Baked BBQ Chicken – this is how I make Barbecue Chicken in the oven when I want to satisfy my craving for sticky, juicy chicken but I don’t want to fire up the BBQ. This recipe uses my quick homemade BBQ sauce – off the charts good for something so simple!
This is a one pan, quick and easy dinner. 5 minute prep, dump and bake!
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
This recipe used to have the most generic of names – “Sticky Baked Chicken”. Nobody ever understood what it actually was, so I’d have to describe it. “It’s kinda sweet, it’s savoury, and it has this awesome glaze!”, I’d animatedly tell my friends, in a bid to convince them that had to try it.
(And well, well, well, what do you know? Convincing people they have to try a recipe is now what I do for a full time job! 😂)
It wasn’t until I started this website and I actually started cataloging my recipes properly that it dawned on me that the sauce is really just a simplified version of barbecue sauce, full length iterations of which you see in recipes like Barbecue Pork Ribs, Beef Ribs and BBQ Pulled Pork.
Half the ingredients delivers 90% of the flavour.
For a midweek meal, I’ll take that!
↑↑↑ PS Up close and personal view so you can see STICKY outside and JUICY inside!
What you need for Baked BBQ Chicken
Here’s what you need. I don’t use – nor do we need – a rub for this recipe because the chicken cooks in the BBQ Sauce so it sucks up plenty of flavour. You’ll see the process steps below!
Best chicken cuts for BBQ Chicken cooked in the oven – use bone in, skin on chicken pieces like thighs (pictured, and shown in video), legs and wings. Bone in breast / Maryland will also work here.
We need skin to get a really lovely glaze, and we need bone in pieces so they can be baked for 50 minutes so they absorb the flavour from the barbecue sauce without drying out.
How to make Baked BBQ Chicken in the oven
And here’s how to make it. See? Dump-and-bake!
OK OK, I simplified it slightly. It’s actually Dump -> Bake -> Baste -> Broil. The 3 minute broil is how we get the surface really nicely caramelised!
This oven baked BBQ Chicken is deliberately made with a barbecue sauce that is thinned out with water so:
it won’t dry out in the oven; and
to create enough sauce so the chicken absorbs the flavour as it bakes. We bake the chicken upside for the first half, then flip it for the second half so both sides get the benefit of the flavour, This is why we don’t need a rub for this recipe.
And you are going to LOVE the barbecue sauce you end up with in the baking dish! All the juices from the chicken mixes in as you bake it, so you basically end up with a world-class barbecue sauce that’s got the benefit of the ultimate home-made chicken stock!
What to serve with Baked BBQ Chicken
In the spirit of all things BBQ, I’m going to suggest classic sides for a BBQ cook out – and also some lighter alternatives just in case you’re counting your calories!
Classic creamy Coleslaw – or try our No Mayo Coleslaw (it’s excellent!) or this Cabbage Salad
Potato Salad – or this Lemon Potato Salad, or use a Yogurt Potato Salad Dressing
Corn slathered in butter
Cornbread or Dinner Rolls – for mopping
Creamy Mashed Potato – or Creamy Cauliflower Mash (for drowning in sauce)
Big leafy salad with a salad dressing
Though having suggested all those sides, it’s actually pictured above with this Green Bean Salad 😂. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Oven Baked BBQ Chicken – with quick homemade barbecue sauce
Ingredients
Sauce (Note 1)
- 1 cup ketchup or Australian/UK tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
- 1 cup water
Chicken
- 1.5 kg / 3 lb chicken thighs (bone in skin on), drumsticks or wings (Note 2)
- Fresh parsley, chives or finely chopped green onions , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Sauce: Mix all Sauce ingredients in a ceramic/glass baking dish (Note 3), then mix in water.
- Add chicken and turn to coat. Place chicken skin side down.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, turn chicken, spoon over Sauce.
- Bake for a further 30 minutes, then remove and spoon over Sauce.
- Skim off fat (optional): Tilt pan and spoon or drain off excess fat.
- Broil/grill – Change to broiler/grill on high. Spoon sauce over chicken generously, then place under grill / broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to caramelise the chicken and the sauce to thicken more. Do not walk away – this can happen quickly!
- Serve chicken, garnished with parsley or green onions, if using. Pictured in post with Mashed Potato and Green Bean Salad (minus feta).
