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Learn how to have the perfect barbecue right in your home. This Baked BBQ Chicken has both a dry rub and a bbq glaze for the right amount of flavor. Your oven broiler mimics that charred texture that a grill gives. Use any cut of chicken, bone-in and boneless.

overhead view of barbecue chicken on a baking sheet

Our Secret to Baked BBQ Chicken

Everyone loves bbq chicken on the grill, but what about when it is too cold, too rainy or maybe even too hot to stand outside at the grill? This baked bbq chicken recipe mimics grilled chicken in all the best ways.

There’s a trick to oven-baked crispy chicken that is every bit as good from the oven as it is from the grill. Bake the chicken at a high temperature on a baking rack, so the juices drip down and heat circulates around the chicken, helping mimic the airflow of a grill. Then broil the chicken. This step gives you those caramelized, slightly crispy edges like you’d get from a grill.

Ingredients Needed

ingredients for baked bbq chicken on a table

Chicken. For baked bbq chicken, our favorite is skin-on chicken thighs, but this is great for a traditional bbq chicken breasts recipe, too.
BBQ Spice Rub. Make a bbq chicken rub at home, or use your favorite store-bought spice rub. I choose a rub with smoked paprika to acheive that smoked flavor of the grill.
BBQ Sauce. Choose your favorite sauce from the store (ours is Sweet Baby Ray’s) or make our homemade bbq sauce.

See the recipe card below for ingredients and amounts.

How to Make Baked BBQ Chicken

Start with any cut of chicken you’d like: bone-in chicken with skin, skinless chicken or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Pat the chicken dry.
Pat the chicken with the barbecue spice mixture until the chicken is coated on all sides. Let it rest for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 425ºF.
Place aluminum foil down on a rimmed baking sheet. Place an oven-safe wire baking rack on the foil-lined sheet. Place the seasoned chicken on the baking rack skin-side up.

seasoned chicken drumsticks on a wire baking rack

For bone-in chicken drumsticks: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Flip again and brush with barbecue sauce, then broil on high for 2-4 minutes to caramelize the glaze. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
For bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts: Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Flip again and brush with barbecue sauce, then broil on high for 2-4 minutes to caramelize the glaze. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
For boneless skinless chicken breasts: Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Flip again and brush with barbecue sauce, then broil on high for 2-3 minutes to caramelize the glaze. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Drumsticks before broiling:

baked chicken legs with bbq sauce brushed on them

Perfectly glazed chicken thighs:

a baked bbq chicken thigh on a baking rack

And it makes a great bbq chicken breast recipe:

baked barbecue chicken breasts with bbq sauce brushed on top

How long does it take to cook barbecue chicken in the oven?

The exact timing will depend on the size of the chicken and type of piece. Boneless skinless chicken breasts will cook the quickest and you’ll need to test the internal temperature to make sure they do not overcook. The chicken breasts we tested were done in about 20 minutes.

Bone-in chicken will take a little longer to cook, up to 35 minutes, but it is more forgiving. Dark meat is best cooked to 175-185ºF.

Make it a meal.

This oven baked BBQ Chicken recipe is the perfect starting point to any family dinner. Try serving this juicy chicken with a few of these sides:

Other Chicken Recipes