This crispy oven bbq chicken recipe uses only TWO INGREDIENTS – barbecue sauce and chicken (plus a little olive oil, salt, and pepper) – to make the crispiest, most perfectly glazed, sweet, sticky, and juicy baked barbecue chicken you will ever have.
That’s right- only TWO INGREDIENTS! Your favorite BBQ sauce, and some chicken, along with a little oil, salt, and pepper.
And the other great thing- this recipe doesn’t require any marinating! You can just dive right in and cook it quickly.
There are a few tricks to getting the BEST, crispiest, juiciest oven bbq chicken with a thick, sticky, sweet glaze of bbq sauce on top. In this post, I’ll go over exactly how to make the best oven bbq chicken ever. There’s a reason why this recipe has been rated 5 stars by over 70 people and has been pinned almost 400K times!
What cut of chicken is best to use for oven bbq chicken?
For the juiciest, most tender oven bbq chicken, you’re definitely going to want to use bone-in, skin on chicken pieces for this. I used a mix of thighs and drumsticks, and I do recommend using thighs and/or legs, since dark meat is harder to overcook and almost always tastes juicier than white.
Here’s a general run-down of which cuts are worst and best for oven bbq chicken:
- Worst: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Not quite as bad: boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Better: bone-in, skin on chicken breasts
- Best: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs
If you want to use chicken breasts, I recommend making sure you get bone-in, skin on breasts. Or at the very least, bone-in. The skin and the bone both help keep the chicken super juicy. And if you use dark meat as well, you’ve hit the trifecta! Using bone-in, skin on dark meat guarantees juicy, tender chicken every time. As a bonus: these pieces are generally a lot less expensive!
If you really want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, make sure you cook them for less time. Check out the recipe notes for how to do it. For a recipe that uses bone-in, skin OFF chicken thighs, check out this Spiced Chicken and Rice with Apples and Raisins.
And if you’re looking for super high quality chicken at a reasonable price, check out ButcherBox!
How to get a super THICK BBQ glaze
First, the chicken is seasoned with oil, salt and pepper, placed skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet, and roasted for 25 minutes.
Then, the chicken is removed from the oven and basted with BBQ sauce THREE times.
Each time BBQ sauce is added, it thickens and caramelizes in the oven. By the time you’ve added that third layer, you’ve got a delicious thick, sweet, sticky layer of BBQ sauce on every inch of the chicken.
YUM.
How to get CRISPY, CHARRED SKIN.
Oh boy, do I love some good crispy chicken skin. Those dark, charred parts of oven bbq chicken are the best!
Something to note: these chicken pieces are smothered in sauce, so the skin won’t ever be quite as crispy as when you roast it when herbs and butter, for example.
Here are some tips for getting that dark, charred, crispy skin:
- Broil the chicken at the end. After you’re done cooking it, if the skin isn’t as crisp as you like, move the oven rack up and turn on your broiler. Keep an eye on it- just a few minutes should do the trick!
- Cook the chicken on a baking rack. Using a rack nestled into your rimmed baking sheet will elevate the chicken and cause air to circulate around the whole piece, rather than having it sit in the juices. If you do this, just keep it skin-side up the whole time- no need to flip!
What kind of BBQ sauce should I use?
You can use any kind you want! I live right down the street from Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, TX, and I’m obsessed with their Spicy BBQ Sauce.
A lot of readers have commented that they’ve used Sweet Baby Ray’s with great results.
Something to keep in mind: a lot of store-bought BBQ sauces have a lot of added sugar. Frankly, it’s what makes it taste so good and sugar is vital for getting that thick caramelization. You can make your own homemade bbq sauce if you prefer.
Prepare yourself for finger-licking deliciousness.
What kind of baking sheet should I use?
I cannot recommend enough using a Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Baker’s Half Sheet
to make this oven baked BBQ chicken, and to roast literally anything you want. I have two and they are the ONLY baking sheets I will EVER use. They’re super sturdy, so they don’t buckle when the temperature changes (it’s the scariest thing ever when hot oil splatters when your pan buckles!). And they conduct heat well to make sure that your food is well cooked on the top and bottom, and they are really good at being non-stick, even though they don’t have any non-stick coating (it’s all natural!).
PLUS, they are only around $12! Go get one!
If you prefer to bake the chicken on a rack, so it doesn’t sit in the juices the whole time and crisps up a bit better, this rack nestles in perfectly to the rimmed baking sheet (see recipe notes for tips on getting the skin extra crispy).
