Name: Baked BBQ Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (chicken thighs, legs, or both); 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup BBQ sauce (plus more for serving)

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This Easy Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe is moist and juicy on the inside and deliciously charred and sticky on the outside. Super easy to make, it’s the best oven-baked barbecue chicken and perfect for year-round family dinners.

Cutting board lined with wax paper and piled with perfectly baked bone-in skin-on BBQ chicken thighs and drumsticks coated in sticky BBQ sauce and garnished with minced parsley.

Easy Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

This is the only oven-baked BBQ chicken recipe you’ll ever need! Bone-in skin-on chicken pieces are coated in a simple seasoning blend, then baked until crispy and golden, and finished with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce! They’re tender and juicy on the inside with a crispy seasoned skin that’s generously coated in your favorite BBQ sauce.

It’s an inexpensive recipe made with simple pantry ingredients and seasonings. Enjoy as a snack, appetizer, or easy weeknight dinner that can be paired with creamy coleslaw, cornbread, fries, salad, veggies, and so much more!

Baking your BBQ chicken simplifies the cooking process, reduces the typical mess of traditional grilling and pan-frying, and means that you get to enjoy this dish come rain or shine!

All of the ingredients for Baked BBQ Chicken presented in individual measuring cups and ramekins.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Chicken – The best chicken cuts for BBQ chicken being cooked in the oven are bone-in skin-on chicken pieces, such as thighs, legs, and wings. For this recipe, you’ll see that I’ve used 5 legs and 4 thighs.
Olive oil
Baking powder – The baking powder helps to tenderize the meat and also creates a crispy outer coating.
Seasoning – You’ll need a combination of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper. You can also experiment with cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
BBQ sauce – Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or homemade BBQ sauce.

Baking Bone-In Chicken Legs and Thighs Vs. Chicken Breasts

In general, cooking bone-in chicken will take longer to bake than boneless chicken. Cooking boneless chicken breasts will take less time to cook (compared to bone-in chicken pieces), so plan accordingly.

Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F as measured with a digital meat thermometer.

Large white mixing bowl filled with a combination of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks sprinkled with baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

Large white mixing bowl filled with a combination of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks coated evenly in a mixture of baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

How to Bake BBQ Chicken

1. Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the pan and spray it generously with nonstick spray.

2. Season the chicken: Toss the chicken in a large bowl with the olive oil, followed by the baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Continue tossing the chicken pieces until the spices are evenly distributed.

3. Bake the chicken: Place the chicken on the prepared cooling rack and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over one last time and bake for another 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the skin is crispy.

4. Baste the chicken: Brush the entire surface of the cooked chicken pieces with the BBQ sauce.

5. Broil and serve: Broil the coated chicken on high for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the chicken chars to your liking and the BBQ sauce is bubbling.

Combination of raw bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks coated in dry rub on a cooling rack placed in a baking sheet.

Combination of partially cooked bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks coated in dry rub on a cooling rack placed in a baking sheet.

Basting bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks with bbq sauce.

What to Serve with BBQ Chicken

I highly recommend serving this bbq chicken recipe with classic barbecue side dishes. Some household favorites include,

Storage

Once completely cool, store leftover BBQ chicken pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the chicken pieces in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-8 minutes or until heated through.