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.
Amy
This was quick, easy and delicious way to prepare BBQ inside! thanks.
Elizabeth
Thanks! So happy you liked it!
Angela M
On the last two input times, are you flipping and basting both sides, or just the top/skin part?
Elizabeth
Just the top!
Carly
What would you suggest with skinless chicken breasts? (Time & temp?)
Elizabeth
Good question! Assuming they are boneless as well? Since there is no “skin side” you can skip the cooking skin side down part. I’d season them front and back with salt and pepper and olive oil, and brush them with bbq sauce. Then, put them in the oven at 375 for 7 minutes. Remove, baste, and back in for another 7. And again, and again. This should be a total of 28 minutes. Check the internal temp at this point to make sure it’s at 165 or close to (and if it’s not. do another round). Chances are, the bbq sauce will have started to develop a glaze on top. But you may want to broil them at the top of your oven for 2-3 minutes after they are done to get some charred, crispy parts on top and really thicken the sauce up. One other thing to keep in mind- because they have less fat, they will have a tendency to stick to the pan more. I recommend using more oil on your pan, or putting them on some oiled aluminum foil so you don’t end up with a sticky mess. Hope that helps!
Brooklyn
Can you do this with checked tenders I have very picky 6 yrs old twin girls
Elizabeth
Sure! They will cook much faster though, so you’ll have to make some adjustments for the cooking time. I’ve never done it, but here’s what I’d do. I’d brush the sauce on them on both sides before even beginning to bake (season with salt and pepper also, and just grease the pan they will cook on). Keep the temp at around 375 the whole time. I’d say to cook for about 20 minutes total, taking out to brush more sauce on every 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Hope that helps, and hope your girls like them!
Morgan
I love this recipe! This time I’m making it for a bigger crowd do you think with 14 drumsticks I should change the cook time or temp of the oven?
Elizabeth
So happy you like it! It should be fine with the same cooking time and temp, as long as it all fits on one pan and isn’t too crowded. You should be fine, since drumsticks are pretty small!
Stephanie
Love this recipe! Super easy and a huge hit in my house! What are your thoughts on using Sweet Baby Rays teriyaki sauce? I’m hoping it would have the same effect and be just as delicious!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! I think that sauce would work perfectly. Maybe sprinkle with a few sesame seeds and green onions to serve? YUM!
Sandy
This recipe was fantastic. After the last basting I cranked it to boil and did another 7 minutes. The flavor was awesome, chicken tender. Yum so excited to add this to the dinner rotation. Thank You
Elizabeth
Thanks so much for the comment- happy you liked it! :-)
Vero
Omg delicious my kids loved it thank you ????
Elizabeth
Yay! So happy you and your family liked it :-)
Carol
I use a whole cut up chicken. Only different thing I do is drain off the juices before basting with BBQ sauce. I also sometimes finish it off on the grill! This is our favorite bbq chicken ever! ????
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Love the idea of finishing on the grill to get those extra crispy blackened parts. I’ll have to try that!
Linda
I just made this with a mustard BBQ sauce. It was so good!
My family loved it too.
Thanks so much.
Elizabeth
Oooo I LOVE mustard BBQ sauce! I’ll have to try that next time. So happy you liked it!
SKS
This dish made a greasy splattered mess of my oven. I was actually afraid of a fire and I had just cleaned my oven three weeks ago. Is the pan supposed to be covered?
Elizabeth
Nope- pan should definitely not be covered, since the skin won’t get too crispy! Hmm…my initial thought is that your oven may be a bit hotter than mine. I’d try a few things, if you didn’t the first time: make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven rather than the top, use a bit less olive oil (just enough to coat the chicken), and turn down the heat like 15 degrees or so to see if a cooler oven helps. Sorry that happened to you, and hope you were able to clean everything OK!
Lisa Ombito
I use this recipe for the first time, and my barbecue chicken turned out great! however, I did bake my chicken a little bit too long due to not responding to my timer on time. Otherwise it will was excellent and I will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you so much!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! :-)
Jerry
Need to increase initial cook times to 40 minutes. After basting three times with bbq sauce I checked and the chicken was not done in the center.
Elizabeth
Oh no! Thanks so much for the heads up. I always find that mine cooks all the way through, but there is so much variance in both chicken piece size and oven temperature that I definitely recommend using a meat thermometer or cutting into the chicken to make sure it’s completely done before serving. Luckily, it’s hard to overcook bone-in, skin on dark meat, so adding another few minutes shouldn’t affect it even if it is all the way cooked!
Carol
Great recipe! I’ve made it several times.
Elizabeth
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it :-)
Dee
It’s very similar to pioneer woman’s recipe
Elizabeth
Yes- as mentioned above, the cooking technique is very similar! Love it- it makes the perfect sweet and sticky glaze every time.
Sabrina
Have made this several times, usually when the drummies and thighs go on sale. Always with excellent results and frankly easier for me than using the BBQ. I make several #’s and freeze them. Thank you Elizabeth for sharing this winner!!!
Elizabeth
So happy you like the recipe!! :-)
Sabrina
Truly THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!!!
Rita
I made this for my husband because he loves chicken. He absolutely loved it! This is by far the easiest best recipe ever!!
Elizabeth
So happy you and your husband liked it!
Alison
I have mde this recipe three times and the last two times i forgot to crisp it up bc I am so excited to eat it but it makes a big difference. Love this recipe!
Elizabeth
Haha so happy you liked it!
Connie M
Yummy, tasted really good. Will definitely make it again.
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it!