BBQ flavor when the grill stays covered
Oven BBQ Chicken Thighs
Roast the thighs first, then brush on barbecue sauce near the end so it turns sticky instead of scorched. It is a useful dinner when the weather, the daylight or the rest of the day keeps you inside.
- Makes
- 6 bone in chicken thighs
- Preparation
- About 15 minutes
- Cooking
- About 40 to 55 minutes
- Resting
- About 5 minutes
Get everything ready
Ingredients
6 bone in chicken thighs
What you need
Oven, 13 by 18 inch rimmed metal baking sheet, foil, small bowl, brush, tongs and food thermometer.
Time to cook
Method
Prepare the pan and seasoning
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed metal baking sheet with foil. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the thawed thighs dry with paper towels, then rub with the oil and seasoning. Do not wash raw chicken.
Roast with room around each thigh
Place the thighs skin side up on the pan with space between them. Roast on the middle oven rack for about 30 minutes. Keep them in a single layer so hot air can reach the sides.
Brush on the sauce
Put the measured barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Brush it over the thighs, then return the pan to the oven for about 10 to 25 minutes. The sauce should look set and glossy. If it darkens too quickly, loosely cover those areas with foil while the chicken finishes.
Check every piece
Check each thigh in its thickest part, away from the bone. Every piece must reach at least 165°F. Continue roasting any thighs that are not there yet. For a softer thigh texture, you can continue beyond the minimum temperature, watching the sauce closely.
Rest and serve
Rest the chicken for about 5 minutes. Move it to a clean serving plate with clean tongs. Discard any sauce left in the brushing bowl after it has contacted the chicken brush.
Before you make it
Use the stated thigh size
This timing is for bone in thighs weighing about 6 to 8 ounces each. Large pieces take longer, and boneless thighs need a different cooking time. Check the meat rather than treating the clock as a guarantee.
Sauce goes on later
Most barbecue sauces contain sugar. Giving the chicken a head start reduces the time that sugar spends in the hot oven. There is no need to broil the sauce to make this recipe work.
Give another batch another pan
Six thighs should fit with room around them on a standard rimmed half sheet pan. Extra batches need extra pans or separate cooking rounds. Rotate pans if your oven heats unevenly.
Check the thickest part
Poultry needs 165°F. Keep the thermometer away from bone when checking each thigh, following the USDA temperature chart.
Cooking times and serving counts are estimates for one batch. The planner rounds up to complete batches. Extra batches need separate cooking space, and the full meal may take longer.
Choose your next cook
See the chicken thigh cut, or take the meal outside with Smoked Chicken Thighs.
Serving and leftovers
Keep cold food at 40°F or below and hot food at 140°F or above. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Use a food thermometer for meat rather than relying on color.
Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Use or freeze refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. When a new dish uses previously cooked food, count from the oldest cooked component rather than starting the clock again.
USDA food handling guidance covers cooking temperatures, holding food, and refrigeration.
See USDA leftovers guidance for cooling, storage and reheating.