Baked BBQ Chicken with Sweet and Sticky Glaze
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Baked BBQ Chicken is the best way to enjoy BBQ chicken all year round. I use only two ingredients and have perfected our baking method so the chicken turns out juicy, with the best sweet, sticky glaze every time!
This is a recipe I make at least once a month, so I’ve had plenty of time to get it just right. Over the years, I’ve tried several cooking methods, but this one consistently delivers the best results.
Here’s why you’ll fall in love with baked BBQ chicken: it gets coated in a thick, sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully in the oven, while the chicken underneath stays tender and juicy. The recipe is almost hands-off—pop it in the oven, flip it once, then finish with a quick broil. You can use my favorite homemade BBQ sauce or whatever bottle you already have in the fridge. Either way, it’s sweet, saucy, and downright delicious.
Ingredients to gather
One of the things I love most about this recipe is the SUPER short ingredient list. It’s the recipe that I reach for when I don’t feel like cooking.
- Chicken Thighs: To make this recipe, you’ll need bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. If you don’t like the skin, rub some BBQ sauce underneath it to flavor the meat, but keep it on for baking. The skin will help protect the meat and keep it nice and juicy.
- BBQ Sauce: The bottle you have in your fridge will do just fine! For a flavor that is a bit unique, you can try my bourbon BBQ sauce.
What cut of chicken is best for this recipe?
Chicken thighs! Specifically, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will yield tender, juicy chicken with a deliciously sticky glaze. Drumsticks work well, too.
Boneless chicken thighs cook very quickly, so if you use them, the BBQ sauce won’t have a chance to caramelize fully. They’ll be good, but not as good. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are best!
If your family enjoys chicken breasts, I recommend my baked BBQ chicken breast recipe.
What to serve with oven baked BBQ chicken
Simple sides are best with BBQ chicken as this recipe will be the star of the show. Here are a few of our favorites:
Veggie sides:
How to store BBQ baked chicken
Leftover chicken can be stored in a sealed container in your fridge for 3-4 days. I enjoy it sliced and served cold over a salad for lunch. Or warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little extra BBQ sauce.
Baked BBQ Chicken with Sweet and Sticky Glaze
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce (divided (see notes))
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl and pour ½ cup of the BBQ sauce over top. Mix to combine then set aside while your oven heats. Or leave it to marinate in the fridge for up to 4 hours.8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. For easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chicken on the baking sheet skin side down. (Reserve any extra BBQ sauce left in the bowl.) Bake the chicken for 25 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and baste the top with the BBQ sauce that was in the marinating bowl. Return to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes.
- Turn your oven to broil. Baste the top of the chicken with the remaining ¼ cup of BBQ sauce and broil for 3-5 minutes until the top is dark and caramelized. Keep a close eye on it and remove the chicken sooner if it starts to get too dark.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This was delicious. I used a sweet spicy Kansas City BBQ sauce and the skin was so dark and caramalized, I didn’t need to broil it. Served it with your Greek lemon potatoes which was fantastic with baby potatoes amd less cooking. Leftover dressing fom potatoes was used on your tomato cucumber salad. What a great combo all around. Love that you can stick chicken and potatoes in the oven and not have to fiddle with them too much. Thanks for the keepers!
Making this soon!!
When it was raining on July 4th and couldn’t cook my chicken on the grill, this recipe was perfect. Lots of flavor and finishing it off under the broiler made it have the grill “crunchy” coating. Will be making this again
BBQ chicken just the way we like it! Easy, awesome recipe! Going to try chicken wings next.
Delicious! Cooked according to recipe and it came out perfect. Definite keeper. Great alternative to grilling when New England weather doesn’t cooperate.
The Baked BBQ Chicken recipe certainly sounds irresistible! The idea of having a year-round BBQ solution is both convenient and appealing. The recipe seems straightforward with only two ingredients, which is a definite win for those hectic weeknight dinners. The fact that it’s oven-baked ensures an easier and less-messy process compared to grilling.
The concept of marinating the chicken in BBQ sauce and then basting it again before broiling is an effective technique for ensuring a deeply flavored, sweet, and sticky glaze. And the tip about rubbing BBQ sauce under the chicken skin is very insightful. It would keep the meat moist while infusing it with more flavor, even if you plan on removing the skin later.
Also, the idea of making your own BBQ sauce, as suggested in the notes, is a great way to control the flavor profile and quality of ingredients, making it adaptable to personal preferences.
Although I haven’t had the opportunity to prepare this dish yet, I’m keen to do so and I’m sure it would be a hit at any dinner table. With a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 55 minutes, it seems to be an efficient way to serve a flavor-packed meal.
Absolutely came out perfect. Thanks
Hello!
I used a BBQ sauce with only 6g of added sugar; when I went to flip the chicken at 25 minutes, the sauce largely slipped off of the chicken and just burned on the bottom of the pan. What should I look for when buying a BBQ sauce to avoid this?
We’ve used a variety of bbq sauces to make this recipe – from the widely available Sweet Baby Ray’s to bbq sauce we’ve found at the farmer’s market. Usually when the chicken gets put into the oven, there’s not a ton of excess bbq sauce on it. I wonder if yours was more saucy than ours when it was first put into the oven?
I follow this recipe all the time, only steps different is since I like to drain excessive liquids about half way through, I wait until after doing so before putting sauce on. Quick, easy and delicious!
Followed to a T, came out perfectly just like your pics, thank you so much. Used boneless thighs but still tender and juicy, cooked perfectly. Just had to drain pans at first 25 minute mark so they didn’t boil and dry out.
An oven temp would have been nice.
The oven temp is in the second step in the recipe card. 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sooo good AND sooo easy!!! Definitely a keeper ❣️
Doesn’t have much flavor. Needs a dry rub.
Do you cover them up while cooking?
No we cook them uncovered.
First time I made this and we enjoy it. Thanks for the receipe
I tend to over-cook chicken because I fear serving it half-done. This time, though, I followed this recipe (though I used a Jack Daniels BBQ sauce) and it turned out great! The chicken was fully cooked, yet still juicy, tender, and full of flavor.