This 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 tender barbecue baked chicken you will ever have.
Coat the chicken on all sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven and turn the temperature of the oven up to 425 degrees.Tip: be sure to close the oven door every time you remove the chicken in this recipe, as you don't want the heat from the oven to escape!
Coat the top of the chicken with barbecue sauce using a basting brush. Use a spatula to flip the chicken over, being careful not to tear the skin. Baste the other side of the chicken, and place back in the oven for 7 minutes.
Remove from oven, baste top with barbecue sauce, and place back in oven for 7 more minutes.
Remove from the oven again and baste again, for a total of three times, and place back in oven for 7 more minutes. The chicken will have cooked for a total of 46 minutes. This should be enough time for it to cook fully, but you should always double check temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it's at least 165 degrees F.Tip: You should double check the temperature of the chicken at the thickest part of the meat using a high quality meat thermometer - it is fully cooked at 165 degrees F but dark meat is best at 180-190 degrees F, see notes for more on this). Give it more time in the oven to cook if it's not up to temperature. See notes for more troubleshooting.
If the chicken hasn't crisped and browned to your liking, move the oven rack up and broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes, until it's more crispy.
I recommend letting the chicken sit for 5 minutes or so after cooking before serving so the juices redistribute.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 2 pieces of chicken
Calories: 402 kcal
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 22 g
Fat: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 86 mg
Sodium: 815 mg
Sugar: 23 g
Reviews
Milton Abreo on 2026-06-02 (5 stars): I have made this in an oven a lot of times. Was wondering if it can be made in an air fryer? This would be a lot faster. My air fryer holds six large thighs.
jennifer lynch on 2026-05-31 (5 stars): perfect!
kyle on 2026-05-26 (5 stars): This was really good - super moist flavorful chicken.
Danielle K on 2026-04-27 (5 stars): This was super tasty and it took very little effort on my part. Can't go wrong with Sweet Baby Rays! Honestly my chicken did not end up crispy. I think it would've been crispier if I'd had a rack versus baking tray. Also the skin got stuck and I was unable to rotate, make sure your pan is greased! Overall I would definitely make it again.
