These Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are easy and delicious! Fall off the bone tender and juicy chicken thighs are slow roasted in the oven then topped with a sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy homemade barbecue sauce. This small batch recipe makes a great lunch, dinner, or romantic date night meal.
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Why I love this recipe
These BBQ Bone In Chicken Thighs are very easy to make and the meat is tender and juicy! You will probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
How to make BBQ Chicken Thighs in the oven
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Step 2 – Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Step 3 – Place the chicken thighs into the baking dish, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4 – Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Step 5 – Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. and bake for 45 more minutes.
Step 6 – Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Step 7 – Right after the chicken is uncovered, in a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard powder, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Step 8 – Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 9 – Switch the oven from bake to broil.
Step 10 – Either drain the chicken broth from the baking dish or move the chicken pieces to a broiler pan and flip the chicken pieces over so the bottom side is up.
Step 11 – Brush the bottoms with some barbecue sauce and broil for about 3 – 5 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
Step 12 – Flip the chicken thighs back over so the skin side is up and brush with more barbecue sauce.
Step 13 – Broil for another 3 – 5 minutes until barbecue sauce is browned and bubbly.
Recipe FAQ’s
Add the BBQ sauce to the chicken after it bakes. This gives the skin time to crisp up and doesn’t overcook the barbecue sauce.
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Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Place the chicken thighs into the baking dish, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Right after the chicken is uncovered, in a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard powder, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Switch the oven from bake to broil.
- Either drain the chicken broth from the baking dish or move the chicken pieces to a broiler pan and flip the chicken pieces over so the bottom side is up.
- Brush the bottoms with some barbecue sauce and broil about 3 – 5 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
- Flip the chicken thighs back over so the skin side is up and brush with more barbecue sauce.
- Broil for another 3 – 5 minutes until barbecue sauce is browned and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- See recipe post for process pics.
Nutrition
Hi, and welcome. I’m Zona, and I have a passion for recipes. I share recipes, tips, tricks, and resources to help you cook for two. Eat, drink, and enjoy!
Patty longway
Thursday 27th of February 2025
Can u do this to boneless chicken breast and how long can u bake it
Zona House
Thursday 27th of February 2025
I have not made this recipe using boneless breasts but I would love to try that too. I suggest using a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part the whole time. It may take less time to cook then bone in thighs. The breasts will be done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Judy
Thursday 22nd of June 2023
Instead of the broiler can you air fry to crisp them?
Zona
Friday 23rd of June 2023
Hi Judy, I have not tested that method but it should work fine. Let me know how it goes for you. Thanks :)
Anne Hersch
Monday 12th of August 2019
11/2 hours seems like a very long cooking time especially with starting out at such a high temp.
Zona
Monday 12th of August 2019
Hi Anne, the temperature is reduced to 300 after the first 15 minutes.