These baked bbq chicken thighs are juicy, tender, and full of flavor! All you need are 5 simple ingredients - your favorite bbq sauce, a few seasonings, and chicken thighs and you've got a delicious meal in under an hour!
For more chicken recipes, check out these smoked chicken thighs and white wine herb roasted chicken!
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This family favorite recipe is an easy recipe, perfect for any night of the week. It's the kind of recipe that requires minimal effort but has so much flavor - and to me, that's a win win situation.
Because it's both easy, delicious, and only requires a handful of ingredients, it's quickly becoming one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes.
To get that nice crispy skin, I have a quick go to method that never fails. I sear the chicken thighs in a skillet for a few minutes, until golden brown, then I bake the chicken in the oven which makes these oven roasted chicken thighs SO juicy and tender.
At first bite, you'll be hooked. This is the only crispy baked chicken thigh recipe you'll ever need!
Main Ingredients
BBQ Sauce - The type of barbecue sauce that you use is completely up to you! I enjoy Noblemade's Smoky BBQ sauce as well as Sweet Baby Ray's - I alternate between the two depending on what's in my pantry at the time. If you'd like, you can even make your own homemade bbq sauce - check out my honey bbq sauce that is utterly delicious!
Bone-in Chicken Thighs - I like using dark meat with the skin on because it has the most flavor. Not to mention, the skin gets nice and crispy in the oven and makes for such a delicious bite when you sink your teeth into it. However, you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, just note that skinless thighs they cook a bit faster so keep an eye on it.
Dry Rub - this is a quick and easy spice mixture - simply combine poultry seasoning, smoked paprika (and of course salt and black pepper) all over the chicken and you're done! I like using poultry seasoning as it has a bit of everything - garlic powder, onion powder, etc. One stop shop for seasoning. Easy peasy!
How to Bake BBQ Chicken Thighs in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry and trim any excess fat (if needed).
- Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and season with poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Make sure every piece of chicken is coated in the seasoning. (Image #1)
- Drizzle with olive oil into a pan over medium heat and allow the pan to warm. Sear chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. (Image #2)
- Place chicken thighs skin side up on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan with a wire rack (optional). Brush both sides of the chicken with a ½ cup of barbecue sauce. (Image #3)
- Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, then use a pastry brush to coat the chicken with remaining barbecue sauce. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer (or instant-read thermometer) and sides of the chicken thighs are nice and crispy. (Image #4)
- For extra saucy chicken, brush with more barbecue sauce once the chicken has finished cooking. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Season generously! Season both the skin and underneath the skin of the chicken for maximum flavor!
- Marinate! You can season the chicken up to 2 days prior to cooking them. Just make sure to store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.
- Save the drippings! Save any juices from the sheet pan and mix it with the bbq sauce and baste the chicken once it's finished cooking for extra flavor!
- Be mindful of salt! If your poultry seasoning already has salt in the blend, be sure not to add too much additional salt. You can always add more, but it's hard to cut the salty taste if there's too much.
What to eat with Baked Chicken
Some of my favorite sides to enjoy with these bbq baked chicken thighs are:
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Green beans
- Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Baked Beans
- Slow Cooker Collard Greens
What to do with Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing and Reheating: You can also freeze the chicken in freezer bags for up to 4 months. When you're ready to eat them again, let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator and then warm in the oven at 300 degrees until warmed throughout.
Recipe FAQs
You'll want to bake chicken thighs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F - the amount of time can vary depending on the size of the cut of chicken. At 425 degrees F, cooking time is about 25-30 minutes.
For crispy skin and juicy, tender chicken, 425 degrees F is best . Higher temperature allows for the chicken to cook quickly and evenly without drying out.
Both! For oven-baked barbecue chicken, I add barbecue sauce before baking, then baste the chicken with additional sauce and continue to cook until the chicken is fully baked.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you loved these barbecue chicken thighs, you're gonna love these easy weeknight dinner recipes!
- Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
- Rosemary Chicken with Parmesan Orzo
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- Smoked Leg of Lamb
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Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Skillet
- Bowls
- Pastry Brush (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken
- 2 tbsps Poultry Seasoning
- 2 tsps Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsps Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups BBQ Sauce
- Salt and Pepper , to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry and trim any excess fat (if needed).
- Place chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and season with poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Make sure every piece of chicken is coated in the seasoning.
- Drizzle with olive oil into a pan over medium heat and allow the pan to warm. Sear chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Place chicken thighs skin side up on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan. Brush both sides of the chicken with a ½ cup of barbecue sauce.
- Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, then use a pastry brush to coat the chicken with remaining barbecue sauce. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer (or instant-read thermometer) and sides of the chicken thighs are nice and crispy.
- For extra saucy chicken, brush with more barbecue sauce once the chicken has finished cooking. Enjoy!
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