BBQ Chicken Thighs in Oven

Square overhead shot of a plate of oven bbq chicken thighs.

5 from 9 votes

These oven baked BBQ chicken thighs are coated in a smoky dry rub, baked until tender, and basted with sweet barbecue sauce for an easy, flavorful meal.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked barbecue chicken thighs, baked bbq chicken thighs, barbecue chicken thighs in the oven, bbq chicken thighs in oven, oven bbq chicken thighs

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 352kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tablespoon packed light 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 the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan with aluminum foil 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 both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken on the prepared pan.
Bake the chicken thighs uncovered for 20-25 minutes, basting with the bbq sauce during the final 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven when the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. For a more charred, crispy finish, transfer the chicken to the broiler for a few minutes at the very end. Just keep a close eye on it; the chicken can burn easily.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional bbq sauce, if desired.

Video

Notes

You do not need to flip the chicken thighs as they cook.

Scale this recipe to feed a crowd. For our family of 5, I typically bake 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 - 2 ½ 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. Similarly, you can cut all of the ingredients in half to serve a smaller family.

Nutrition