Juicy BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs
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This bbq baked chicken thighs recipe is an easy weeknight dinner. It’s ready in less than an hour and pairs well with all of your favorite cookout sides.
If you’re like me you are always on the lookout for creative and delicious ways to jazz up chicken dinners. This mouth-watering oven baked BBQ chicken thighs recipe is perfect for family dinners and weekend barbecues with friends.
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
It’s amazing at how simple seasonings and your favorite barbecue sauce can add so much flavor to a chicken thighs recipe. While a dry rub is good on wings, I like my barbecue chicken on the saucy side.
This recipe is similar to what you would make on the grill, but you don’t have to worry about going outside (and all the other things that come along with grilling). Which means you can easily make this recipe year round, like these crispy Southern baked chicken thighs or Alabama white sauce chicken recipes.
You can also make crock pot pulled bbq chicken or the Instant Pot version. Typically, if I’m meal prepping for leftovers for lunches I go with these cooking methods instead of oven baking. The crispiness you get from baking is sort of lost after the thighs are refrigerated and reheated. So I feel like pulled chicken is better for meal prepping.
Ingredients Needed
- all-purpose flour – for the breading.
- seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper.
- chicken thighs – we love this cut of chicken because it’s juicy, tender, and budget-friendly.
- olive oil – helps to make the outside crispy.
- bbq sauce – I use Sweet Baby Ray’s but use your favorite sauce.
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Add the flour and spice mixture to a gallon ziplock bag.
Place chicken thighs in the bag, seal, and shake to coat the chicken. Only add 1-2 pieces at a time so they are covered well.
Remove the thighs from the bag, and shake the excess coating gently back into the bag. Repeat until all are coated and add them to the baking dish with the skin-side up.
Evenly coat each piece of chicken with olive oil, being careful to not remove the flour mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes, then brush the chicken with 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce.
Continue baking for another 25-30 minutes. Halfway through, brush on the remaining sauce. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving.
TIPS FOR MAKING
- Dark meat, such as bone-in thighs and chicken drumsticks, are naturally juicier than chicken breasts. That being said, it is normal to have a lot of drippings left in the pan with either cut.
- If desired, use a large bowl instead of a bag to coat the chicken. I like using a bag because the clean up is easy – just toss it in the trash when you’re done (yes, I’m lazy).
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature is 165 degrees F before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
- Brush with a homemade bbq sauce if you prefer. I typically use Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – I think this recipe is the best with bone-in chicken thighs because it keeps the meat tender. If you choose to use boneless, skinless thighs baste them every 10 minutes. This keeps them juicy as they have a tendency to dry out faster.
- Wings – follow this same recipe to make wings and drumettes. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
How to Store
Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven for the best results. If needed, brush with a little more sauce to keep it from drying out.
What to Serve With
One of our favorite ways to serve barbecue chicken thighs is with potato salad (or mashed potatoes), buttery yeast rolls, and coleslaw. This is also the perfect menu when hosting parties. Or to keep it simple, go with white rice or a big salad.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes:
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tetrazzini
- Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken Bowl
- Italian Chicken Potato Green Bean Bake
**Save Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken Thigh Recipe for Later**
BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on, about 3 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray’s, plus additional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying generously with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a gallon sized zip lock bag, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place one or two chicken thighs at a time into the bag of flour mixture, then seal the bag and shake it to coat the chicken.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the flour mixture, gently shaking any excess flour back into the bag. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking dish.
- Continue steps 4-5 until all of the chicken thighs are coated and arranged on the baking dish.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the tops of the chicken thighs and gently use a basting brush or your hands to make sure that the skin is evenly coated, taking care not to remove the flour.
- Place the chicken into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and brush the chicken with ½ cup of the barbecue sauce.
- Return the chicken back to the oven for 25-30 minutes longer, brushing on the remaining half cup of sauce halfway through (after 15 minutes), then returning back to the oven to finish cooking.
Notes
- Serve with additional barbecue sauce and your favorite side dishes.
- I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe because the meat stays juicy. If you prefer to use boneless, skinless thighs, baste the meat every 10 minutes to keep the chicken from drying out.
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for best results. Note that the chicken skin will not be as crispy after it’s refrigerated.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
