Oven-baked bbq chicken is a mouthwatering dish that combines the rich, smoky flavors of barbecue with the tenderness of perfectly cooked chicken. Plus, the ease of cleanup makes it a win-win!
Featuring a flavorful and customizable homemade BBQ sauce and juicy chicken thighs, the whole family will love this hearty chicken dinner that’s beyond easy to bake!
Why this Recipe Works
Great to pair with a wide variety of healthy veggie sides like Honey Roasted Garlic Carrots, Pan Fried Asparagus, or even a Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, this baked sticky BBQ chicken is guaranteed to be a family favorite!
With a BBQ sauce that you can alter to your personal preferences, this chicken bakes up to tender, juicy perfection in the oven. It’s packed with savory flavors and a hint of heat for a little extra kick.
The finished result is a quick and reliable dinner that couldn’t be easier to make and has a tasty punch of BBQ flavor!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs maintain their tender and moist quality while they bake for the perfect satisfying meal.
- Seasonings: Combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt to infuse the chicken with the perfect amount of savory flavor.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasonings adhere to the chicken while it cooks.
- Lemon Juice: Contrasts with the warm and savory seasonings with a bit of bright citrus flavor.
For the BBQ sauce
- Ketchup: Any tomato ketchup of your choosing is the ideal base for a homemade barbecue sauce.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce to deepen the savory flavor of the sauce.
- Honey: Provides some natural sweetness.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: You could also use jarred garlic, but fresh minced garlic gives your sauce a nice bite.
- Red Onion: For an added dimension of savory flavor.
- Ginger: This warm and comforting spice deepens the flavor of your homemade sauce.
- Hot Sauce: Adds a nice little kick of heat that makes this BBQ chicken irresistible.
How to Make this Sticky BBQ Chicken
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil and lemon juice with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.
- Step 2: Arrange the chicken thighs in a 9×13 baking dish and coat them on all sides with the seasoning mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Step 3: While the chicken bakes, in a separate bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce.
- Step 4: Spread half the sauce over the chicken thighs and bake an additional 15 minutes. Repeat and cover with sauce and bake a final 15 minutes, then allow the chicken to cool slightly and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Chicken is safe and fully cooked when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. If you aren’t sure whether your chicken is done, use an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer to check.
- Spoon some of that leftover BBQ sauce in the baking dish over top of your chicken–it’s so flavorful and shouldn’t go to waste!
- This dish can also be made with chicken breasts, but they cook a bit faster than chicken thighs so be sure you keep a close eye on them.
- Another option is to use chicken legs or chicken quarters.
- If your chicken thighs are boneless, you’ll also have to cut down on cooking times.
- I like to grate my garlic and onion to prevent large chunks in the sauce, but you could also finely chop or mince them.
