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Serve these oven bbq chicken thighs for an easy dinner that’s ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes! The tender, juicy, and flavorful meat is seasoned with a zesty dry rub, baked in the oven, and basted with your favorite sauce.
If you’re looking for even more delicious chicken recipes, be sure to try these braised chicken thighs with gravy, a dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice, and a tray of bbq sheet pan chicken and veggies, too!
Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are a Quick Weeknight Dinner
I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love baked bbq chicken thighs! They’re just one of those universally appealing meals that works well for both kids and adults. Plus, boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook quickly in the oven and stay tender and juicy. They’re practically impossible to mess up! We can all use some new chicken recipes to keep mealtime interesting, so file this one away…
Serve the oven bbq chicken thighs with almost any of your favorite sides. They’re delicious with buttermilk mashed potatoes, a traditional coleslaw recipe, cast iron cornbread, and 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits — making them a convenient and crowd-pleasing entrée for potlucks, parties, picnics, and weeknight family dinners.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Bake as much chicken as you need to feed your family. Typically, 8 boneless, skinless thighs weigh about 2 – 2 ½ lbs. total; however, you can easily scale the ingredients to serve a larger group. If you prefer to substitute with a different cut of chicken (such as boneless skinless chicken breasts), you’ll need to adjust the total cooking time.
- You’ll make your own barbecue rub. It’s slightly sweet and zesty, but not too spicy. You can substitute with your favorite store-bought bbq rub if you prefer. Also, you can add cayenne or black pepper to give it a little more kick.
- Any store-bought brand or homemade bbq sauce recipe will work. For a thick, sweet option try Sweet Baby Ray’s, for a tangy more vinegary option go with Stubbs Original BBQ sauce, and for an easy homemade choice, we love this maple bbq sauce.
How to Bake BBQ Chicken Thighs in the Oven
Get dinner ready for the oven in about 10 minutes! This easy, family-friendly meal is perfect for busy weeknights since the chicken bakes quickly. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the overview:
- Line your baking sheet or roasting pan with foil before adding the chicken. This makes clean-up a breeze.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Baking chicken thighs at 400°F is ideal, because it ensures that the chicken is cooked through while still staying juicy and moist. This temperature also helps achieve a crisp, slightly charred exterior, which adds great flavor to the meat.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This helps the seasoning adhere to the meat, and yields a crispier exterior.
- Stir together the bbq dry rub.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken.
- Bake the chicken on the middle rack in a 400°F oven for a total of about 20-25 minutes, basting with bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes. If you put the sauce on the meat before it goes into the oven, the bbq sauce is more likely to burn. You can also add extra sauce after the meat comes out of the oven. There’s no need to flip the chicken over. Since the size and thickness of chicken thighs can vary, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The chicken is done when the juices run clear and an instant read thermometer registers 165°F. You can broil the meat at the end if you like an even crispier, more charred exterior.
What to Serve with Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs
Boneless skinless bbq chicken thighs are so popular because they’re so versatile! Pair the meat with your family’s favorite sides, and you have a kid-friendly meal ready in no time. We love baked barbecue chicken thighs alongside a house salad with candied pecans, baked potatoes or easy potato salad, 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, Charleston red rice, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, creamy baked mac and cheese or Duke’s homemade mac and cheese, pumpkin bread, fried apples, homemade baked beans from scratch, tomato cucumber onion salad, Southern collard greens, Arkansas green beans, and Southern-Style green beans.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prep ahead! You can whisk together the bbq rub in advance and keep it stored in your pantry in an airtight container for weeks. We like to keep a big batch on hand so that it’s easy to grab and use in a variety of recipes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also store the chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use leftover chicken on sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, or salads for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week!
Let the chicken sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the rest of the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Rub the seasoning mixture all over both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken on the prepared pan.
Bake the chicken thighs uncovered for 20-25 minutes, basting with the bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven when the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. For a more charred, crispy finish, transfer the chicken to the broiler for a few minutes at the very end. Just keep a close eye on it; the chicken can burn easily.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional bbq sauce, if desired.
Serving: 1/4 of the recipe (about 2 thighs)Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 44gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 2349mgPotassium: 699mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 854IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg
Recipe Variations
- If using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, arrange the seasoned chicken skin side up on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 40-45 minutes.
- Make bone-in, skin-on oven bbq chicken breast instead. You can also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just adjust the cooking time to ensure that your meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Swap out the homemade bbq dry rub and instead season the meat with your favorite store-bought barbecue seasoning. You can also just keep it simple with salt and pepper or other spices.
- Prepare this bbq chicken recipe on the grill instead of in the oven. To do so, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400-450°F). Place the seasoned chicken thighs directly on the grill grates and grill for approximately 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Baste with the bbq sauce during the final few minutes.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes to Try
This recipe was originally published in March, 2023. It was updated in February, 2025.
