TWO INGREDIENT CRISPY OVEN BAKED BBQ CHICKEN

This crispy oven baked bbq chicken recipe uses only TWO INGREDIENTS –  barbecue sauce and chicken (plus a little olive oil, salt, and pepper) – to make the crispiest, most perfectly glazed, sweet, sticky, and juicy barbecue baked chicken you will ever have.

A platter of oven bbq chicken thighs and drumsticks

That’s right- only TWO INGREDIENTS! Your favorite BBQ sauce, and some chicken, along with a little oil, salt, and pepper.

And the other great thing- this recipe doesn’t require any marinating! You can just dive right in and cook it quickly.

There are a few tricks to getting the BEST, crispiest, juiciest oven bbq chicken with a thick, sticky, sweet glaze of bbq sauce on top. In this post, I’ll go over exactly how to make the best oven bbq chicken ever. There’s a reason why this recipe has been rated 5 stars by over 70 people and has been pinned almost 400K times!

WHAT CUT OF CHICKEN IS BEST TO USE?

For the juiciest, most tender oven bbq chicken, you’re definitely going to want to use bone-in, skin on chicken pieces for this. I used a mix of thighs and drumsticks, and I do recommend using thighs and/or legs, since dark meat is harder to overcook and almost always tastes juicier than white.

Here’s a general run-down of which cuts are worst and best for oven bbq chicken:

Worst: boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Not quite as bad: boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Better: bone-in, skin on chicken breasts

Best: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs

If you want to use chicken breasts, I recommend making sure you get bone-in, skin on breasts. Or at the very least, bone-in. The skin and the bone both help keep the chicken super juicy. And if you use dark meat as well, you’ve hit the trifecta! Using bone-in, skin on dark meat guarantees juicy, tender chicken every time. As a bonus: these pieces are generally a lot less expensive!

If you really want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, make sure you cook them for less time. Check out the recipe notes for how to do it.

And if you’re looking for super high quality chicken at a reasonable price, check out ButcherBox!

a plate with green beans, potato salad, and bbq chicken

HOW TO GET A SUPER THICK BBQ GLAZE

First, the chicken is seasoned with oil, salt and pepper, placed skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet, and roasted for 25 minutes.

seasoning chicken thighs and drumsticks with oil, salt, and pepper

Then, the chicken is removed from the oven and basted with BBQ sauce THREE times.

Each time BBQ sauce is added, it thickens and caramelizes in the oven. By the time you’ve added that third layer, you’ve got a delicious thick, sweet, sticky layer of BBQ sauce on every inch of the chicken.

YUM.

a process collage of how to baste chicken with barbecue sauce

HOW TO GET CRISPY, CHARRED SKIN.

Oh boy, do I love some good crispy chicken skin. Those dark, charred parts of oven bbq chicken are the best! 

Something to note: these chicken pieces are smothered in sauce, so the skin won’t ever be quite as crispy as when you roast it when herbs and butter, for example.

Here are some tips for getting that dark, charred, crispy skin:

Broil the chicken at the end. After you’re done cooking it, if the skin isn’t as crisp as you like, move the oven rack up and turn on your broiler. Keep an eye on it- just a few minutes should do the trick!

Cook the chicken on a baking rack. Using a rack nestled into your rimmed baking sheet will elevate the chicken and cause air to circulate around the whole piece, rather than having it sit in the juices. If you do this, just keep it skin-side up the whole time- no need to flip!

A roasting pan with bbq chicken

WHAT KIND OF BBQ SAUCE SHOULD I USE?

You can use any kind you want! I live right down the street from Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, TX, and I’m obsessed with their Spicy BBQ Sauce. 

A lot of readers have commented that they’ve used Sweet Baby Ray’s with great results.

Something to keep in mind: a lot of store-bought BBQ sauces have a lot of added sugar. Frankly, it’s what makes it taste so good and sugar is vital for getting that thick caramelization. You can make your own with natural sweeteners like maple syrup and molasses if you prefer.

Prepare yourself for finger-licking deliciousness.

WHAT KIND OF BAKING SHEET SHOULD I USE?

I cannot recommend enough using a Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Baker’s Half Sheet to make this, and to roast literally anything you want. I have two and they are the ONLY baking sheets I will EVER use. They’re super sturdy, so they don’t buckle when the temperature changes (it’s the scariest thing ever when hot oil splatters when your pan buckles!). And they conduct heat well to make sure that your food is well cooked on the top and bottom, and they are really good at being non-stick, even though they don’t have any non-stick coating (it’s all natural!).

PLUS, they are only around $12! Go get one!

If you prefer to bake the chicken on a rack, so it doesn’t sit in the juices the whole time and crisps up a bit better, this rack nestles in perfectly to the rimmed baking sheet (see recipe notes for tips on getting the skin extra crispy).

For More Instruction, Please Click Link Below TWO INGREDIENT CRISPY OVEN BAKED BBQ CHICKEN

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