You only need a few simple ingredients to make the most tender and delicious Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs! They’re packed with barbecue flavor and come out perfectly sticky and super juicy. Make them on a busy weekend or for your next cookout!
👨🍳 Why We Love This Recipe
These oven baked bbq chicken thighs are absolutely out of this world! Sticky, smokey, sweet, and oh so tender, these chicken thighs come out of the oven cooked perfectly!
The chicken is seasoned with a simple blend of delicious bbq spices, then baked in the oven. Last, they’re brushed with bbq so they’re perfectly sticky, glazed, and saucy.
You’ll love baking your chicken thighs this way because they’re:
- Very easy to make.
- Incredibly tender, juicy, and moist.
- Full of rich bbq flavor and glazed with your favorite bbq sauce.
It just takes a few minutes of hands-on time and about 40 minutes in total, which makes this recipe great for busy nights or when you have friends over.
Best of all, the recipe can be easily adapted to dietary restrictions like Low Carb, Whole30, and Gluten Free, simply by using compatible bbq sauce and spices.
🍖 Ingredients List
Ingredients Notes:
- I recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the most flavor, but you can use boneless chicken thighs. The preparation is the same, but the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
- The BBQ Spices are a blend of smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and if you like a little heat, cayenne pepper!
- Use any bbq sauce you enjoy, or make my sugar-free Whole30 friendly BBQ sauce.
- You can make it complete meal if you add diced potatoes tossed in a little oil and salt and pepper to the baking pan before cooking. Turn the potatoes halfway through cooking so they crisp on all sides. The chicken and potatoes will be ready at the same time!
🔥 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken.
Use a few napkins or paper towels to pat the pieces of chicken dry on all sides. Drizzle the chicken with oil, then sprinkle heavily with the bbq seasoning.
Use your hands or tongs to turn the chicken pieces so they’re evenly coated with the oil and spices on all sides.
👉 You can prep the chicken in advance to cook later! Simply cover the bowl of seasoned chicken and place it in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours.
Step 2: Bake the chicken in the oven.
Place the chicken thighs in a rimmed baking dish.
👉 Be sure to choose a baking dish big enough to fit all the pieces of chicken side-by-side. It’s okay if they touch a little bit, but to ensure even cooking, don’t have them laying on top of each other.
Step 3: Brush with BBQ sauce and finish cooking.
Remove the chicken from the oven and generously brush each chicken thigh with bbq sauce with a basting brush.
Return the baking pan to the oven to finish cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
Optional: For extra crispy skin, set the baking pan under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Be sure to watch closely to make sure the chicken doesn’t burn.
👉 Important: Cook chicken to 165°F (~74°C), per USDA. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature by inserting it in the thickest part of the meat without touching it to the bone.
Recipe Variations
Want to make this recipe, but not in the oven? Follow along to learn how to do it with these simple method adaptations:
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs: Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker, then spoon the bbq sauce on top. You don’t need to add any additional liquid to the crock pot! Trust me on this one. Cover and turn to high heat and cook for 3.5-4 hours, or on low for 6-6.5 hours.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (194°C). Spray the basket with a little oil, then place the seasoned chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side up with a little room between each one. Close the air fryer and cook the chicken for 18-20 minutes.
Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs: Preheat a well-oiled grill to a medium-high heat (about 400°F). Add the chicken thighs skin side down, and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until they easily release and the skin is beginning to brown. Lower the heat to about 300°F and flip the chicken. Close the grill cover and cook for about 25 minutes, turning again halfway through if needed.
📝 Expert Tips
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with napkins or paper towels before seasoning. This helps the seasoning to stick to the chicken and crisps the skin.
- Brush the bbq sauce onto the chicken the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. This ensures the sauce will be ultra sticky and not dried out.
- Chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), per USDA.
- If using boneless chicken thighs, subtract 10 minutes from the total cooking time.
- To get extra crispy skin, broil the chicken thighs for about 3 minutes at the end of cooking. Watch closely to make sure they aren’t too crispy!
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
FAQ
BBQ Chicken thighs go great with any of your favorite cookout sides like pickles, corn on the cob, Cole slaw, and potato salad. I recommend serving it with Carrot and Cabbage Slaw or Broccoli & Bacon Salad!
If your chicken thighs are dry, they’re likely overcooked. Next time, shorten the cook time by a few minutes, and remove them from the oven as soon as the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Baking chicken thighs at 400°F (204°C) is recommended because it allows the skin to crisp while maintaining moisture in the meat. A higher temperature helps to to avoid dry, tough chicken thighs!
Brush bbq sauce onto chicken near the end of cooking time, usually the last 10-15 minutes. This helps to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn, but that it has a chance to cook with the chicken and get good and sticky.
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on about 8 chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
BBQ Spice Blend
- 2 1/4 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Meanwhile, use napkins or paper towels to pat the pieces of chicken dry on all sides. Drizzle the chicken with oil, then sprinkle with the bbq seasonings. Use your hands or tongs to turn the chicken pieces so they’re evenly coated with the oil and spices on all sides.
- Lay the seasoned chicken thighs side by side inside a large rimmed baking dish.Place uncovered in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and generously brush each chicken thigh with the bbq sauce. Return the baking pan to the oven to finish cooking for another 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature is 165°F (~74°C), per USDA.For extra crispy skin, set the baking pan under the broiler for about 3 extra minutes.
Video
Notes
- Prep in advance to cook later: Cover the bowl of seasoned chicken and place it in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours.
- If using boneless chicken thighs, subtract 10 minutes from the total cooking time.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
- Slow Cooker Adaptation: Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker, then spoon the bbq sauce on top. You don’t need to add any additional liquid to the crock pot! Trust me on this one. Cover and turn to high heat and cook for 3.5-4 hours, or on low for 6-6.5 hours.
- Air Fryer Adaptation: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (194°C). Spray the basket with a little oil, then place the seasoned chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side up with a little room between each one. Close the air fryer and cook the chicken for 18-20 minutes.
- Grill Adaptation: Preheat a well-oiled grill to a medium-high heat (about 400°F). Add the chicken thighs skin side down, and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until they easily release and the skin is beginning to brown. Lower the heat to about 300°F and flip the chicken. Close the grill cover and cook for about 25 minutes, turning again halfway through if needed.
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