BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs is a quick and easy recipe that makes the juiciest and tastiest oven-baked barbecue chicken. It only calls for 2 main ingredients and takes about half an hour to make.
Prepare chicken - Place chicken thighs in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then, coat with a half cup of barbecue sauce so each piece is evenly coated. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven - Heat oven to 400°F.
Bake chicken - Place on a foil-lined baking sheet or a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C).
Brush with BBQ sauce and broil - Remove from oven and baste with additional sauce, then turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve - Remove chicken from oven and serve.
Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
Prepare chicken - Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place chicken thighs in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then, coat with a half cup of barbecue sauce so each piece is evenly coated. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat oven - Heat oven to 400°F.
Bake chicken - Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Arrange the chicken skin-side up on the wire rack, leaving space between each piece. Place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, turning halfway through. Cook until the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear.
Brush with BBQ sauce and broil - Remove from oven and turn the oven to broil. Keep the chicken thighs skin-side down and brush a thick coat of barbecue sauce on each piece of chicken. Place the chicken thighs in the oven and broil for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the chicken over using tongs, baste with the remaining sauce, then broil the chicken skin-side up for an additional 5 minutes or until the skin is slightly charred. Cook a little longer if you prefer charred chicken.
Serve - Remove from the oven and plate on a serving dish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage
Store the BBQ chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After 3 days, you need to freeze the chicken. According to the USDA, frozen cooked chicken can last up to 3 months in the freezer. In order to reheat the chicken, heat the oven to 350°F, then reheat chicken for 10 minutes. If frozen, let the chicken thaw first before reheating it.