Can I make this ahead of time and reheat?
While I’ve personally never done this, many readers have asked if this is possible so I wanted to make sure I answered this question! Here’s what I would do to make oven bbq chicken in advance and then reheat.
First of all, when reheating chicken, there is a risk of it overcooking and becoming dry. So if you are planning to do this, I would recommend making sure you only use dark meat (thighs/drumsticks) as white meat (breasts) tend to overcook easily. Dark meat can actually be more tender and delicious if it’s cooked to a higher temperature (around 180-190 degrees F, rather than the “safe” temperature of 165).
Cook the recipe as directed, then you can store the cooked chicken in the fridge for 1-2 days in an airtight container or covered in a baking dish with foil. When you are ready to reheat, place the chicken in a baking dish (if not done already) and cover tightly with foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. Check the temperature inside the chicken – it should be reheated to at least 165 degrees F (again, you can go a bit higher and should be fine).
With this reheating method, the skin will have lost any crispiness it had. Once it’s reheated, you can place on a broiler-safe baking sheet and broil for a little to re-crisp the skin a bit (though it will likely still be a little soggier than fresh after cooking – still delicious though!).
What to serve with oven baked BBQ Chicken
- Southern Style Green Beans
- Cold Potato Salad with Buttermilk Dill Dressing
- Mashed Cauliflower with Butter and Herbs
- 20-Minute Creamy Lemony Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Spicy Jalapeño Cilantro Slaw
Want a different take on the same recipe? This Oven BBQ Salmon uses a similar basting technique in only 10 minutes!
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Two Ingredient Crispy Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks bone-in, skin on
- 2 cups of your favorite bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coat the chicken on all sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven and turn the temperature of the oven up to 425 degrees.Tip: be sure to close the oven door every time you remove the chicken in this recipe, as you don't want the heat from the oven to escape!
- Coat the top of the chicken with barbecue sauce using a basting brush. Use a spatula to flip the chicken over, being careful not to tear the skin. Baste the other side of the chicken, and place back in the oven for 7 minutes.
- Remove from oven, baste top with barbecue sauce, and place back in oven for 7 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven again and baste again, for a total of three times, and place back in oven for 7 more minutes. The chicken will have cooked for a total of 46 minutes. This should be enough time for it to cook fully, but you should always double check temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it's at least 165 degrees F.Tip: You should double check the temperature of the chicken at the thickest part of the meat using a high quality meat thermometer – it is fully cooked at 165 degrees F but dark meat is best at 180-190 degrees F, see notes for more on this). Give it more time in the oven to cook if it's not up to temperature. See notes for more troubleshooting.
- If the chicken hasn't crisped and browned to your liking, move the oven rack up and broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes, until it's more crispy.
Notes
- Crispy skin tips: Pat the chicken dry before cooking. You can also place the chicken skin side up from the beginning (skip the first, skin side down step) on a baking rack nestled into a rimmed baking sheet, to elevate it so it’s not sitting in its juices, resulting in more crispiness all around (and less fat!). Bake for 25 minutes, then add BBQ sauce as directed, do not flip.
- Water chilled vs. Air Chilled chicken: Water chilled chicken is cheaper, but it contains a high water content and a diluted flavor. I recommend using air chilled chicken if you can afford it. But if you need to use water chilled chicken (this is the most common kind) – here are my tips for making sure it’s not too soggy or watery:
- Dry brine it. Place the chicken pieces on a wire baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet and rub them with salt, and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 2-12 hours. Some of the water will be drawn out by the salt, and will collect in the bottom of the baking sheet. Elevating the chicken on the rack will ensure it’s not reabsorbing the liquid. As a bonus, this will also flavor the meat and help it retain moisture when cooking. You can also follow the advice above for crispy skin, baking the chicken directly on the wire rack. Give the chicken a rinse to remove the majority of the salt, pat dry, and don’t add much or any additional salt to the chicken.
- Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks are the best for juicy chicken every time. If you use chicken breasts, I recommend bone-in, skin on.
- If you really want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I recommend baking them initially for only 10 minutes instead of 25, add some bbq sauce on the top, flip them, then continue to baste them in BBQ sauce every 7 minutes three times. This will result in a total cooking time slightly over 30 minutes. At this point they will probably be done cooking, but you should use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part to double check that they are 165 degrees F.
- Over-cooking the chicken – using thighs actually ensures you probably won’t overcook the chicken! Thighs are best when they are more around 185-195 degrees F, but safe to eat at 165 degrees F. But like other fattier cuts of meat, cooking it for longer can yield a more tender result.
