• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Christmas ⭐️
      • Starters
      • Mains
      • Sides: Warm & Hearty
      • Sides: Light & Fresh
      • Desserts
      • Breads
      • Christmas Leftovers
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish recipes
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
    • Cookbook recipes
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Collections Quick Dinner Recipes

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken – easy, from scratch!

By:Nagi
Published:18 May '20Updated:3 May '23
140 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Photo of Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken with Barbecue Sauce in baking dish

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!

Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken on mashed potato with green bean salad

↑↑↑ PS Up close and personal view so you can see STICKY outside and JUICY inside!

Magic Self Saucing Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken - A handful of pantry staples transforms into tender chicken smothered in a homemade barbecue sauce! recipetineats.com

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!

Ingredients in Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken

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!

How to make Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken

This oven baked BBQ Chicken is deliberately made with a barbecue sauce that is thinned out with water so:

  1. it won’t dry out in the oven; and

  2. 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!

Pour barbecue sauce over Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken with homemade Barbecue Sauce dinner plate - mashed potato and green bean salad on the side

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

  • Southern Baked Beans

  • Cornbread or Dinner Rolls – for mopping

  • Creamy Mashed Potato – or Creamy Cauliflower Mash (for drowning in sauce)

  • Big leafy salad with a salad dressing

Close up of juicy Coleslaw in a glass bowl
Coleslaw
Close up of Everyday Cabbage Salad with a vinaigrette
Everyday Cabbage Salad
Close up of spoon scooping up Mashed Potato
Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato
Rustic brown bowl of Creamy Cauliflower Mash topped with a drizzle of butter
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Bowl of freshly made potato salad
The Best Potato Salad
Yogurt Ranch Dressing being poured over SouthWest Chicken Salad
5 Healthier, Creamy Yogurt Salad Dressings
Close up of a fork picking up a no mayo Lemon Potato Salad.
Lemon Potato Salad
Close up of a piece of Cornbread with butter and honey
Cornbread recipe
These No Knead Dinner Rolls are like magic! Astonishingly easy, no stand mixer, just mix the ingredients in a bowl! recipetineats.com
Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls
Pouring salad dressing over leafy salad
Everyday Salad Dressing
Pot of Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon (Southern Style)

Though having suggested all those sides, it’s actually pictured above with this Green Bean Salad 😂.  – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken - with quick homemade barbecue sauce

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 50 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr
Dinner
Western
4.95 from 37 votes
Servings5 - 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 59
Recipe video above. This is how I make BBQ Chicken in the oven when I'm craving sticky chicken but don't want to fire up the BBQ! Made with a quick homemade BBQ sauce, the chicken is braised in the sauce which is loaded with extra flavour from the juices of the chicken. Fabulous sticky glaze, juicy inside!

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:

1. Sauce subs:
  • 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
2. Chicken - This recipe is best made with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces - thigh, drumsticks and wings.
Breast / boneless thighs - won't get quite the same result because longer bake time gets chicken juices into the sauce. But it can be done! Here's how:
  • 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.
3. TIPS:
  • 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)
4. Barbecue Sauce recipe adapted from this one by the Neely's from Food Network.
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 3 tbsp excess fat is spooned off and all sauce is consumed.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 256gCalories: 392cal (20%)Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)Protein: 33g (66%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 168mg (56%)Sodium: 655mg (28%)Potassium: 608mg (17%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 330IU (7%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 42mg (4%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: baked BBQ chicken, barbecue chicken, BBQ chicken in oven, easy barbecue sauce recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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!!! 🤢

Dozer-family-WhatsApp

And from the original publication date:

Dashing inside when he heard / smelled / his sixth sense told him there was FOOD ready to be photographed.

Dozer Dashing to Barbecue Chicken

Previous Post
Vietnamese Chicken Pho soup (Pho Ga)
Next Post
Caesar Salad

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




140 Comments

  1. Gin says

    September 10, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    So good – I could drink the sauce by itself! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Nicola says

    August 24, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Nagi,

    I am new to RecipeTin, however my sister is a long time user! I am in LOVE with your recipes so far! The detailed instructions leave for full-proof cooking! I would also love to see your recipes in an app!

    PS The Oven Baked BBQ Chicken was delicious!

    Reply
    • SG says

      January 28, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this! Chicken was so tasty and tender, and so easy to make. Made it with 3 Marylands, roughly halved the sauce but kept the same temperature and time. Turned out perfectly, like all your recipes. Thanks Nagi!

      Reply
  3. Diana says

    August 10, 2020 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is another winner…. I made the marinade put the chicken in the oven, my children (teens) were in charge of basting while I ran an errand and dinner was a hit. A hit I tell you!! Thank you.

    Reply
  4. John says

    July 25, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone wanted to lick the bowl, or at least scrape up the extra sauce from the tray! Thx Nagi, that was yummy!