Classic Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken
- Cornbread, Coleslaw, Potato Salad (or try this no mayo Lemon Potato Salad), Southern Baked Beans, big leafy salad with classic Vinaigrette, steamed corn with butter, bread rolls, creamy mashed potato (or Creamy Cauliflower Mash for low carb emergency!), or Potato & Gravy.
Recipe Notes:
- Ketchup – sub with Tomato Sauce (ie Aussie/UK tomato sauce, not what US calls “tomato sauce”)
- Cider vinegar – can sub with white wine, sherry or champagne vinegar, OR 2 tbsp normal white vinegar
- Onion powder – sub garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- Mix sauce WITHOUT water
- Use 1 kg / 2 lb breast or boneless thighs
- Follow the cooking directions in this recipe – Sticky Baked Chicken Thighs. ie coat with 2/3 sauce, bake on high, baste with remaining sauce & broil/grill to finish.
- Pan – light scrubbing will be required to clean! So either use glass/ceramic OR metal pan lined with foil then parchment/baking paper.
- Sauce thickness at end depends one many factors eg – how snug the chicken is in the baking dish, how juicy / fatty the chicken is, oven accuracy. But very easy to adjust – too thick, add splash of water, too thin, return just the pan to the oven for a minute or two (thickens super quickly)
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2016. Given a much needed spruce up with new photos and new video, as well as an update on Life of Dozer!
Life of Dozer
When my brother took Dozer out for a walk. This is why I trained Dozer NOT to give slobbery kisses!!! 🤢
And from the original publication date:
Dashing inside when he heard / smelled / his sixth sense told him there was FOOD ready to be photographed.
Hi Nagi! Do you think this can be made in the slow cooker?
Hi Peggy – unfortunately not 🙁 The oven is required so the liquid evaporates to leave behind just the sauce. N x
The joy of discovering taste-buds same as mine – half-way round the world (I write from sunny South Africa – East Coast – Kwa Zulu Natal)!! The MOST amazing gift (pin) my husband ever sent me was link to your blog, and I have been avid follower for the last month!.
I do not have enough superlatives to describe the joy of making, serving and eating ANY of your recipes. I am ‘freshly’ retired (early) and have new-found interest to finally come up with new ideas and tasty dishes now that I have time – although your recipes are actually saving me time already.
Thanks for always describing or explain the alternate ingredients in UK, or US, but I’m still a bit stuck in South Africa – what the heck would Garlic or Onion Powder be…? We have both in a ‘salt’ or ‘crushed’ or flaked (the normal spice brands) – I have used the crushed Garlic powder for this chicken recipe and it worked….?
PS: Thanks for saving my overweight Charlie (Dachs Hound) which should be max 9kg and is nearing 12kg – testimony of too many flopped efforts from my table – from now on NIL in the doggy bowl – he will have to BEG for every scrap!
Hi Elsie – I’m so glad you found me and that you are enjoying my recipes!! Crushed garlic powder sounds right – it’s garlic in powder form. Same for onion. 🙂 N x
My husband made this a week ago and we are having it again tonight. The best thing I’ve ever eaten. It is now my favourite meal.
Oh wow, what a compliment! Thank you Catherine! N x
Oh WOW, you saw me on TVSN!!! WOW!!!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words – do you know, that was my first time ever on TV!!! For a GF alternative, just substitute the tomato sauce with tomato passata (pasta section of Woolies, it comes in tall glass bottles, 100% tomato) + an extra dash of Worcestershire Sauce + 1 tsp brown sugar + salt and pepper. If you have garlic and onion powder, add 1/2 tsp of each of them, or other add 1 garlic clove, minced. The flavour won’t be exactly the same, but that will still make a very tasty barbecue sauce!
Thanks so much, you’re a legend. 🙂
Made this on Saturday night for dinner and it was a WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! The other half has requested it for next Saturday night also but with the instructions to double it LOL.
Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Vicky, thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
This was delicious! Can’t believe how easy it is and it looks just like your pictures!! Love that! I followed the recipe exactly. Next time, I’ll leave it under the broiler a bit longer to get that delicous “char”. You’ve done it again, Miss N!! Thank you!
WOO HOO!!!! So glad you enjoyed it Linde, HIGH FIVE!!!
