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Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs made with a tangy homemade, easy barbecue sauce. The thighs cook up perfectly in the oven turning out super juicy and flavorful. The perfect chicken meal for the summer or any time of the year.
Table of Contents
Why Make These Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Great Tasting Chicken. These chicken thighs are SO flavorful and moist especially when made with my superior and delicious homemade barbecue sauce
- A Bit Healthier. The homemade BBQ sauce is made with a bit less sugar than most others and you get to control the flavors and use clean ingredients. You can also use this BBQ sauce on my BBQ Chicken Flatbread.
- Versatile Dish. Make it into a baked BBQ chicken thigh bowl or eat the chicken sliced up over a salad. You can do so much with this chicken, you will be hooked on it and blown away by the flavor.
If you want a meal with more kick to it made with any leftover chicken, try my Blackened Chicken.
Ingredients Needed
These BBQ baked chicken thighs require a handful of ingredients. Most are pantry staples making this an easy dish to throw together without tons of planning and prep.
- Chicken Thighs. Boneless, skinless thighs are my favorites for baking in the oven! You can certainly use chicken breasts if you like. Personally, I find the thighs cook up juicier and more moist when baked in the oven. Be sure to trim the fat before cooking. Cook the breasts at 350° F for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Olive Oil: Just a bit for rubbing on the chicken before cooking. You can use any type of vegetable oil you prefer though I recommend using one with a neutral flavor.
- Brown Sugar. Light or dark brown sugar works better than regular granulated sugar. It has more depth of flavor thanks to the addition of molasses and really enhances the flavor of the barbecue sauce. In a pinch, you can use granulated sugar.
- Ketchup: The base of the homemade barbecue sauce. You can also use pureed canned tomatoes instead though I find the ketchup brings a bit more flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A bit of acid to balance out the sweetness of the ketchup and brown sugar. You can also use white vinegar instead.
- Seasoning. Salt, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cracked black pepper enhance the essence of the BBQ sauce making it zing! You also need some oregano to season the chicken thighs before cooking.
- Hot Honey. Just a little bit to drizzle over the chicken before baking in the oven. Regular honey will also work, I find it gives the chicken a nice little crispy touch on the edges and a bit of spice.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found on the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Sugar-Free. Instead of brown sugar, you can use a sugar free alternative to make the sauce. Another option is to use coconut sugar instead which is a less processed sugar alternative that has color, texture, and flavor similar to brown sugar. Use an organic ketchup or one without corn syrup to keep it sugar-free.
- Fast Method. Skip the homemade barbecue sauce and use your favorite store-bought brand instead.
- BBQ Chicken Bowl: Build a bowl with some Crispy Homemade Fries, quinoa or other grain, black beans, corn, and cucumbers.
How to Make Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs
Gather all your ingredients for this BBQ chicken thighs recipe and start to preheat the oven to 425º F.
Step One. Make the barbecue sauce. Combine everything to make the sauce in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat and cook whisking often to avoid burning the sauce. Cook until the brown sugar is dissolved. When it’s ready, add two tablespoons of water and whisk to thin it out.
Step Two. Prep the chicken. Place the thighs on metal wire racks and place the rack over a baking dish underneath to collect the chicken juices and avoid a mess. Rub the thighs with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Pour half of the barbecue sauce into a bowl and brush the thighs with a generous amount of barbecue sauce on both sides.
Step Three. Cook the chicken. Place the tray of chicken in the oven to bake for 12 minutes.
Step Four. Flip it. After the chicken has cooked for 12 minutes, pull the chicken out and flip it to the other side, brush more barbecue sauce on it, drizzle the honey, and cook for another 12-14 minutes.
Step Five. Broil the chicken. Turn the oven to broil (high) and cook the chicken for about 3-5 minutes or until the chicken gets nice and crispy on the edges. Keep a close eye on the chicken to avoid burning as oven temps will vary greatly.
Step Six. Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Serve with sides or over a grain bowl with toppings!
Recipe Tips
- Leftovers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or bake them in the oven covered in a baking dish.
- Broil the Chicken. This is the trick to crispy edges! Just be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn’t burn.
- Cook on a Rack. This aids in cooking the chicken and gives it the appearance of grilled chicken but cooked in the oven instead.
- More BBQ Flavor. Brush the chicken with the remaining half of the BBQ sauce just before serving.
Recipe Pairings
Serve up your BBQ boneless chicken thighs in a grain bowl! I love it with quinoa for an extra boost of protein but it works just about any grain and vegetables.
Slice it up over this Asian Cabbage Salad, Dill Pickle Pasta, or BLT Pasta.
Really this chicken would go well with anything you love to have at a barbecue. From salads like this Cucumber with Tomato Salad or Dill Pickle Potato Salad to sweet endings like some Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats or Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to determine when chicken is fully cooked is to check the internal temperature of the meat with a thermometer. Cook until the internal temp reaches 165º F.
Sure things! These oven BBQ chicken thighs make a great meal prepped meal. Thighs are so forgiving so they don’t get overcooked as easily as breasts do. Check above for how to store and reheat them.
Yes! A great option for summer grilling. Follow the same instructions for prepping the sauce and chicken. Cook the chicken on a heated grill flipping it over at least once during cooking. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the thighs and your grill so be sure to use a thermometer to check for doneness.
Other Chicken Recipes To Enjoy
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
BBQ Chicken Thighs in Oven
Equipment
- baking sheet
- bowls for mixing
- sauce pot
Ingredients
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup, If you are making a sugar free sauce, use organic ketchup or one without corn syrup.
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp hot honey , regular honey will also work well
- 2 tsp chili powder, *see notes
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Chicken Thighs
- 1.75-2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º. Prepare the barbecue sauce while the oven preheats. In a medium sauce pan, add all the BBQ sauce ingredients together. Set the stove on medium/low heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Be sure to whisk often and avoid burning the sauce. Keep it on low heat until the brown sugar dissolves completely.
- Add 2 Tbsp of water to the sauce and whisk, this is to just thin it out a bit. Place the thighs on metal wire racks and then put a baking dish underneath to collect the chicken juices and avoid a mess.
- Rub the thighs with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano. Pour half of the barbecue sauce into a bowl and brush thighs with a generous amount of barbecue sauce on both sides. Place in the oven to bake for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, pull the chicken out and flip it, brush more barbecue sauce on it, drizzle more honey (optional) and cook for another 12-14 minutes.
- Next, place the oven on broil (high) and crisp up for about 3-5 minutes or until the chicken gets nice and crispy on the edges. Keep a close eye on the chicken to avoid burning, oven temps will vary greatly.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Serve with sides or over a grain bowl with toppings (like i did with the ingredients above in the photo).
Notes
- Leftovers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or bake them in the oven covered in a baking dish.
- Broil the Chicken. This is the trick to crispy edges! Just be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn’t burn.
- Cook on a Rack. This aids in cooking the chicken and gives it the appearance of grilled chicken but cooked in the oven instead.
- More BBQ Flavor. Brush the chicken with the remaining half of the BBQ sauce just before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were fantastic. My entire family ate them up so quickly and I’m going to be making again tonight. Thank you.
Really happy to great that! Thanks for letting me know.
What a true delight these were. The best BBQ sauce I can’t believe I’ve been buying it all these years when it’s so easy to make?!
Another Great meal, it’s a 100° and I made this anyways. I cannot wait for winter. I will be making these all winter long And the homemade barbecue sauce with some of The best i’ve ever had I can’t believe how easy it is to make