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).
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!
Did you make this oven BBQ chicken recipe? Please comment and rate it below!
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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and 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.
Pris
Excellent and easy to follow recipe! Chicken was moist and juicy. Used chicken thighs and the rack method. Did have to broil to get the skin crispy at the end.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Rebekah Zertuche
Should I cook my chicken thighs for 10 minutes and baste with bbq sauce every 7 if I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question- yes, I think that should be enough time! If you’re nervous about it, just check the temp and make sure they’re 165 degrees or cut into one to make sure it’s cooked all the way :-)
SB
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for such a clear and easy to follow recipe. The only hard part was cleaning up the messy BBQ sauced plates afterwards. :) I look forward to trying some of your other recipes in the future!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it and glad to hear the recipe was easy to follow! :-)
Ric
Very tasty, and using a rack made things a lot easier. I used large leg-thigh quarters and they needed about 30 minutes additional cooking time. DON’T attempt this recipe without a meat thermometer!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Douglas Medlin
Great Chicken. Thanks so much
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked it!
Maria Hartsfield
It’s very good but I cooked more chicken then the recipe said and it took much longer to cook.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Yes, if the pan is more crowded with more chicken or if you’re using more than one pan, it might take a little longer to cook (and also the time varies with how big the chicken pieces are, the heat of your oven, etc.). Thanks very much!
Corina
I NEVER leave reviews, but this is the best my chicken has ever come out!! Easy AND tasty! LOVE IT!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I always appreciate each and every comment I get- comments, and good star ratings, are one of the best ways you can support small website owners, so thanks very much for taking the time to leave this review!
Trae Higgs
Wow – SO GLAD this recipe came up first on my google search for simple BBQ chicken recipe. Thank you! This came out so amazing. The 3 layered application makes so much difference plus a lil Broil!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it!!
M Lynn
I made this for Easter and my family inhaled the wings. I was so surprised that they wanted then again the same week, which is EXTREMELY RARE!! It was so tasty and wonderfully sticky.. YUMMMMMM
Elizabeth Lindemann
Haha yay!! Sounds like it was a big win in your house- so glad to hear it! We had it on Easter as well- it’s tradition :-)
NikRoWa
This was an awesome dish! So happy I found it- My family enjoyed it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked it!
Steven
Very easy and delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
P
My first time making it. Such an easy & yummy recipe. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it!
Grace Miller
Great recipe! Chicken legs seem to be available right now, so I was looking for another option besides the Insta Pot recipes. I have a few prep suggestions for good measure:
1 – Check the chicken legs for feathers close to the claw joint and remove them (My kids won’t eat this if they spot a single feather despite how yummy it may be!).
2 – Rinse the chicken legs in water.
3 – Soak the chicken in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes to loosen up the skin.
4 – Look for any stray feathers that will now show up and pull them with your fingers or a set of kitchen tweezers.
5 – Remove the chicken from the bowl and put on the baking sheet covered with paper towels to dry the chicken.
6 – After the steps listed above, place the chicken in another bowl that has the emulsified oil, salt and pepper (I added 2 cloves of minced garlic) and coat with the oil mixture.
7 – Pull the chicken skin up again to cover the meat if it falls down to avoid drying the meat and get more crispy skin; place it on the half sheet.
Place in the oven as described.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you for the tips! I almost never find feathers in my chicken but this is great for if they appear. One thing I would push back on- washing chicken is actually NOT recommended, as it can cause contamination of counters and utensils and the surrounding area. Read more at the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/chicken.html Drying the chicken is such a great way to ensure crispy skin and I love that you just line the baking sheet with paper towels to do this! So convenient!
Alice
Delicious, moist and an easy recipe. Highly recommend giving this a try.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Amanda
This recipe is just as good as my dad’s when he puts it on the grill! I have had a hard time finding a recipe similar to my dad’s. This recipe is sooo delicious! Everyone in my house absolutely loved it. Even my 2 year old wanted seconds!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So glad you liked it- my two year old loves it too and kept saying “more chicken! more chicken!” when we had it last week :-)
Jared Weaver
I don’t have a baking rack. Will it still be ok in just the pan?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes! The original recipe uses just the pan- you can see in the photos in the post and in the video. No need to use a rack at all. Hope you like it!
Jen
Excellent recipe, I took a small 3 pound whole fryer and butterflied it- split down the back and spread over a floating rack top side up skin on the whole cooking time, salt pepper and flavored olive oil- it came out juicy and crisp, we didn’t even bother with the sauce. I baked for 45 min at 400, best chicken ever!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Toomanyads
I’m making your chicken now but so many ads, it drove me crazy so won’t be using bowl of delicious again, Sorry. I was so bad with the flashing moving ads I reported the ad to google and also the other ad company you use…still contant annoying flashing ads. Not worth it next time. Thank you.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you liked the chicken! And thank you for this feedback. I work hard to make sure my site has a good user experience, while at the same time making sure I am paid for my hard work putting free recipes up for everyone to access :-) There should never be any “flashing, moving” ads- and I’m glad you contacted my ad company about this, I will do the same thing. My ad company makes sure that all ads are CBA (coalition for better ads) compliant, which is one of the reasons why I use them. I’ll look into this. In the meantime, please know that running ads on my site is how I earn money, as this is my business and full-time job. Gotta feed my family, while also making sure everyone else has access to my free recipes! You can also click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page, and you can even press “print” in the recipe card to take you to an ad-free version in another browser window. As an alternative- paid services, such as NY times cooking, or going old school with cookbooks, are a great way to get an ad-free experience. Hope that helps. Take care! -Elizabeth
Kristin
I’m digging this recipe, since we have to cook now! my kids all like it and sometimes I sneak in some stuff like fish sauce or soy sauce to the bbq…I WILL broaden their senses somehow…Thank You!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oooo I LOVE the idea of adding soy sauce / fish sauce!! I always sneak stuff in for my kids too to develop their tastes. Lately I’ve been adding just a little bit of something spicy to try to build their tolerance (so far, so good!). So glad you and your family like this recipe.
Rose
Thank you for sharing this delicious and easy recipe that my entire family enjoys.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you and your family like it!
Eva-Maria Horner
can you line the pan with parchment paper?
Elizabeth Lindemann
You can, but I wouldn’t do it skin side down first. Just skin side up the whole time. And don’t broil it because parchment isn’t broiler safe. Foil is, though. Hope that helps!
Crooked Warden
So this is pretty much Ree Drummond’s “Oven Bbq Chicken” recipe but with bottled sauce.
Elizabeth Lindemann
You’re right! I definitely adapted the recipe from hers- I love her cooking technique of basting ever 7 minutes. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention- when I first wrote this post I had proper attribution for the inspiration but over the years with multiple edits and updates to my website it’s no longer there! Adding a recipe note now so I can give credit where credit is due :-)