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 with natural sweeteners like maple syrup and molasses 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
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.
- 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.
- 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
- To get super crispy skin, 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.
- 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.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
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