- If you want to use wings, use the same timing and temp.
- Recipe and basting technique adapted from Ree Drummond’s Oven BBQ chicken recipe.
- Some users have commented that this recipe makes for a very messy oven. This has never happened to me, so I imagine it has to do with a specific oven and/or pan. But if you find that it is splattering a lot, you can tent it with foil to prevent a mess!
- Some users have had issues with the chicken being “fully cooked” in the given time. 46 minutes is MORE than enough time to cook chicken pieces, but here is some troubleshooting that might help:
- Make sure your chicken is fully defrosted if previously frozen.
- If using giant chicken thighs or larger pieces like legs, it may need more time.
- Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the meat, not the bone.
- Taking the temperature is the only safe way to gauge doneness. Chicken may look pink or even reddish depending on the type – if it’s organic, or a young chicken, this can happen with a chemical reaction with the hemoglobin. This is why the advice of looking for clear juices to indicate doneness is outdated and should not be used.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This oven bbq chicken recipe originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious in September 2015. It has been updated to include more detailed instructions, a video, tips and tricks, and process shots.
Chanel Cervantes
The chicken came out FANTASTIC! crispy and juicy and used a fancy BBQ sauce. My complaint was the recipe, I think it has too many steps. It was annoying to cook for 25 minutes, then 7, then 7, then another 7, etc I kept starting another new project/game/dessert
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I tend to agree with you – it’s annoying to have to take the chicken in and out! It’s necessary though to get a nice thick BBQ sauce layer. Each time you put BBQ sauce on and bake it, it caramelizes and thickens in the oven, so adding each layer adds to that. I will say this: I put specific timing because usually people love very clear directions, but the timing isn’t super important. As long as you get a few glazes in while the chicken bakes for about 45 minutes, you’re good. I also sometimes will skip baking them skin-side-down first if I want to simplify things. Hope that helps!
Brianne Ferguson
Am I use boneless skinless thighs as I already have those in my freezer? If so is there any change to the timing? Thanks
Elizabeth Lindemann
First, make sure they are completely defrosted all the way through. For boneless skinless thighs, you won’t need as much time to cook them. I would adjust the first round of roasting from 25 minutes down to 10 or 15, then proceed with the recipe as directed. I would also go ahead and add BBQ sauce on them before sticking them in the oven for the first time – since they have no skin, you don’t need to worry about crisping the skin up before adding the sauce. Luckily, thighs are difficult to overcook (if you were working with breasts it would be a lot more important to keep an eye on the timing and temperature). I do recommend checking the temperature; thighs are best cooked to an internal temperature of about 190 degrees F, even though they are technically “done” at 165 degrees (they get a bit more tender with a higher temperature). Hope that helps and good luck!
Suzanne
So easy and delicious! I can now make bbq chicken all year around!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Mary Penge
Great every time!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Maria Boursaw
I have made this chicken many times and it really is the best method for making crisp bbq chicken! I use Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce and add my own ingredients to my taste (Splenda brown sugar, honey, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, applewood rub by McCormick’s, apple cider vinegar, and black pepper.) This is sticky and my family fights over the leftover “secret” sauce, but the star is definitely the crisp, sticky finish ON the tender moist chicken! It takes some back and forth while coating it each time, but it is so worth it! I’ve cooked various sizes and cuts of chicken, but always with skin on and bone in. I’ve never had any issues with it not being cooked completely even with extremely large drumsticks! Thank you for this gem!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your sauce ingredients, everything sounds delicious!
Nancy Heath
The skin was not even crispy with broiling and the bottom had no browning, like it steamed in it’s own juice. If not using non stick pan you need to spray the pan so you don’t need a spatula, My normal method of cooking skin side up at 400 until crispy before adding sauce to both sides works much better with less steps.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t come out exactly as you wanted it to! There is a recipe note about the skin crispy factor – in a nutshell, this recipe won’t yield super crispy skin as it’s quite saucy. The constant basting method yields a very thick and caramelized BBQ sauce layer that sacrifices a bit of the skin crispiness – adding sauce after it turns crispy won’t be quite as thick of a sauce layer. That said, I often do your method of cooking skin side up the whole time – do whatever works for you!
