the chicken. Any neutral cooking oil will work.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika adds a hint of smoky flavor, while garlic powder rounds out the seasoning. Regular paprika can be substituted for smoked paprika.
- BBQ sauce: Our homemade Easy BBQ Sauce is simple to make and full of flavor. If you’re short on time, a good-quality bottled BBQ sauce works well, too. Reserve some clean sauce for serving, and brush it onto the chicken near the end of baking so it caramelizes without burning.
🔥 Tips and Tricks for Perfect BBQ Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry: This helps the skin brown and crisp in the oven.
- Leave room between pieces: Spacing the chicken out allows hot air to circulate and helps it cook evenly.
- Use a wire rack if you have one: It lets heat reach the underside of the chicken for more even browning. No rack? Bake the chicken directly on a lined sheet pan.
- Add the BBQ sauce near the end: Because BBQ sauce contains sugar, applying it during the final part of cooking helps it turn sticky and caramelized without burning.
- Watch closely under the broiler: Broiling adds a lovely bit of color, but the sauce can go from caramelized to scorched quickly.
- Check doneness with a thermometer: Measure the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. Chicken is safe at 165°F; thighs and drumsticks are often more tender when cooked a little longer.
- Keep serving sauce separate: Set aside sauce before it touches raw chicken, and don’t use leftover marinade or basting sauce for serving unless it has been safely cooked.
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Baked BBQ Chicken
- Step 1: Do ahead: Make the BBQ sauce. Strain through a sieve for a smooth sauce, if desired. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Step 2: Place the chicken pieces on a baking rack that is fitted into a foil-lined baking pan. Brush the olive oil all over the chicken pieces.
- Step 3: Season the chicken pieces all over with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Step 4: Bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. Brush BBQ sauce all over the chicken and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Step 5: Remove from the oven and apply another layer of sauce to the top (skin-side) of the chicken. Turn the broiler to HIGH. Place the pan on the middle rack and cook until crispy and lightly charred. Keep an eye on it!
- Step 6: Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
🍽️ How to Serve
- Serve it hot: Arrange the chicken on a platter while it’s warm and glossy, with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
- What to serve with it: Pair it with the best Macaroni and Cheese, Southern-Style Green Beans, Classic Baked Beans, and Honey-Sweet Cornbread.
- Add something fresh: Creamy diner-style coleslaw or a simple crisp green salad makes a refreshing contrast to the rich, smoky chicken.
- Make it a cookout spread: Add pickles, sliced tomatoes, or homemade cream of corn for an easy, crowd-pleasing meal.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use boneless chicken for baked BBQ chicken?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work especially well, but they cook faster than bone-in pieces. Start checking for doneness early and add the sauce near the end.
How do I keep baked BBQ chicken from drying out?
Avoid overcooking, and check the thickest part of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. Thighs and drumsticks are especially forgiving and stay tender when cooked a little beyond the minimum safe temperature.
When should I add the BBQ sauce to baked BBQ chicken?
Brush it on during the final part of baking. This gives the sauce time to turn sticky and caramelized without burning.
Can I make baked BBQ chicken with bottled sauce?
Absolutely. A good-quality bottled sauce is a convenient substitute for homemade sauce.
How do I store and reheat leftover baked BBQ chicken?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in a covered baking dish at 325°F until warmed through, adding a splash of water or extra sauce if needed.
🐔 More Amazing Baked Chicken Recipes
Ready to make the best (and easiest) chicken dinner in town? Go for it!
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Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
Juicy, tender chicken baked in the oven and brushed with our easy, flavorful homemade BBQ sauce until sticky and caramelized. This crowd-pleasing recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners, backyard cookouts, and serving with all your favorite sides.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 654kcal
Video
Equipment
- baking rack in a baking sheet lined with foil (for easy clean-up)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups BBQ sauce
- 3 lbs chicken pieces skin-on, bone-in (see NOTES)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Prepare the Easy BBQ Sauce (or go with quality bottled sauce).1½ cups BBQ sauce
Make the BBQ Chicken
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup, then set a wire rack on top.
- Place the chicken on the rack and brush them all over with the olive oil. Season each chicken piece all over with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Make sure the chicken is skin-side up on the rack.3 lbs chicken pieces, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the internal temperature (in the thickest part of the chicken) reaches 165°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the chicken generously with about ¾ cup BBQ sauce. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn the broiler on HIGH. Brush on another layer of the BBQ sauce on the tops of each piece of chicken. Place the pan (still on the middle rack) and broil until the sauce is sticky, caramelized, and lightly charred in a few spots. This usually takes 2-3 minutes, but keep an eye on the chicken; don't let it burn!
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Notes
NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.
- Bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks work especially well and stay juicy. Arrange pieces of similar size together for even cooking.
- Boneless, skinless thighs cook faster; begin checking them after about 20 minutes.
- Add BBQ sauce near the end of baking to help it caramelize without burning. Broil briefly for extra color, watching closely.
- Chicken is safe at 165°F, measured in the thickest part without touching the bone. Dark meat is often more tender around 175–185°F.
- Set aside clean BBQ sauce for serving before brushing sauce onto the chicken.
- Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in a covered baking dish at 325°F until warmed through; add a splash of water or extra BBQ sauce if needed to keep it moist.
Nutrition
Calories: 654kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
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Wesley says
Unbelievably tasty for such few ingredients! That BBQ sauce is to die for!
Barbara Snedegar says
This is the perfect way to make BBQ chicken. Your recipes are always the best. In note 4 before the recipe, you need to fix the internal temp. Keep the recipes AND videos coming!!