Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs

A barbecue chicken thigh with extra bbq sauce on it on a plate with some macaroni salad.

Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for an easy family dinner. The dry rub adds tons of flavor while the barbecue sauce bakes into a sticky, caramelized glaze. With minimal prep and hands off oven time, this recipe is ideal for those busy nights.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked barbecue chicken thighs, bbq chicken thighs recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 416kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup barbecue sauce (plus more for serving)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a rimmed sheet pan (like a cookie sheet or baking sheet) with aluminum foil.
Make sure each chicken thigh is patted dry with a paper towel. Place them on a cutting board or plate so you can season them.
6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
In a small mixing bowl, add all of the dried seasonings and mix until combined. Rub the seasoning mixture under the skin and over the entire outside of each chicken thigh.
1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place the chicken thighs on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 40 minutes.
Brush the chicken with the barbecue sauce and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
1 cup barbecue sauce
Turn the broiler on and broil the chicken just until the sauce starts to brown and bubbly.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

It's best to use freshly cracked black pepper, instead of ground black pepper, to keep it from becoming bitter during the cooking process. For best taste, use a black pepper where you have to crack it or grind it from whole black peppercorns - rather than just measuring out black pepper from a large spice container that is already ground finely.
Instead of Italian seasoning you could use your favorite BBQ rub instead. I love the Kinder's brand of bbq rub seasoning mixes.
For a more mild heat try using chili powder instead of cayenne pepper. Or omit the cayenne pepper entirely.
Make sure that the chicken thighs are patted dry with a paper towel before rubbing the spices on them. This will help the spices adhere and stick to the chicken.
Use your favorite barbecue sauce as the taste really shines through. It can be spicy, sweet, original, etc just make sure you LOVE the taste of it. My favorite bbq sauce is any from the Kinder's brand.
Do not turn the chicken over halfway through the bake time - leave the chicken thighs skin side up the entire time.
If you prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs then use those; however, the cook time will be shorter and they may not be as moist. Another option is to use boneless skin-on chicken thighs so you still get that crispy skin and the skin helps lock in the seasonings and flavor. Use your preferred cut of chicken thigh and adjust the cooking time as needed.

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