Kira
This has been my go-to recipe for YEARS! I will never do bbq chicken another way. Thank you for this recipe!❤️ Have to find it everytime I do it, keep forgetting the time & temps😅
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Nancy Maloney
So simple and easy and everyone is convinced I had to have fired up the grill to produce such fine BBQ. This is my husbands’ answer whenever I ask him what he wants for dinner – it’s never failed me.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carlyn
AMAZING
Easy and Delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Cody
Good recipe. However, it’s best to divide your 8-10 chicken thighs across 2 baking sheet. Placing them all on a single sheet will overly crowd the sheet and not crisp the skin as well, potentially even resulting in soggy skin.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for this tip! I’ll also say this depends on how big the thighs are – some are enormous, but if they are on the smaller side, 8 should fit well on one large baking sheet.
Debbie
So easy and jucy chicken. Was perfectly cooked. I did all steps as directed except I only did 2 steps of the basting due to not enough barbecue sauce, so left in 14 minutes after the first baste, then basted for 7 and broiled 4 minutes.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Lynda
I’ve made this for years now. So good!! Turns out perfect and tender
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Cheryl
I’ve done the exact same recipe with Pork Ribs too. The results were excellent
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oooooo I cannot WAIT to try this!
Mary
So easy and delicious… Thanks for the recipe! I make it at least twice a month.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jackie
I’ve made this recipe twice already, both with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, and it was AMAZING each time! Thank you for sharing this easy and delicious recipe that I will be making repeatedly.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Cookie Turner
FANTASTIC!! I used this as a guide to baking my own recipe sauced, chicken things and, instead of doing the 25 mins @ 400 then 3 x 7 mins, @ 425, I do 25 mins @ 400, remove, flip em , up the temp to 425, reapply my “secret sauce” pop it back in for 20 mins more and its sheer perfection! Thank yo so much for the tip!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad this method worked well for you!
Patrick M
Do not coat your chicken in olive oil first in the initial cook! It’s almost impossible to get the barbecue sauce to stick to an after that.
Elizabeth Lindemann
No matter what, even if you don’t coat in olive oil, my thought is that the fat will render off the chicken and create a greasy layer that will be difficult to get the sauce to stick to. The olive oil helps crisp things up better and also helps it to not stick as much during that initial skin-side-down bake (though you can totally try leaving it out if you want!). I use my brush to brush a VERY THICK coat on, and also kind of dab the sauce on to make it a thicker coating. If you look at the video, that might help with a visual of this. Hope that helps and better luck next time!
Chelsey Ledesma
Quick & Easy! My chicken turned out PERFECTLY! I highly recommend.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Kernel Sanders
Followed this recipe to a t and its great if you like overcooked leather like chicken. In today’s market of food prices I just wanted to write and say thanks for wasting my money 🤦♂️
Elizabeth Lindemann
I always think it’s interesting when someone chimes in with a review like this, that blames the recipe in a super vague way, amidst, in this case, over a thousand positive review outcomes. Like, it takes some courage to come in here and say your chicken was overcooked and leather-like as a result of me “wasting your money,” when this seems to very clearly be a user error. Maybe that’s why you used a fake name? Ah well, I digress… let’s go ahead and troubleshoot this, shall we?
Multiple times in the post I recommend using a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Even though it is highly unlikely your chicken overcooked at the time and temperature indicated, you can use a meat thermometer to keep an eye on it (this is good practice really with any recipe where the internal temperature matters, regardless of timing instructions). The time it takes to cook will depend on accuracy of oven temperature and settings (sometimes user error can cause an inaccurate temperature setting, or ovens can be inaccurate even with the temp set correctly). In addition, size of the chicken will affect outcome (larger pieces will take longer, smaller will take a shorter time).
That said, chicken thighs and legs are actually pretty difficult to overcook, especially with the time recommended in this recipe. They are best at a higher temperature of around 190 degrees F (whereas breasts are best just at 165 degrees F). Dark meat (thighs and legs) actually get more tender at that higher temperature. My *guess* here is that the meat may have actually been not cooked enough. But it’s possible that it overcooked, again, based on inaccuracies with oven temp or size of chicken or other factors.
Better luck next time, “Kernel.” Go get you a meat thermometer :-)
Tammy Harrison
Chicken came out great for me :) Thanks for saving me money with a 2 ingredient recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and so glad it saved you money, too! Gotta love those minimal ingredient recipes for that reason!
Doug
Well, I did 4 legs and thighs, buttermilk brined was my only departure. I use an instant reading digital thermometer for most things that are temperature sensitive. The meat was moist and tender using the recommended temperatures and time.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!