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.
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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
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
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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.
- I recommend letting the chicken sit for 5 minutes or so after cooking before serving so the juices redistribute.
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.
- Baking skin-side up the whole time is a bit easier and less work, so feel free to do this! The reason for baking skin side down first is to ensure more even cooking and allow the fat to render off the skin, which can allow for crispier overall skin. However, it sometimes sticks to the pan. I recommend a nice thin sturdy metal spatula, slid under the chicken quickly with a sharp motion, when it’s time to flip it. But feel free to just bake skin-side up the whole time if you want an easier, less fussy solution!
- 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.
Eppi
It was perfect!!! definitely recommending!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Vuong tran
oh, great, a lot of compliments for this dish when I made it my weekend with my friends, people liked it and I shared your website for them, thank you for sending Give me an email about the TWO INGREDIENT CRISPY OVEN BBQ CHICKEN
Camille Richardson
I love this recipe. I used it with skin, bone in chicken breast. It turned out great. My dinner guest loved the chicken, and, was shocked at the simplicity it takes to make it.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Every time I make it I’m amazed, again, how easy and simple it is. Thanks for the comment!
Cassie
This is the only chicken thigh recipe I use. So easy. So delicious. The texture of the sauce is to die for
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, yay! So glad you liked it!
Carmela
I work as a cook and I am making this for them. I will let you know how they liked it.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope it worked out for you!
Brannah
If you start on with the skin side up on a wired rack (skipping step number 1) do you still bake it at 25 minutes and THEN add the bbq sauce? That might be a dumb question….
Elizabeth Lindemann
Not a dumb question at all! Yes, bake it for 25 minutes, THEN add bbq sauce :-) Thanks for asking that, I’ll make my recipe card notes a bit clearer on this :-) Hope you like it!
Dara
I have NEVER left a comment on a recipe before. This was THE best dinner, my dad and partner and I were almost in tears as to how delicious this turned out. Grateful you figured this out!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh my goodness, this is one of the best comments I’ve ever received! “Almost in tears” is such a great way to describe the feeling you have when eating delicious food :-) You should leave bloggers comments more often… this made my day! So happy you liked the recipe :-)
Chris
I was wondering if you leave the grease in the in the pan and then continue to baste it and put it back in the oven or What do I drain some of the Chicken fat out?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I always leave the grease in the pan, but I don’t baste it while it cooks. I just let it sit in it, and then kind of shake it off a bit when I go to serve the chicken. The fat helps keep the chicken very juicy. But if you don’t want that much fat, you can drain some of it out (maybe when you take it out to baste it each time). OR, you can sit the chicken thighs on a baking rack nestled into the baking sheet, so the fat drips down and the chicken doesn’t sit in it (if you do this, just bake it skin side up the whole time rather than flipping it around). Hope that helps!
Julia
I’ve made this I don’t know how many times and every time it’s delicious!! Thanks so much for the recipe I love how simple it is and the flavor is so good!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, thanks so much! So glad you like it!
Brian Slaven
Fast, simple, crispy with a great taste. I used Stub original it was delicious. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked the recipe!
Karen Shadley
This recipe is so easy and so good!!! Used Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and the turned out amazing! I’m making them again today for the guys who are here installing our new patio. I know it will be a hit!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked it, and hope it’s a hit with the patio guys too! :-)
M. Harris
Hello. Am I missing something? What is the oven temp to cook?
Thank you ?.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hi! I think you might have just missed it. The temp is indicated in the instructions- just double checked :-) You’ll start at 400 degrees, then up the temperature to 425 once you start basting. Here’s the quick link to the recipe card! https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/two-ingredient-crispy-oven-baked-bbq-chicken/#wprm-recipe-container-13297
Kenny
I am a single dad trying to learn to cook. This was my 1st recipe attempt. Awesome and easy. I tried the broil tip and immediately burned one batch. Careful.
I also use meat seasoning on it. Tastes great. I just happened to already have sweet baby rays bbq sauce. I plan to try jack daniels bbq sauce. Its good too.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, this comment made my day! So happy you found success with this recipe for your first attempt! My husband (the “non-cook” in the house) really likes making naan pizza for the family- this bbq chicken one might be right up your alley. And tuna melts are a big win with him too- we like this tex mex version. Take care!
