Baked BBQ chicken thighs are the perfect way to get your BBQ fix without having to go outside and fire up the grill! The chicken stays juicy and tender inside while the BBQ sauce thickens into sweet, sticky goodness. They are so delicious you'll be adding baked BBQ chicken thighs to your weekly dinner rotation!
Easy Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
These baked BBQ chicken thighs are juicy, tangy, smoky, and can be made without ever having to step outside or fire up the grill. In the oven, the BBQ sauce thickens into a sweet, sticky glaze that makes these chicken thighs finger-licking good.
This recipe requires absolutely no marinating and only involves about 5 minutes of prep time! The next time you are looking for an easy chicken dinner, try these BBQ chicken thighs!
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🥘 Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make these fabulous BBQ chicken thighs! Feel free to use your family's favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe.
- Chicken Thighs - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- BBQ Sauce - ½ cup BBQ sauce of your choice.
- Liquid Smoke - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon each, or to taste.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
These baked BBQ chicken thighs are hard to mess up! Grab a baking sheet, a small bowl, a basting brush, and a digital meat thermometer to get started.
This recipe is for 4 chicken thighs, but you can easily scale it up, or down, as needed!
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper if desired (for easy cleanup).
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix ½ a cup of BBQ sauce and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke and set aside.
- Season. Rinse 4 chicken thighs with cool water and pat them dry with paper towels. Set the chicken on your baking sheet, then season with salt and pepper and brush them with the BBQ sauce/ liquid smoke mixture.
- Bake. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
You can never go wrong pairing chicken thighs with mashed potatoes or sauteed green beans. Check out my post on what to serve with BBQ chicken for more ideas. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can put the chicken thighs under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end to blacken the BBQ sauce if desired, but the cooking time alone should result in delicious BBQ chicken as-is.
- My personal preference is to cook the bone-in chicken to an internal temperature of 180°F (82°C).
- For the best results, pick out chicken thighs that are close in size so that they cook evenly at the same time.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep leftover BBQ chicken thighs in a shallow airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you could freeze your chicken in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating BBQ Chicken Thighs
Reheat BBQ chicken thighs in the oven. Place them in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of broth and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, I bake the chicken thighs at 400°F (205°C). If you were to bake them at 350°F (175°C) instead, you would want to bake them for 40-50 minutes before pulling the bone-in chicken thighs out of the oven.
Add more BBQ sauce if desired, then return your chicken to the oven for 10 more minutes. *Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chicken thighs.
There are two options when adding BBQ sauce to baked chicken. First, you can sauce the chicken in the beginning and let the sauce get thick and sticky as it bakes (as done in this recipe). The skin won't get super crispy, but it's still delicious. Alternatively, you can bake your chicken first and sauce it at the end. Pop the sauce-covered chicken under the broiler for a few minutes until it becomes thick and sticky. This second method is best for any cooking method over flames, as the sugar in BBQ sauce tends to burn.
You can! Without the bone, you will want to reduce the total cook time by 10-15 minutes. Cook just until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF (74ºC), then remove them from the oven, so they don't dry out.
🍗 More Tasty Chicken Dinners!
- Marry Me Chicken - An incredibly easy and delicious one-skillet meal that's quick enough for any weeknight dinner!
- Chicken Marsala - This easy and classic Italian dish features pan-fried chicken breasts topped with mushrooms and a delicious wine sauce!
- Mushroom Swiss Chicken - A flavorful chicken dinner that combines the classic flavors of chicken, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese!
- Fried Chicken - A traditional Southern fried chicken dish that uses a whole chicken so you can pick your favorite piece of meat!
- Million Dollar Baked Chicken Breast - Tasty chicken breasts are covered with 3 different kinds of cheese and crispy bacon!
- Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders - This copycat recipe is easy to make and full of flavor!
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📖 Recipe Card
Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the BBQ sauce and liquid smoke and set aside.
- Rinse the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels and place them into your baking dish or baking sheet. Season with salt & pepper and brush the thighs with the BBQ sauce mixture.
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove your BBQ chicken thighs from the oven (*see note) and serve.
Notes
- You can put the chicken thighs under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end to blacken the BBQ sauce if desired, but the cooking time alone should result in delicious BBQ chicken as-is.
- Storing: Keep leftover BBQ chicken thighs in a shallow airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you could freeze your chicken in a heavy duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: Reheat BBQ chicken thighs in the oven. Place them in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of broth and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Linda says
Love this receipe!!! Very delicious,and love the sticky thick sauce. Just like I made on the grill. Thanks