Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

5 from 1 vote

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I love an easy dinner and this Oven Baked BBQ Chicken is just the ticket. Chicken thighs and legs are seasoned with seasoning salt, slathered with bbq sauce and baked until sticky sweet perfection. Similar to my classic baked chicken legs recipe, but covered in bbq sauce.

oven baked bbq chicken on plate

The Best Chicken to Bake in the Oven

Everyone has their preference as to which kind of chicken they like best: thighs, breasts, legs or wings. While you can certainly bake ANY of these cuts as BBQ Chicken in the oven, the baking time will be dependent on whether or not they have a bone in them or not.

Baking Chicken Legs & Thighs vs. Chicken Breasts

As a general rule of thumb, if chicken has a bone inside of it, it will take longer to bake than the same piece without a bone. For this recipe, I used chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs that still have their bone but I removed the skin. This is so they will both cook at about the same rate. I love using dark meat for this recipe.

If I was cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I wouldn’t need to bake it as long because it doesn’t have a bone. Chicken wings happen to have a quicker baking time (if you are choosing to bake them) because they are quite small and don’t need all that much time. Check out my Crockpot Chicken Wing recipe…they’re really tasty!

seasoning salt on chicken legs and thighs on baking sheet

How to Make BBQ Chicken in the Oven

So, this simple Oven BBQ Chicken recipe only requires three main ingredients:

  • Chicken Thighs and Legs
  • Seasoning Salt
  • and BBQ Sauce

I use a store bought sauce for ease and speed, but feel free to use a homemade one if you feel so inclined. Here’s how to make it:

Prep Chicken

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line half sheet pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Blot extra moisture off of chicken using paper towels and place pieces onto prepared foil. Sprinkle both sides with seasoning salt, to taste. (I used about a tablespoon for all 8 pieces.)

Bake BBQ Chicken in Oven

Spoon or brush chicken pieces with bbq sauce, then transfer to oven to bake 35-45 minutes or until chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The best way to check for doneness is using a digital, instant read thermometer. This is the one I own and use. It works perfectly!

Half way through cooking, feel free to brush with more BBQ sauce. Remove from oven, cover and rest 10 minutes before serving.

oven bbq chicken on baking sheet with sauce

Making Ahead & Storage Options

While you can certainly bake this chicken ahead and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, it really is best served hot and fresh from the oven. To reheat, simply microwave until warm. Feel free to add more BBQ sauce as desired. Because this recipe calls for chicken thighs and drumsticks (both dark meat!) they maintain their moisture well. I don’t recommend freezing this, unless you remove the bbq chicken from the bones first. Then store in an airtight plastic bag or container with a tight fitting lid.

baked bbq chicken on plate

Favorite Sides to Serve with BBQ Chicken

While I’m sure you have your go-to favorite side dishes to serve with a simple chicken dinner, here are some of mine! My whole archive of side dishes can be found here incase you’d like to browse.

bbq baked chicken thigh on plate

So, that is my favorite way to Bake BBQ Chicken in the oven! I hope you love it as much as me and my family does. Be sure to pin, print, save, bookmark and share this gem. It’s simple, but hits the spot every time.

oven baked bbq chicken on plate
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5 from 1 vote

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

I love an easy dinner and this Oven Baked BBQ Chicken is just the ticket. Chicken thighs and legs are seasoned with seasoning salt, slathered with bbq sauce and baked until sticky sweet perfection.
servings 8 pieces
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken drumsticks also called chicken legs (4 total)
  • 1.5 pounds chicken thighs bone-in and skinless (4 total)
  • seasoning salt
  • 3/4 cup bbq sauce
  • fresh parsley chopped, optional

Equipment

  • 1 half sheet pan
  • aluminum foil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line half sheet pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Blot extra moisture off of chicken using paper towels and place pieces onto prepared foil. Sprinkle both sides with seasoning salt, to taste. (I used about a tablespoon for all 8 pieces.)
  • Spoon or brush chicken pieces with bbq sauce, then transfer to oven to bake 35-45 minutes or until chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. As an optional step, half way through cooking, feel free to brush with more BBQ sauce.
  • Remove from oven, cover and rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken, baked chicken legs, bbq chicken, chicken recipe

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