Baked BBQ Chicken

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Baked BBQ chicken thighs with a homemade spice rub and a thick, caramelized barbecue glaze. Juicy, flavorful, and easy enough for any weeknight.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: pieces

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

For the Chicken

8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (approximately 4 pounds)
¼ cup spice rub recipe below
1½ cups prepared barbecue sauce I use Sweet Baby Ray's

For the Spice Rub

3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Heat your oven to 400°F. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coat it with olive oil so the chicken doesn't stick. Set it aside.
Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl to form the spice rub. Measure out ¼ cup for this recipe and transfer the rest to a sealed container to save for later.
Take the chicken thighs out of their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Lay them skin side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the spice rub evenly over all of the chicken pieces.
Flip each piece skin side up and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of spice rub over the top, making sure every piece is evenly coated.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Pull the pan out of the oven. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each thigh with the first third of the barbecue sauce. Return all pieces to skin side up before putting them back in.
Bake for another 15 minutes.
Repeat the previous step using the second third of the sauce. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a final 15 minutes.
Add the last third of the sauce to the chicken. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If it hasn't reached 165°F yet, return it to the oven and check every 5 minutes until it does.
If you'd like crispier skin, switch the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch it closely. The sugar in the sauce burns quickly.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Line your baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. It makes cleanup significantly easier and prevents the sauce from baking onto the pan.
Pat the chicken dry before applying the spice rub. Moisture on the surface will prevent the rub from adhering properly.
The spice rub makes more than you need for this recipe. Store the extra in a sealed container for up to six months and use it on pork, salmon, or roasted vegetables.
Oven temperatures vary. Start checking your chicken as the suggested baking time approaches rather than relying on the clock alone. Apply the sauce in thirds, not all at once.
Each layer needs time to caramelize before the next one goes on. Watch the broiler closely. The sugar in the sauce will burn faster than you expect.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. It makes a difference in how juicy the meat is when you cut into it.

Nutrition