    Reply
  5. Geoff says

    July 20, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    so this has apple cider vinegar. can you taste it in the end product(i’ve had bad experiences)?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 21, 2020 at 6:53 am

      Hi Geoff, it balanced the flavours here without overpowering. N x

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    July 9, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    Hi there! I’m about to try this tonight I can’t wait!. I have bone-in thigh cutlets (no skin). Would I need to amend as the cutlets are skinless?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Melinda says

    July 2, 2020 at 11:25 am

    5 stars
    Oh Nagi! This is delectable! Thank you so much 😊

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 3, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      You’re so welcome Melinda, I’m so glad you love it! N x

      Reply
  8. Karen says

    June 24, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    I am so happy I found you! I love cooking but have exhausted all of my favourite recipes and was searching for something new. I have some food intolerances but am finding it easy to substitute. This dish was amazing. The sauce was a little oily but we stirred it around and poured it over. So good and served with your cornbread and some coleslaw. Thank you.

    Reply
  9. Liz de Guzman says

    June 23, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    Hi, Nagi! I tried your honey garlic chicken recipe and loved it, so I thought of trying this one, too. Unfortunately, I don’t have mustard — would yellow mustard sauce be an okay substitute?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 24, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      Hi Liz – yes that will work fine! N x

      Reply
  10. Billy says

    June 9, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Did anyone else’s chicken end up really oily? My baking pan was full of oil (like it looked watery but i know it was oil). So at the end mine didn’t turn out like it was suppose to, the sauce was watery due to how much oil was in there. Is it because the chicken I bought was too oily? I got the thighs with bone in.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 10, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      Hi Billy, sorry you had issues here – the only reason it would have been overly oily is if the thighs were super fatty. – N x

      Reply
      • Billy says

        June 10, 2020 at 2:46 pm

        4 stars
        Thanks I’ll try using breast next time!

        Reply
  11. Anna McGlew says

    June 9, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    Nagi-I discovered you and your amazing recipes during iso and am so pleased-All of my family has loved every dish (Agreement from all is unheard of!). Love your workarounds and substitutes, too. Practical, delicious, family food-Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Celest says

    June 5, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    Pssst…better than my mom’s recipe! My kids loved it! Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 5, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      Woah, what a great compliment, thanks so much Celest!!! N x

      Reply
  13. Frances says

    May 27, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner. Super delicious my kids loved it! Will definitely make it again. Super easy and fast. Thank you Nagi😊

    Reply
  14. Maryanne says

    May 25, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    I made this with chicken thighs no skin on & added in cooked Jamaican rice at the end. My chef friend was amazed at flavour & so was I. I did regularly baste & very moist chicken was a wonderful result. I plan to make this again.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 26, 2020 at 9:47 am

      Sounds perfect Maryanne! N x

      Reply
  15. Caroline Cullam says

    May 25, 2020 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    Im going to make this tonight with chicken breast, skin on, bone in. What would be the cooking time for this cut, still 50 mins?

    Reply
  16. Batch says

    May 24, 2020 at 5:04 pm

    Hi nagi I am in need of help right now looking how to. Make a good chicken for my friends but I don’t have most of the ingredients so how I go about with this

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2020 at 10:38 am

      Hi Batch, that’s a tough one without knowing what you have available! N x

      Reply
  17. Robyn says

    May 24, 2020 at 4:04 am

    I made this thank you Nagi another success I had it with your recipe coconut lime rice delicious and I will be making this again many times

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Perfect Robyn! N x

      Reply
  18. Jana says

    May 20, 2020 at 4:05 am

    I’m drooling. BBQ chicken is my second favorite food on earth after sushi. I adore it in any way shape or form as long as it’s thighs but I’ll even scarf down breasts if I must. I LOVE this video and plan on making this very soon!! I’m on a Nagi recipe rotation right now. Just finished your Lemongrass chicken with some noodles. YUM. I may have to make a new notebook for the recipes I print of just yours Nagi!! Thanks for all of these delicious meals!!. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 20, 2020 at 6:23 am

      You’re so welcome Jana, I’m so glad you love them all! N x

      Reply
  19. Caroline Littleboy says

    May 19, 2020 at 5:30 pm

    Hi Nagi, so going to try this! As a big fan of your recipes I just wanted to thank you for adding the ability to switch to metric on some of your recipes. Will you be adding this to your older recipes? Many thanks
    Caroline

    Reply
  20. Eilish says

    May 19, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    Hi! I have made so many of your recipes since getting married a year ago and they are always a hit – now my husband thinks I am a great cook (Shh don’t tell him)! I would love to try this too – do you think it would work in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 19, 2020 at 1:43 pm

      That’s great to hear Eilish!! Sorry this one isn’t suitable for the slow cooker – you want that sauce to cook down and caramelise 🙂 N x

      Reply
Newer Comments
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On
  • Goodfood
  • Food Network
  • Better Homes Gardens
  • Taste
  • Nine
  • Network 10
  • BuzzFeed
  • Daily Telegraph
  • Women's Day

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks!

Subscribe
Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • By Category
  • Collections
About
  • About Nagi
  • About Dozer
  • RecipeTin Meals
Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Central
Help
  • Contact
  • Image Use Policy
© RecipeTin Eats 2023
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits
Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
All Rights Reserved

Subscribe to my newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS!