Oven BBQ Chicken

On summer days when it's too hot to grill, make this oven BBQ chicken recipe instead! It's juicy, crispy, and coated in a sticky-sweet peach BBQ sauce.

By Ree Drummond Published: Jun 30, 2014

Jump to Recipe

Yields:

12 serving(s)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Will DickeyYields: 12 serving(s)Prep Time: 30 minsTotal Time: 1 hr 10 minsSavePrintI love BBQ chicken as much as the next person, but sometimes it's just too hot outside to stand over the grill. For those who prefer the air conditioned indoors this time of year, give this oven-baked chicken a whirl. It's one of those perfectly easy summer dinners and excellent to add to your 4th of July menu. The sauce is so simple, yet it makes all the difference. Just start with a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, and add sweet peach preserves, garlic, and hot sauce to jazz it up. Easy and delicious!

I don't think there's anything more flavorful and juicy than chicken thighs. Bonus: they're relatively cheap, too, so they're perfect for feeding a crowd! Chicken legs would be delicious too. Really, you can use any chicken you'd like, but bone-in, skin-on works best.

Unfortunately, it's sort of easy to overcook chicken on a hot grill... especially if you're using boneless chicken breasts or can't find your meat thermometer. The good news is that this recipe calls for cooking the chicken in the oven! It takes the guesswork out of the whole process and results in juicy chicken every time. Chicken thighs are also a fattier cut and a little more forgiving.

Ingredients

3 c. your favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 c. peach preserves
1 clove garlic, grated
Hot sauce, optional
Olive oil for brushing
12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tsp. kosher salt 
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine the BBQ sauce, peach preserves, garlic, and hot sauce. Heat over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until nice and hot. Set aside.
Step 2

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 3

Drizzle olive oil on 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets and place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pans. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper.
Step 4

Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven briefly, brush sauce all over the thighs, then use a spatula to flip them over to the other side, being careful not to tear the skin. Brush the tops with more sauce and return to the oven for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, brush on more sauce, and return to the oven for another 7 minutes. Remove from oven, brush on sauce, and turn up the temperature to 425°F. Continue roasting for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is starting to brown around the edges and the thighs are totally cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!