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–+ servings
BBQ baked Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet.
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5 from 4 votes

BBQ Chicken Thighs in Oven

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs made with homemade, barbecue sauce. The thighs cook up perfectly in the oven super juicy and flavorful.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4
Author: Bailey

Equipment

  • baking sheet or cast iron skillet
  • 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
  • 1-3 Tbsp hot honey regular honey will also work well
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Chicken Thighs

  • 1.75-2 lbs chicken thighs, bone in/skin on boneless will also work great
  • ½ Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp dried oregano

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.
  • Rub the thighs with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano. Pour half of the barbecue sauce into a bowl for brushing the thighs with a generous amount of barbecue sauce on both sides. The other half will be used later.
  • Place the thighs on metal wire racks and then put a baking dish underneath to collect the chicken juices and avoid a mess.
    Or place the chicken thighs in a large cast iron skillet. Either method turns out great.
  • 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 and cook for another 12-14 minutes. 
  • Next, place the oven on broil (high) and crisp up for about 2-4 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 and any leftover bbq sauce. Enjoy

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.
    • Don't overcook the chicken! It's always best to have a digital meat thermometer. This will help keep the chicken nice and juicy. The bone in thighs will cook a few minutes longer than the boneless. Please check the chicken often after 20 minutes. 
    • 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.
    • Cooking 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

Serving: 3thighs with lots of sauce | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 711IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg