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.
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.
Rebecca
Just found your recipe online this afternoon and cooked for my family tonight. It came out great! Next time I will remove the skin from the thighs before putting the sauce on because it was a little chewy. The chicken was moist and cooked through. Thanks for the recipe!
Elizabeth
Glad you and your family liked it! If you don’t want to bother with removing the skin next time, I recommend baking the pieces on a wire rack in a baking sheet skin side up the whole time. That way, the skin doesn’t sit in the drippings and become soggy/chewy. Also, you can broil the pieces for a couple of minutes when they are done to help crisp up the skin.
Mary
I can’t wait to try this. Any suggestions on what to make as a side?
Elizabeth
Oh gosh there are so many options! Usually when I make this, I make some of my favorite cole slaw on the side- it’s sweet and tangy and goes so well with BBQ sauce. If I’m feeling extra fancy or if I’m making it for a crowd, I’ll also make this potato salad. Cornbread is also always a hit! Hope you like it, and hope that helps!
Sarah
Sorry but what if your ovens max is 245degrees,how long will you put it there for
Elizabeth
I’ve never heard of an oven’s max being 245 degrees! Unless it’s 245 degrees celsius (are you outside of the US, or are there two measurements and could you possibly be reading the celcius measurement?). In that case, just convert the temps to Farenheit :-) Hope that helps!
Lesley
I seem to be the only person who couldn’t flip it after the first stage while maintaining the skin! I used a very thin metal spatula and a non-stick pan. Next time I will start is skin side up. But looks great. I mixed bbq sauce with a black wasabi sauce, wonderful!
Elizabeth
You’re not the only person- that’s happened to me before! I find I have better luck when I leave the chicken out for about 20 minutes or so, so it’s more room temperature than cold (while the oven preheats). And a thin spatula does help. However, sometimes I’ve skipped this all together and just roasted skin side up for the whole time, otherwise following directions as stated (It’s just as good). It’s scary dealing with a hot pan and hot chicken and struggling to flip it!
Lesley
Thank you for responding. Although the skin tore a bit, the chicken was delicious and I will make it again, for sure. So easy and cooked perfectly!
Brittany
My family lives this dish! It’s very easy to throw together and leaves me time to clean the kitchen as it’s cooking, leaving less to do after dinner. It’s also extremely affordable. We stock up on chicken legs when they go on sale and always use whatever cheap store brand sauce is on the shelf. We like to toss some carrots olive oil and seasoning and slide them in the oven for an easy meal.
Elizabeth
Thanks Brittany! So glad you and your family like it. I love how budget-friendly it is, too. Great idea with roasting veggies alongside the chicken for a complete meal!
Maria duran
Im a 14 yearold and i cooked this for dinner and i was surprised it came out good.. And everyone enjoyed it
Elizabeth
I’m so happy it turned out great for you! I LOVE that you cooked dinner for everyone- so many people your age know nothing about cooking. I definitely didn’t when I was 14, but I think it’s the most valuable skill people can learn. Before I was a blogger, I was a high school teacher (art), so you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you made my recipe and had success with it :-) Keep up the good work, and thanks for the comment!
Udochi
I hust made this. It turned out beautifully! Tasted great too!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! :-)
Matt
I am making it right now. I am using boneless chicken. I hope that does not make much of a difference.
Elizabeth
It shouldn’t make too much of a difference- the only thing is that it may take a little less time to cook. If you are using white meat, keep a close eye on it. Dark meat is harder to overcook :-) Hope you like it!
Margaret
Um, this looks incredible but, chicken+barbecue sauce+oil+salt+pepper doesn’t equal 2! ???
Elizabeth
So funny- you are the second person to comment on that in the past couple of weeks, and this post has been up for over a year! It’s fairly standard practice to not include oil, salt, and pepper when counting ingredients, since it’s assumed most people have them already. It’s more like you only have to buy two ingredients at the store. Look at my response for the comment two above yours for more information about it :-) Hope you like the recipe, if you make it!
Anel
This recipe is so delicious easy and fast my family LOVED IT!!!
Elizabeth
Woo hoo! Thank you, and so glad you and your family liked it!
Mitch
5 ingredient chicken. It was a good way to get people to your recipe page by saying 2 ingredients, but the truth is…. you were far from it. 5 ingredients, more than double what you stated. Sorry if I seem upset, but I don’t like click baiters. Good chicken, bad ethics.
Elizabeth
Mitch- I am so sorry you didn’t have a good experience visiting my blog! I 100% feel you on click bait, it bothers me too.
I will say this: it’s fairly standard practice to not include oil, salt, and pepper when counting ingredients for recipes, since it’s usually assumed people who are cooking already have them. The “two-ingredient” tagline for me is more like “yay! I don’t have to buy more than two ingredients at the store” rather than these are the only two things I actually have to use. Coming up with a title is actually one of the hardest things when I write a blog post- and I simply couldn’t fit (besides salt, pepper, and oil) into it. I do this in my Five Ingredients or Fewer recipes as well. I don’t want someone to miss out on a convenient recipe just because it actually includes seven with salt and pepper.
In addition, I always try and be conscious about how I get people to my site. I’m a one-woman show at Bowl of Delicious, so I’m constantly learning about best internet marketing practices to get people to click into my site. This is how I make money, and with a baby on the way and having just recently made the transition to full time blogging, I’m not going to lie- the money is important :-) But at the same time, I don’t want to make my site unpleasant to visit (think: horribly ugly or obnoxious ads, etc.). I’m always trying to find the balance between “click-bait” and “ooo I genuinely want to learn more about this thing!” and I ALWAYS try my hardest to make my content excellent, so when people click in they aren’t disappointed. And I always respond personally to comments. It’s helpful to hear your opinion on this (and I’m glad you liked the chicken!).
