Oven BBQ Chicken

5 from 1 vote

Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are coated with a bbq dry rub, basted with bbq sauce, and roasted in the oven for an easy, flavorful dinner. The meat is crispy on the outside and incredibly juicy on the inside!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword baked barbecue chicken breast, bbq chicken in oven, oven bbq chicken, oven BBQ chicken breast

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 50

Resting Time 5

Total Time 1

Servings - 5 people

Calories 238kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

4-5 lbs. bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast (about 3 large breasts)
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 and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
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 bone-in chicken breasts uncovered for a total of about 40-50 minutes, basting with the bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven when the skin is crispy, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of a breast.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional bbq sauce, if desired.

Notes

This recipe works best with bone-in, skin-on chicken (boneless, skinless breasts just aren't 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.
Patting the chicken dry before adding the dry rub helps the seasoning adhere to the meat and makes the skin more crispy. Don't skip that step!
Line your baking sheet or roasting pan with foil before adding the chicken. This makes clean-up a breeze.
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.

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