Tori
I have now made this 5 times (including the batch in the oven right now) I love this recipe and so does my family! I have used all kinds of BBQ sauce. This time I’m using sweet baby Ray’s Hawaiian.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so glad you and your family like it! Thanks so much for the comment!
Liyene
Thank you for sharing easy recipe. ? Just got done making it and it looks so good!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
Rosemary Clifford
I have just made this recipe using Kraft Original BBQ Sauce.
It looks and smells just great.
I love your cooking method. Thanks so much!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you liked it!!
Erica
Making it right now with Kraft original barbecue sauce
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you liked it!
Sylvia Jaquez of Houston Texas
Hi Elizabeth, thanks so much for sharing your recipe, I’m making it right now! It’s so simple and looks & smells great. I used sweet baby rays bbq sauce as it’s one of our favorite store bought brands.
Accompanied with my southern green beans, and a wedge of lettuce with my homemade blue cheese dressing. Yum ?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you like it!! A lot of people use sweet baby rays for this and have great results. Sounds like the perfect dinner :-)
Dee
Made it yesterday. Big hit with the fam!! Simply delicious!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked it!!
Tami
I followed the instructions on the recipe, but tweaked it after reading the comments. I substituted part of the bbq sauce for bourbon and liquid smoke and added some powdered onion and garlic. It was delicious and tender.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! :-)
Charles Sites
Excellent starter and so simple. I did a variation of this that was so excellent I wanted to share. This is a Kentucky recipe with just a few more ingredients. 2 Onions 4 garlic cloves and Burbon, liquid smoke. When you’re done with this, you will know what old Ky home means. So take a new bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and dump out 1/2 cup of it and replace it with a 1/2 cup of Burbon and about 10 drops of liquid smoke. I used Trader ‘Joes’ KC BBQ sauce with great success. Prep your chicken and coat everything. I marinade mine for 1 – 2 hours hole in a plastic bag. You only need about 1/4 of the bottle. Cut up two onions into 1/4″ slices and 3 thick-sliced garlic coves and lay on the bottom of a baking dish. Placed the spatchcocked chicken or chicken pieces on top of the onions and cover with foil or glass lid (mine has a glass lid). Let it steam in that sweet bourbon vapor at 1hr at 415F. When it’s done the whole chicken will have a sweet-smokey taste that is nearly indescribable. It’s nearly a fall off the bone BBQ that will even make the most diehard BBQ folks do a double-take.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh my goodness, you’re making me drool! That sounds amazing, thanks so much for sharing this variation!
Eugene Summers
I made this bbq chicken last night and it was fabulous…now I’m headed to the store to buy bourbon so that I can try this amazing Kentucky recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!!
debbie
That is a completely different recipe!! While it sounds good, replies should only be posted for the recipe as is
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for your concern. I welcome all suggestions for substitutions and modifications on comments and I appreciate what Charles wrote. In the interest of full transparency: I did, however, erase the (somewhat ironic) 1-star rating you gave this recipe along with your comment, since it had nothing to do with the actual recipe. Hope that helps address your concerns!
Christie
I’d like to make this dish ahead of time for a dinner party I am hosting. Have you ever made this the night before and heated up the next day for dinner? If so, what temperature would you recommend reheating it on and for how long?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never done this, but here’s what I recommend. When you cook it, don’t broil at the end. When you reheat it, put it on a baking sheet (lined with foil to help make less of a mess) and cover it with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for about 20 minutes, until reheated all the way through (165 degree internal temp). Then take the foil off and broil to help crisp up the skin a bit! A word of caution: fresh baked chicken is always more moist, and the skin more crispy, than reheated. But hopefully this will save you some time so you can pay more attention to your guests! As an alternative, you could cook it right before the guests arrive, and just keep it warm in the oven until you serve it :-) Hope that helps!
Charles Sites
This is so good the next day cold. Just remove the meat from the bone. The flavor is penetrated deep into the meat and makes a great sandwich or just chop the leftover onions and chicken and toss in a light amount of tomato-based spaghetti sauce for pasta for a BBQ chicken pasta like none you’ve ever had. The chicken and onions will be sweet from the bourbon BBQ and the tomato sauce will make a nice balance.