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Chicken parts brushed with BBQ sauce and a small glass pitcher with more sauce sit on a white serving platter next to a white towel on a wooden table
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5 from 5 votes

Baked BBQ Chicken

This recipe for Baked BBQ Chicken makes for an easy, family-favorite dinner! You only need a few ingredients, including your favorite BBQ sauce. See notes below for cooking times for different chicken parts.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 551kcal
Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

  • cooking spray, such as avocado oil spray
  • 1 whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces (see notes below for other options)
  • approx. 2 cups BBQ sauce
  • salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 375°.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, set the rack inside the pan and spray the rack with cooking spray.
  • Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and place them on the rack skin-side up.
  • Add about 1/3 cup of BBQ sauce to a small bowl. Since the brush will be touching raw chicken while also dipping into the sauce, you want to make sure to keep this sauce separate from the rest.
  • Brush an even layer of sauce onto the skin side of all the pieces. Discard any leftover sauce in the bowl.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, brush with more sauce and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165° (make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone). But know that bone-in chicken breasts can take a lot longer than the other pieces so you might need to remove the other pieces from the oven and let the breasts bake for another 5-15 minutes.
    Note: Some sauces have more sugar than others. If your sauce has a lot of sugar, the top of the chicken pieces might start to brown too quickly before they're cooked all the way through. If they start to get really brown before they're close to the end of their cooking time, cover the tray loosely with aluminum foil. This will protect the tops while letting the pieces continue to cook through.
  • Once they're done, you can decide if you want to broil the chicken for a few minutes to make the skin crispier. Depending on how much sugar is in your BBQ sauce, you'll want to keep an eye on the chicken as it broils to make sure it doesn't burn.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with any remaining sauce.

Notes

Nutrition note: The nutritional info was calculated using a generic BBQ sauce. The sauce you use will change the info.
Cooking times for Baked BBQ Chicken
As a general rule, use the following guideline for how long to bake your chicken at 375º:
A whole chicken cut up into 8 parts - This will consist of 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 wings, all bone-in and with skin. Bake for 25 minutes, brush with sauce and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165° (make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone). But know that bone-in chicken breasts can take a lot longer than the other pieces so you might need to remove the other pieces from the oven and let the breasts bake for another 5-15 minutes.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts - 45-60 minutes total
Boneless chicken breasts - 25-35 minutes total
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - 30-45 minutes total
Boneless chicken thighs - 25-35 minutes total
Chicken drumsticks - 30-45 minutes total
Chicken wings - 25-40 minutes
How to store Baked BBQ Chicken
Once baked, the chicken can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a low oven and then broil for a few minutes.
The chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat as above.

Nutrition

Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1108mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg