Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
A quick and easy BBQ chicken marinade is the secret to juicy, tender, and flavorful baked BBQ chicken thighs. The sticky sweet sauce caramelizes while the skin crisps and cooks until it
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (Note 1 for boneless)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/3 cup of your favorite bbq sauce (Note 2)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 cloves minced garlic or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except the chicken, to a glass bowl with a lid or a gallon freezer bag or reusable silicone bag. Whisk or mix everything together then add the chicken and turn to coat it well if using a bowl or dish. Close the lid and shake well to coat if you're using a bag.
- Pat the chicken thighs really well with a paper towel and place them in the marinade. Turn them over a few times until they’re fully coated. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Do not exceed 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to make them, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. We used a cooking rack.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place the chicken thighs skin side up in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and wire rack. Discard any excess marinade.
- Bake the bbq chicken thighs in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until an internal temperature reads approximately 150-155°F. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and brush them with additional BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble. This helps the sauce stick to the chicken and helps the sugars in the sauce caramelize. The internal temperature should read about 160°F when you remove the chicken thighs to allow for 5 or so degrees of carryover cooking while it rests.
- Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving to lock in the juices. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.
Video
Notes
Note 1. Chicken Thighs. You can use boneless skinless thighs instead of bone-in. Reduce the cooking time to 15-18 minutes.
Note 2. BBQ sauce. Try our homemade whole30 bbq sauce (sweetened with dates) or whichever BBQ sauce is your favorite. We like to use Primal Kitchen's unsweetened BBQ sauce and add our own brown sugar or honey to control how sweet it is.
To grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F). Scrub the grill grates clean. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Oil the grates, then place the chicken smooth-side down. Grill boneless chicken thighs for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or bone-in thighs for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken registers 155 degrees to 160 degrees F at the thickest part when tested with an instant-read thermometer (chicken is considered fully cooked through at 165 degrees F, but its temperature will rise as it rests).