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These Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are made with a homemade rub and then baked and smothered in BBQ sauce. Plus, you probably have all these ingredients in your pantry already. 

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs on white serving tray.
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These Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are on of my favorite recipes. They are so simple to make and have become a staple in our house. I love serving this chicken with a side salad, roasted vegetables, and loaded baked potato casserole.

How to make Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs:

These BBQ Chicken Thighs are so tasty and juicy. Start with mixing your dry rub them rubbing them on the thighs. Bake and then smother in BBQ sauce.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Chicken Thighs
  • BBQ Sauce: use your favorite bottle.

BBQ Dry Rub:

For this recipe I like to keep it really simple with the rub.

Since I use BBQ sauce we don’t need to much and I don’t want it too sweet. This is what I put in mine:

  • Salt
  • Garlic Powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Pepper
  • Smoked Paprika
ingredients for baked BBQ chicken thighs.

Step one: Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Then prepare a baking sheet with foil and pat chicken dry with a paper towel and set aside.

  • Tip: I sometimes use a baking rack to keep chicken out of the dripping. This will help you get a really crispy skin. 

Step two: In a small bowl mix all seasonings together. Coat chicken thighs in your dry rub and place on a baking rack. Bake for 40 minutes turning once about half way through.

seasoned chicken thighs on baking sheet.

Step three: Remove chicken from the oven and brush with BBQ sauce.

  • Tip: For a crispy skin place the chicken baked into the oven on broil for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them they should not need more than 2-3 minutes. 
baked chicken thighs covered in BBQ sauce.

Why use chicken thighs?

Chicken thighs are a great juicy dark meat cut of the chicken. Unlike breasts they are typically all the same size and cook evenly throughout.

The dark meat also has great flavor, and they really hold in the juice.

Sometimes chicken breasts have a tendency to get dry in baking, but with thighs they are smaller and do not dry out as fast even if you cook a little longer than planned.

BBQ Chicken Thighs on white serving tray.

Should I marinade in the BBQ Sauce?

Nope, there is no need to marinade in a sauce when you have the dry rub.

You can rub these thighs down a day in advance if you want and the rub will do all the work for you! If you marinade in a sweet sauce like BBQ Sauce the sugar in it will cause the skin to burn quicker in the oven.

closeup of BBQ Chicken Thighs.

Try some of my other favorite Chicken recipes:

Baked Chicken TacosThese Baked Chicken Tacos are the perfect dinner recipe. Stuffed with beans, chicken, and cheese then baked until crunchy. When you are ready to serve let everyone top them with their favorite taco style toppings.

Sweet and Sour ChickenThis Sweet and Sour Chicken is way better than take-out! This simple to make take-out copycat is a favorite in my house. Enjoy it over a bed of white or fried rice!

Crack Chicken DipCrack Chicken Dip is so good and filled with tasty ingredients you will not stop eating it! Loaded with chicken, cheese, bacon, cream cheese and Ranch seasoning this dip will be gone faster than you put it on the table!

BBQ chicken thigh on plate.

If you tried any of my recipes, I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I would love for you to follow along and discover more amazing recipes.

Show me what you are making, use hashtag #TDOARH

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
5 from 1 vote

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs

These Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are made with a homemade rub and then baked and smothered in bbq sauce. Plus you probably have all these ingredients in your pantry already.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 4 pounds chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 3/4 cup bbq sauce

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and set aside.
  • In a small bowl mix all seasonings together. Coat chicken thighs in your dry rub and place on a baking rack. Bake for 40 minutes turning once about half way through.
  • Remove chicken from the oven and brush with BBQ sauce.

Notes

  • Tip: For a crispy skin place the chicken baked into the oven on broil for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them they should not need more than 2-3 minutes. 
  • Tip: I sometimes use a baking rack to keep chicken out of the dripping. This will help you get really crispy skin. 

Serving Options:

I love serving this chicken with a side salad, roasted vegetables, and loaded baked potato casserole

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
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About Jennie

I'm Jennie!ย I'm a busy mom of three and I love cooking and sharing easy recipes. From slow cooker meals to casseroles all my recipes are simple to make and ones the entire family will love.

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2 Comments

  1. I have this in the oven right now. Smells delicious!!! I know my husband is going to love it. Quick question- do you bake it on the rack or directly on the foil (like in the picture)?

    1. Hi Jen, for a crispier skin I use the rack but it also baked great without. Should have made that clear that it is optional, sorry about that. I hope you enjoy the recipe!!