Name: Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 8 bone-in (skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat); 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; 1/3 cup BBQ sauce

These are the juiciest, most delicious Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs you’ll ever make! You just need a few pantry ingredients and 5 minutes to prep, and the oven takes care of the rest.

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs on a plate with coleslaw and corn.

We absolutely love chicken thighs. I often make baked chicken thighs, air fryer chicken thighs, chicken thighs with potatoes, lemon chicken thighs and pan-seared chicken thighs for dinner, and we never get tired of them.

During summer time, I love to make this grilled chicken thighs. We could seriously eat them for every meal and never get tired of them. But sometimes it’s just too hot to stand over the grill.

That’s when I reach for recipes like these super easy Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs. They’re so easy to make and turn out unbelievably juicy and tender every time. And since I season the chicken before adding the barbecue sauce, every bite is so flavorful and delicious.

Wondering how to get the same crispy, charred skin without the grill? A few minutes under the broiler does the trick perfectly! The result is fall-off-the-bone tender on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside.

You can easily double or even triple this recipe if you need to feed a crowd, or just want to stock up on a good meal-prep staple.

If you’re looking for more indoor BBQ recipes to try, check out my Oven Baked Ribs next!

Ingredients Needed

Chicken thighs — I’m using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. This cut will yield the juiciest, most tender meat on the inside with crispy skin on the outside. You can also make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks.
Olive oil — To help the seasonings stick to the chicken.
Seasonings — A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper for more flavor. For a bit of heat, add paprika, cayenne pepper and a dash of hot sauce, if desired.
BBQ Sauce — Any BBQ sauce will work here, so go with one that you love! You can also use homemade bbq sauce, if desired.

Small bowls of pre-measured ingredients.

How To Bake BBQ Chicken Thighs in the Oven

Before we start, preheat your oven to 400F.°

Combine the olive oil and seasonings in a small bowl. Then, pour it over the chicken and toss until it’s evenly coated.

Preparing the seasoning blend and tossing it with the chicken thighs.

Bake and add the sauce:

Arrange them skin side up on a baking dish (or a sheet pan) and bake chicken thighs for 30 minutes, or until they reach 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken.
At this point, remove the baking sheet from the oven and generously coat each chicken thigh with BBQ sauce.
Then, place the chicken under the broiler for another 3-5 minutes to crisp up the skin and caramelize the BBQ sauce.

Seasoned chicken thighs smothered in BBQ sauce on a baking sheet.

Rest and serve:

Remove the chicken thighs and let them rest for 10 minutes or so. Enjoy!

An overhead view of BBQ chicken thighs on a baking sheet.

Olivia’s Recipe Tips

Ensure you fully preheat your oven before placing the chicken thighs in. A hot oven will cook them evenly and help the skin crisp up.
Remember to keep a close eye on the broiler! It works quickly, so the thighs can get a little too crispy if you’re not careful.
Let the chicken thighs rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps the juices settle, making the meat tender.

What To Do with Leftovers

To Store: Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I always recommend going with glass containers for BBQ chicken so the sauce doesn’t stain your dish.

To Freeze: Once the BBQ chicken thighs have cooled, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: The best way to keep the skin crispy is to reheat the chicken thighs in the oven until they’re completely warmed through.

What To Serve with

Since this is such an easy main dish, I like to keep the sides simple too. Most times I’ll make a pan of roasted veggies that go right in the oven with the chicken thighs.

I also love pairing this dish with my mashed potatoes, grilled corn, coleslaw recipe and potato salad.

As for leftovers, I highly recommend this chopped chicken salad for lunch the next day. I also love shredded BBQ chicken in these lettuce wraps or with my garlic bread.

Recipe Variations

BBQ Sauce: This is the star of the recipe, and it’s so easy to customize based on your taste. You can choose a sweet BBQ sauce, something tangy, or even a spicy sauce if you like a kick. You can also mix ketchup and Worcestershire sauce into the BBQ sauce, then coat the chicken with it.

Dry rub: This recipe is also great with a dry rub of my homemade BBQ seasoning.

Grilled: If you’d rather fire up the grill, go for it! Follow my grilled chicken thighs recipe and add the sauce during the last 20 minutes or so of cooking.

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