Oven bbq chicken breast is an easy dump-and-bake dinner with just 5 minutes of prep! Use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for flavorful meat that’s seasoned with a bbq dry rub, then basted in a sweet and zesty bbq sauce. It’s crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside!
Table of Contents
- A Crowd-Pleasing BBQ Chicken in the Oven!
- A Few Ingredient Tips Before You Get Started
- How to Make BBQ Chicken Breast in the Oven
- What to Serve with Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Tips for the Best BBQ Chicken Breast in the Oven
- Oven BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe
- Recipe Variations
If you love bbq chicken, don’t miss this grilled boneless bbq chicken breast, these baked bbq chicken thighs, this Crock Pot pulled bbq chicken, or a bbq chicken wrap, too!
Thank you so much for this recipe. The chicken turned out great!
– Kim
A Crowd-Pleasing BBQ Chicken in the Oven!
I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love oven bbq chicken breast! It’s just one of those universally appealing meals that works well for both kids and adults. The tender, juicy meat pairs nicely with almost any of your favorite sides, making it convenient for potlucks, picnics, or big family dinners. No matter when you serve it, you can’t beat the convenience of baked barbecue chicken!
A Few Ingredient Tips Before You Get Started
- Bake as many bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts as you need to feed your family. Typically, these bone-in chicken breasts weigh about 1 – 1 ½ lbs. each, and you can easily scale the ingredients to serve a larger group. If you prefer to substitute with a different cut of chicken (such as bone in skin on chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks if you like dark meat), you’ll need to adjust the total cooking time.
- If you prefer to use boneless, skinless meat, try this bbq chicken breast recipe.
- You’ll make your own barbecue rub, which includes brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder. It’s slightly sweet and zesty, but not too spicy. You can substitute with your favorite store-bought bbq dry rub if you prefer. Also, you can add cayenne or black pepper to give it a little more kick.
- Baste the chicken with bbq sauce towards the end of the baking time. We love Stubbs sauce, but you can substitute with your favorite homemade or store-bought brand. Or, try apple butter BBQ sauce for a slightly different taste.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Breast in the Oven
Get dinner ready for the oven in about 5 minutes! This easy, family-friendly meal is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This helps the seasoning adhere to the meat and makes the skin more crispy.
- Stir together the bbq dry rub.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken. Arrange the chicken skin side up on a lined rimmed baking sheet. Line your baking sheet or roasting pan with foil before adding the chicken. This makes clean-up a breeze.
- Bake the chicken on the middle rack in a 400°F oven for a total of about 45-55 minutes, basting with bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes. There’s no need to flip the chicken over. The meat is done when the juices run clear and an instant read thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
What to Serve with Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Oven bbq chicken breast is so popular is because it’s so versatile! Pair the meat with your family’s favorite sides and you have a kid-friendly meal ready in no time. The sweet and zesty chicken is delicious alongside this traditional coleslaw recipe, mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, this easy potato salad recipe, southern macaroni salad, baked potato wedges, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, cornbread salad, creamy baked mac and cheese, Jiffy corn casserole, pumpkin bread, Southern deviled eggs, a house salad with candied pecans, Arkansas green beans with bacon or Southern-style green beans, sugar snap peas with Italian dressing, Southern collard greens, Southern squash casserole, roasted yellow squash, apple salad, fried apples, and fried cabbage with apples and onion.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prep ahead! You can whisk together the dry 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 an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use leftover chicken on sandwiches, bbq chicken wraps, pizzas, or salads for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week!
Tips for the Best BBQ Chicken Breast in the Oven
- This recipe works best with bone-in, skin-on chicken (boneless, skinless breasts just aren’t quite as good). The bones and skin keep the white meat incredibly moist and juicy in the oven, and add so much extra flavor. Even if you prefer to pull off the skin before eating the meat, I highly recommend cooking the chicken with the skin still on.
- Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Scale this recipe to feed a crowd! For our family of 5, I typically bake 3-4 large bone-in chicken breasts (about 4 ½ – 6 lbs. total). If you’d like to feed a larger group, just double (or triple) the dry rub and bbq sauce so that you have enough to coat more chicken pieces.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs. bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast (about 1 to 1 ½ lbs. each)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup bbq sauce, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Let the chicken sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with foil or parchment paper 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 the chicken. Place the chicken skin-side up on the prepared pan.
- Bake the chicken uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, basting with the BBQ sauce during the final 5 to 10 minutes. Very large chicken breasts may require up to 1 hour. The chicken is done when the skin is deep golden and crisp, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F in the thickest part of a breast.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional BBQ sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer. Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, an instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to know when your chicken is done. Pull the chicken at 165°F in the thickest part.
- Wait to baste. Add the BBQ sauce only during the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Sauce applied earlier will burn from the sugar content.
- Don’t cover the pan. Bake uncovered the entire time so the skin can crisp. Covering traps steam and softens the skin.
- Make ahead. Apply the rub up to 24 hours in advance. For extra-crispy skin, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge so the surface dries out before baking.
- Scale for a crowd. For a family of 5, plan on 3 to 4 large bone-in chicken breasts (about 4 ½ to 6 lbs. total). Double or triple the dry rub and BBQ sauce as needed.
- Try chicken thighs instead. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work with this same method. They cook faster, about 30 to 35 minutes total, so brush with sauce during the final 5 to 10 minutes.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered loosely with foil, until warmed through.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- 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.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts. The thighs will cook for a total of about 30 minutes, so don’t forget to brush with the bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes.
- We love the ease of store-bought barbecue sauce (our favorite brand is Stubbs), but you can substitute with a homemade bbq sauce if you prefer.
More BBQ Chicken Recipes
This recipe was originally published in April, 2020. It was updated in January, 2024.
Thank you for this! This was my mother’s type of barbecued chicken but without a rub. I had lost the recipe years ago I’ll include the rub as a refinement! In some of your recipes I think I remember you applying the rub and then letting it set in the refrigerator for a while before cooking. What effect would that have in this recipe? And for how long? A couple hours? Overnight?
Hi, Marion! You can definitely add this rub in advance and let the chicken sit in the fridge if you like. Anywhere from 1 hour to overnight is fine. The rub will just permeate the meat and add more flavor as long as it sits (like a marinade). If you keep it in the fridge, you might want to leave it uncovered so that the skin can dry out. This makes the skin really crispy when it cooks. Definitely not necessary, though! It will be delicious either way. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. The chicken turned out great!
Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review. We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
Wow. The recipe was amazing with a whole chicken. My family has added it to the rotation!
We’re so happy to hear this, Kari! Thank you for trying it out.