When you’re craving BBQ chicken but can’t get to the grill, my Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs recipe is the one to make! Tender chicken thighs are rubbed with a spice blend, baked, then slathered with homemade barbecue sauce and finished under the broiler. Easy to make and even easier to eat!
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No grill? No problem.
I find myself craving barbecued food all year long, but in the cooler months, it can be challenging to get to a grill and that’s when I turn to recipes like my oven barbecue ribs and my oven-baked chicken thighs with homemade smoky barbecue sauce.
This recipe isn’t just easy – it hits the mark every time. The chicken thighs are always tender and juicy, and the barbecue sauce is the perfect balance of smoke and spice thanks to the smoked paprika. It’s so good you’ll hardly miss the grill!
These oven barbecue chicken thighs are excellent with a side of coleslaw, cucumber salad, or tuna macaroni salad.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken. I’m using boneless skinless thighs because they have a ton of flavor and hold up well to baking and broiling. You can use bone-in thighs, or breasts, but if using breasts, be sure to only cook to 160°F otherwise you risk them drying out.
- Spice rub. The chicken thighs are first rubbed with a blend of kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- BBQ sauce. I’m making homemade barbecue sauce for this recipe which includes ketchup, onion, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (optional). I also add honey for sweetness. Feel free to taste test and scale the honey or brown sugar up if you like it sweeter. Yes, you can use your favorite storebought barbecue sauce in place of homemade if you prefer.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make oven baked chicken thighs with smoky bbq sauce
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Dry the chicken thighs very well with paper towels and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in a bowl, then rub the mixture evenly on both sides of the chicken and bake it for 30 minutes at 425°F, stopping at the halfway point to follow the instructions in step 6 below.
- While the chicken bakes, saute the onions in a saucepan over medium heat with the butter until the onions are soft and lightly browned.
- Add the remaining bbq sauce ingredients to the pan and bring to a simmer stirring frequently to combine.
- Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree.
- Taste test and adjust seasoning to taste. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add more honey.
- Halfway through the 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, drain the liquid from the pan, and flip the chicken. Continue baking until the 30 minutes are up.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and use a pastry brush to baste the thighs with the bbq sauce. Turn on the broiler and set the rack to the second-highest level.
- Place the barbecue chicken thighs under the broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the thighs are caramelized but not burnt. Watch carefully to prevent burning. If desired, you can do a second coat of the sauce before serving, or serve the remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!
Top tips
- The sauce. Be sure to taste test your sauce and make adjustments as needed to suit your own personal taste. If you like your barbecue sauce on the sweeter side, add more honey. If you like it spicy, add a touch more cayenne.
- Make it easy. There are a few things you can do to make these oven baked chicken thighs even easier. For starters, line the baking sheet with foil to ensure an easy cleanup. You can also bake the chicken thighs a day in advance, then finish in the oven/broiler (or grill) with the barbecue sauce the next day. Third, you can use a store-bought barbecue sauce.
- Broiling the chicken. Because of the brown sugar and honey in the barbecue sauce, it can burn easily, so while you’re broiling the chicken at the end, watch very carefully to prevent burning.
More chicken recipes
If you love chicken thighs, give these other recipes a try!
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Chicken thighs with fennel and cherry tomatoes
- Easy Mediterranean chicken and orzo
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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Smoky BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the bbq sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/4 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 packed cup dark brown sugar can also use light
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and set the rack to the middle level. Dry off the chicken with paper towels.
- Place the chicken pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to make the spice rub. Rub the spice powder evenly on both sides of the chicken.
- Bake for 30 minutes. At the halfway point, drain the excess liquid from the pan, flip the chicken pieces, and continue to bake for remaining time.
- Meanwhile, heat a saucepan to medium with the butter and onion and saute for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is soft and slightly browned. Add the remaining bbq sauce ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to combine. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as required. Remove the sauce from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree. This can also be done in a blender but make sure to only fill the blender 1/3 high. Set the bbq sauce to the side.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and turn on the broiler and set the rack to the second highest level.
- Baste the chicken thighs with the bbq sauce on both sides then broil for 2-3 minutes per side or until the thighs are caramelized but not burnt. If you like, you can do a second coat of the sauce before serving, or serve the remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!
Notes
- Broiling. Be very careful when broiling the chicken. They will get caramelized very quickly and can burn easily.
- BBQ sauce. This recipe makes approximately 2 1/4 cups of bbq sauce which is more than is needed. The sauce is vinegar based and will last in the fridge for up to a month. Store in an airtight container.
- Sweet/spicy. If the sauce isn’t sweet enough for your liking, add more brown sugar or honey as needed. If you like it spicy, add more optional cayenne.
- Make ahead. The chicken thighs can be baked the day ahead and finished in the oven or on the grill with the bbq sauce the next day.
- Leftovers. Oven bbq chicken thighs can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Those chicken thighs look sooooo good. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
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I can’t wait to try this method! Super easy and a great weeknight recipe. And if there is leftover BBQ sauce you better believe I’m using it for grilled wings too! Though I have to ask about the calories – is it really 34 calories per serving? I suspect a typo, but a girl can dream. 😉
Thanks for letting us know about the typo, Crystal. It’s 340 (sorry about that)!