Another winner from you! I made these using boneless thigh fillets. Ok, I admit I did no measurements and added a touch of liquid smoke. Then had to thump up the brown sugar as I tried to put less in earlier (to balance out the chocolates I had whist waiting. I’m an adult and I can do it. HAH!) . Hubby and I loooved it! Very juicy, succulent and packed with flavour. We did a lab thing and inhaled the chook & mashed spuds *sheepish grin*
Nothing SHEEPISH about that – ba ha ha!!! So glad you enjoyed this!!! And actually, this is a great recipe to measure out by eye because it’s quite forgiving. Like your thinking re: balancing out chocolates…..good strategy
Cooked this tonight with roasted vegetables and couldn’t believe the delicious flavour. The chicken thighs were tender and the sauce was just yummy. Topped this off with a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
I will be making this again and again.
Oh WOW Debbie! I’m so delighted that you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know!!! PS I could totally go a glass of NZ Sauv Blanc right now!!
You’re kidding right? Nope, he woke me at 5 am as usual, “subtly” requesting a) quick rabbit chase in yard b) breakfast c) beach run.
sounds and looks delicious! the homemade sauce is always amazing!
Thank you Mary! Hope you’re having a great week! N x
This was so good, Nagi! I served the chicken with buttered corn cobs and coleslaw. Delicious!
WOO HOO!! I think you might be the first to try this! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks Anna! N x
Ooooh! It does look delicious! And there is nothing better than using chicken thighs, they are so forgiving aren’t they? And I’m grateful for the additional inspiration — the brussel sprout salad. I’m definitely making it. And I’m with Dozer — the smell of your chicken would bring me trotting right on in 🙂 Have a great day!!
I am a little obsessed with this recipe, I made it so many times last week!!! Hope you’re having a great week Marisa, is it starting to get cool???
OMG…,.OMG…….OOOMGGG If only I could just dive in!!!!!
Never have I ever tasted barbeque anything that tasted this good. This sauce has found its “forever home”.
I followed your instructions except for the tomatoe sauce. Can’t get any UK tomatoe sauce out here in New Mexico. I also added about a half teaspoon of liquid smoke and a healthy pinch of chili pepper flakes.
Perfection.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe, you have also made a new friend and fan.
Hugs to Dozer
Love your enthusiasm Lydia!!! Oooh la la…liquid smoke!!! LOVE IT!!
The recipe sounds fantastic. It is also very well timed as I have just completed a batch of doubly home-made ketchup. I grew the tomatoes then made the ketchup so I guess I can count it twice?
Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to give it a try!
I’m SO JEALOUS. How much of your own produce do you grow???
I live in a small village in a pretty independent way. I grow just about all my own fruit and vegetables. The local hunters provide me with meat…… I am not totally independent but almost. I have 4 freezers and an underground store. The underground store is great for apples for example or some root crops, it is also where I store my own “tinned” produce. I make jams of course, but also tomato sauce or even ketchup, all in jars, previously sterilised and all made from my own produce.
I only work part time of course, I wouldn’t be able to do all the above working 9 to 5!
It is surprising how little space it takes to grown fruit and vegetables for a family, it is also surprising how much time it takes!
I tend to cook seasonal recipes using local produce. My recipes tend to be easy and cheap to make. I am patient, if I find an interesting recipe that uses produce that isn’t available at that time I simply store it away until later.
You’re life sounds like a fairytale to this city girl who has always been convinced she is a farm girl at heart!! 🙂 N x
I really enjoy it. I am lucky however, I don’t have to rely on my allotment nor orchard. After a lifetime in industry I have some savings in the bank and can treat my lifestyle as a “hobby”. Of course it is more than a hobby in the sense that it has been a lifestyle change, I just me that if the crops were to fail I would starve!
I have always lived in the countryside. Sorry, but I have never liked the big cities. I grew up on farms and I guess after many years of big business I have gone back to my roots……
Love your recipes and would like the elf saucing chicken bar-b-q chicen . I prefer to get the recipes in my mailbox if possible. There are too many for me to just print from here and I can keep them in a folder in my gmail. Hope this is possible.
Hi Kathleen! If you are on my email list then they should be emailed to you! If you would like to print just the recipe as a PDF, just click the Print button on the recipe. N x
Marvelous simplicity… Thawing a package of thighs for tomorrows dinner…
Thank you…. :O)
Ooooh….I await in anticipation to hear what you think!! N x
This is finger licking good. It sure has Dozer’s seal of approval.
It is hard to find a food he DOESN’T approve of!!! 😉
Hi Nagi! I love the idea of braising the chicken in the sauce instead of just brushing sauce on the chicken! Homemade sauce is always better. And guess what? I just happen to have a package of thighs in the frig! Perfect timing once again! 🙂
Oooh, I wonder if this will get the Dorothy stamp of approval???!!! N x