Anyway, I hope that helps explain why I chose to label this “two ingredients” instead of five. Have a great day!
Joane
This looks delicious. Do you cover the chicken while it’s in the oven?
Elizabeth
Nope- leave it uncovered. Covering will trap in too much steam and make the skin not as crispy. Hope you like it!
Jovanni
Chicken came out amazing!
Used a honey bbq sauce.
Made this for a summer get together and just a few minutes ago.
Thank you so much I have gotten tons of compliments from family and friends.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! Using a BBQ sauce with honey or some other kind of sugar in it makes a big difference- it glazes so much better and is soooooo yummy!
Lexi
Hello! I just wanted to let you know that I made this last night & it was oh so yummy! I can see why you love it so much. Thank you, for the recipe. I will be making it again in the future. :)
Elizabeth
Thanks so much for the comment- I’m glad you liked it! It’s definitely one of my faves.
May
Hi, I have tried this recipe twice and both times I wrecked it, not sure what I am doung wrong because I followed the instructions to the T, I even used tge exact baking sheet recommended, first time, the skin stuck to the pan, so the second time I used foul to prevent from sticking and I coated tge chicken really well with oil and sprayed tge pan with oil as well, and the skin still got stuck in the foil. Don’t know if I am brave enough to try this again, if I do, I am thinking of frying the skin side first before putting it in the oven.
Elizabeth
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work out for you :-( The chicken has stuck to the pan for me a few times when I’ve made it- and each time, the oven I was using was electric (I usually use gas) and ran hot. I do have some recommendations for next time. Third time’s the charm, after all!
First, your idea of searing the chicken skin side down before putting it in the oven is great! If you do that, no need to put it skin side down in the oven- just roast it skin side up. Searing it will make it even crispier.
Second, if you don’t want to get another pan dirty, you could try greasing the baking sheet and skipping the skin side down part. Just roast it with the skin side up and follow the instructions (sometimes I do this if I’m feeling lazy anyway. It makes the skin a bit less crispy, but you can finish them off under the broiler if you want.)
Foil doesn’t usually work with this since it’s so delicate- it tends to just rip apart- but parchment paper might work. Try roasting the chicken skin side up the whole time and lining the pan with parchment paper- just make sure you don’t broil the chicken toward the end if you use it, since it’s only good for temperatures up to 425 F!
Hope one of these things works for you. Again, sorry it didn’t work out for you, and thank you for the comment- hopefully it will help other people having the same problem!
Laura
I use a silicone baking mat….no sticking, ever. Just a thought
Elizabeth
Yes! That would totally work. I love mine- works like a charm.
Virginia
I actually didn’t read the part about putting the chicken skin side down first, hehe. I used a fairly old pan and had no sticking. My oven is wishy washy on the temps, so I’m assuming placing the chicken skin side up helped it not stick!!
It turned out delicious, and my boys loved it!!! Thanks for this recipe!!
Elizabeth
Yay! Glad you and your boys liked it!
Tara
Hello. I was wanting g to make this for dinner but I was wondering how I could do it with frozen chicken thighs? Thanks.
Elizabeth
Bad news… You can’t make it with frozen chicken! Take out your thighs from the freezer now and make sure they are unfrozen when you make this tonight. You never want to cook frozen chicken because there’s a big chance it will overcook on the outside and not be cooked enough on the inside. I’d let them sit out at room temp for a couple hours to speed up the process, and then put them back in the fridge, or you can fill a bowl with water and place the chicken thighs in the bowl wrapped in plastic (in a bag is fine) and keep it in the fridge. Both of these things will speed up the thawing process :)
Mark McNamara
Awesome!!Just made these last night with chicken legs and they came out perfect.The cooking time was spot on also.Thank You
Elizabeth
Woo hoo! Glad it came out great! :)
Mark McNamara
I ate all 10 legs lol.Tonight im trying the thighs.
Elizabeth
Well done, sir. Well done. :)
Netty Taulepa
I cannot express how in love I am with this recipe. I was on Pinterest earlier today looking for something easy to cook & take over to my in-laws-TO-BE. Fell in love with every bite. This is the first recipe that I got off Pinterest that TURNED OUT EXACTLY LIKE IT’S SUPPOSED TO (according to the original post). I will definitely be making this again!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for the lovely comment (it made my day!) and I’m so happy you liked the recipe! I totally understand how you feel about Pinterest- half the things I attempt to do from it end up failing :) And congrats on your engagement!
Stephanie
This was so delicious!! I literally just finished eating these for dinner and I had to come on here to thank you for this easy but super delicious recipe!
I did have to double up in the time to bake because in the past, my chicken was always still raw under an hour.
I must say, this is my 3rd attempt of baking drumsticks and I finally found a recipe that I can count on to be yummy!
Thanks so much :)
Elizabeth
SO happy you liked it, Stephanie! Thanks for coming back and leaving the nice comment :-)
Laura kral
Can I use a regular casserole dish for this?
Elizabeth
Definitely! If it’s glass, just make sure you don’t use it with the broiler (some people have had success with broiling for a few minutes towards the end to crisp up the chicken even more). Hope you like it!