Craving BBQ but don’t want to fire up the grill? This oven baked BBQ chicken recipe delivers all the flavors of a summer cookout straight from your oven! Perfectly seasoned with a smoky rub and slathered in tangy BBQ sauce, this easy weeknight recipe is ready in just 30 minutes.
Why We Love This Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe
Growing up in Texas, BBQ was a big part of our family meals. But let’s be honest, grilling isn’t always convenient, especially when you’re juggling kids and/or a busy schedule. I remember the first time I made this baked BBQ chicken recipe — I was in a pinch for time and needed something quick yet flavorful. Little did I know it would become a family favorite we would make for years to come! Here’s why we think you will love it too:
- Effortless: This recipe comes together in just 5 minutes then the oven does the rest of the work! Bonus: Line your baking tray with foil for an easy no-mess cleanup!
- Flavorful: Juicy, tender chicken seasoned with a savory blend of spices, then baked to perfection with a sticky, sweet BBQ glaze—what’s not to love?
- Quick Cook Time: In just 30 minutes, you’ll have juicy, perfectly cooked BBQ chicken breasts that are ready to serve.
- Minimal Ingredients: You only need a few pantry staples to create a flavorful meal, making it budget-friendly too.
Looking for more easy chicken breast recipes? Try our easy crockpot chicken and dumplings, 20-minute skillet chicken and gravy, or this crispy lemon pepper chicken!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this baked BBQ chicken recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken: While we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but this recipe works just as well with bone-in chicken breasts or dark meat like chicken legs or thighs. However, they will need a longer cook time of about 40 minutes, depending on the size and cut. Keep in mind, dark meat chicken becomes more tender once it reaches an internal temperature between 175°F and 190°F.
- BBQ Sauce: Our kids love Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ sauce, so that’s our go to choice, but use your favorite.
- Seasonings: We use a simple seasoning blend we make ourselves with common pantry staples. However, you can use your favorite store bought version instead, or try our dry rub for ribs for another tasty variation.
How To Make Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
With just a few quick and simple steps, your bbq chicken breasts will be on their way into the oven. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Mix the rub: In a small bowl stir together the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then coat it on all sides with the seasoning rub. Place chicken on a baking sheet or tray that is lined with foil, or parchment paper, for an easier cleanup.
- Bake the chicken: Bake chicken at 400°F for 20 minutes, then coat chicken breasts with the bbq sauce. Bake for 10 minutes more, until an instant read meat thermometer reaches 165°F.
- Rest and enjoy: Remove chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then serve! Allowing the chicken to rest is an important step to allow the meat to relax, which makes it more tender and juicy.
Cook’s Tips and Variations
- Extra juicy: For even more juicy chicken breasts, we add the dry rub ingredients to 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Coat both sides of the chicken with mayo mixture then finish the recipe as written.
- Marinate: Prepare the dry rub and coat the chicken in an airtight container. Let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. This method allows the flavors to penetrate the meat even more deeply!
- Spice it up: For those who love a bit of heat, try adding cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or hot sauce to the BBQ sauce for an extra kick.
- Crockpot: Prefer to prepare this dinner in the morning and come home to a hot dinner? Try our easy crockpot bbq chicken instead!
- Tangy BBQ sauce: Add a splash of white vinegar to your BBQ sauce for a tangier flavor that cuts through the richness of the chicken.
- Grill Marks: If you miss the grill marks, finish the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two after baking to get a charred effect.
What To Serve With Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
- Starchy Sides: You can’t go wrong with our crockpot cheesy potatoes these easy baked beans. Our sour cream mashed potatoes are another great choice!
- Vegetable Sides: Skillet fried corn is a favorite with our kids, but we really love this refreshing cucumber tomato salad!
- Potluck Style Sides: This Southern red potato salad and easy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows are always big crowd pleasers that travel well!
Yield: 6 servings
Easy Baked BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe
This juicy Baked BBQ Chicken recipe is seasoned with a smoky rub and slathered in tangy BBQ sauce for an easy weeknight recipe in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup BBQ sauce, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking tray with non-stick spray or line the tray with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, stir to combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Lay the chicken on the baking tray and use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry. Then coat the chicken on both sides with the spice rub.
- Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and coat the chicken with BBQ sauce. Return chicken to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through and an instant read meat thermometer reaches 165°F. For dark meat chicken, cook the chicken longer until it reaches 175°F to 190°F for more tender results.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the meat to relax making it more juicy and tender. Pro tip: To really up the juicy factor, cover the chicken with foil with it rests!
Notes
Store: Transfer cooled leftover bbq chicken to an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Let the chicken cool completely, then wrap each breast tightly in plastic wrap before placing it in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. To prevent drying out, cover the chicken with foil while reheating. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until warmed through.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the dry rub and coat the chicken ahead of time. Store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking, which allows the flavors to penetrate the meat even more deeply.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 621mg, Potassium: 640mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 363IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
