Today we're talking about baking chicken breasts to moist, juicy perfection, smothering them with BBQ Sauce and consuming immediately! Are you ready for this deliciousness?
Today's recipe for chicken is moist and juicy. And while we're focusing on smothering it with barbecue sauce, this preparation can be used on just about any flavor chicken you can dream up. Just marinate, season, bake and enjoy.
Why This Recipe Works
In a nutshell, this recipe uses bone-in chicken breasts and a flavorful marinade. Both of these things help the chicken stay moist and juicy while cooking in the oven. Then, you'll brush the chicken with bbq sauce during the last few minutes of cooking so that it forms a sticky bbq sauce topping and makes the chicken irresistible.
BBQ Chicken vs. Grilled Chicken
When someone says "bbq chicken" you think one of two things, right? There's the barbeque chicken that is cooked on a grill or smoker and there's the chicken that is baked in the oven with barbecue sauce. This recipe is the latter. If you'd like some recipes for grilled chicken, try this Gorgeous Grilled Chicken recipe, my Garlic Ranch Chicken Marinade, or my go-to recipe for Basic Grilled Chicken.
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
The key is to start with bone-in, half chicken breasts. Boneless and skinless chicken has its place in the poultry kingdom, but not here. We want the bone because it keeps the meat from drying out and imparts excellent flavor. Since we're smothering this chicken with BBQ sauce, I'm going to take the skin off, but I often leave it on if I'm cooking it without a sauce. Leaving it on will naturally baste the chicken as it cooks and also crisps up nicely if you like that sort of thing. I'm kind of a skin hater so even if I leave it on to cook I rarely eat it.
The Key To Moist, Flavorful BBQ Chicken
Marinating is all about adding flavor and moisture to the meat. I'm using a combo of olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika (for that smoky BBQ flavor), and minced garlic. If you don't have smoked paprika, I definitely suggest you get some! It has such good flavor and gives a nice smoky flavor to anything you add it to.
How To Make Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Step 1.
Start by mixing up the marinade and pouring over the chicken in a ziplock bag. I use a bag as opposed to a bowl because you don't have to use very much marinade to cover the chicken and it seems to marinate more evenly. Place in the fridge.
Step 2.
Place the chicken in the fridge for at least an hour or up to overnight. Allowing the chicken to marinade past 24 hours could result in some funny-textured chicken though.
Step 3.
Take the chicken out of the marinade and place on a baking sheet. Season with liberally with kosher salt and pepper and pop in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
Step 4.
After 20 minutes your chicken will be about half-way done depending on the size of the breast. Brush each breast with your favorite Barbecue sauce and return to the oven.
Step 5.
Repeat the application of BBQ sauce to the chicken every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Standard chicken breasts take a total of 35-40 minutes, so 4-5 brushings with the sauce should do ya. If you have a thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the breast and remove it from the oven when it hits 165 degrees F.
How do I get that sticky-sweet caramelized sauce on my bbq chicken?
Taking the time to apply the sauce to the chicken at 5-minute intervals while baking results in a deliciously sticky, glazed exterior that makes me want to lick my fingers just thinking about it.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours, but any longer than that, the marinade can affect the texture of the chicken.
Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature and insert into the the thickest part of the chicken for an accurate reading.
Yes, boneless chicken can be used, but bone-in chicken breasts will give you the moistest, most flavorful chicken.
When roasting chicken, like we are here, you do not need to cover the chicken.
Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Pesto Parmesan Chicken
- Easy Chicken Cacciatore
- Smothered Chicken Breast
- Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs
- garlic chicken thighs
Other Popular Recipes People Really Like
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Super Moist Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in Chicken Breast Halves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ยฝ-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup favorite prepared BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Remove skin from chicken breast halves and place in a large ziplock bag.
- Combine olive oil, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl and pour over chicken.
- Let chicken marinade for at least an hour, up to 24 in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Remove chicken from bag and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes and brush a layer of BBQ sauce on the chicken. Return to the oven and repeat brushing with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when read with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
Ryan says
Hi I was just wondering if this recipe would still work without lime juice and instead of gloved garlic. Minced Garlic? I plan on making it for my family tonight just wanted to make sure it would still be okay.
Heather Cheney says
Lime juice will work, it will just have a bit of a different taste-- shouldn't be too different though! if you mean dried minced garlic vs. fresh you can use either. You'll need much less of the dried minced-- try 1/2-1 teaspoon max since the dried is so much more concentrated. And, if you're using granulated garlic or garlic powder you'll need even less. ๐
Ryan says
Sorry I meant without Lemon juice just looked at the recipe again. I have neither Lemon or Lime
Heather Cheney says
It can be left out and still turn out but you'll be missing some acidity that give it good flavor. You can add just a splash of vinegar to give it that acidity-- try just a couple teaspoons as you don't want it to be too vinegary. Good luck!
Leslie says
I was wondering if anyone knew the nutritional value of this. Or know how many calories are in it.
Heather Cheney says
You can enter the recipe into an online nutrition calculator to find out. There are lots of them if you search google!
Lindsey says
I found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight. It was delicious and my family loves it. Sadly there were no leftovers ๐ Thank you for sharing this recipie!
Linda says
I've never left a comment on recipes. But the chicken was amazing. It was so tender and had such great flavor. My family raved about it.
marcus says
hey heather i'm trying to become a chief some day im just know finishing up high school so i can go to culinary arts school here in portland oregon. but any ways your BBQ chicken was crazzy good and making it again for the second time but this time with chicken leggs. and the sweet kind of peperica
Jean Luby says
Any way to print one recipe without printing 23 pages of useless pictures?
Heather Cheney says
Yes! On the recipe card there's a button to print just below the picture.
Ryan says
Hi I was just wondering if this recipe would still work without lime juice and instead of gloved garlic. Minced Garlic? I plan on making it for my family tonight just wanted to make sure it would still be okay.
shameka says
Did you cook the chicken breasts uncovered or covered in a pan or aluminum foil?
Heather Cheney says
Uncovered on a baking sheet.
Liz says
I was browsing recipes for BBQ chicken and found this I was lucky I had all the ingredients. I followed the recipe and it was delicious. I think it would be good with any type of chicken. It was moist and very flavorful. cant wait for more from your website
Dana says
I have made this 3+ times. Super easy and very good. I usually start marinating it late in the afternoon and if we decide to have something else it is ready to go the next day.
Dana says
Also, I use chicken breast without the bone..
Em says
This turned out fantastic. I substituted cayenne pepper for the smoked paprika, which I had run out of. Although it gave it a nice kick, I will use the paprika when I make it again. I marinated it for about 3 hours before applying the first coat of BBQ and placing it in the oven. The garlic and pepper flavors really made their way through. I did overcook it a little in the center, but the chicken oozed flavored and was still very moist when done.
Lisa says
I tried this recipe. My husband unexpectedly was stuck in traffic for an extra hour so it sat in the oven on 170 degrees after cooking at 350 for an hour. So 2 hours later (!) he makes it home and I'm ready to cook some pasta because, come on - two hours in the oven!?! Right? It was moist, it was tender, it was TERRIFIC! Thanks for a super chicken recipe! Yum!
jenine says
Made this and it was perfect! I didn't have smoked paprika but I added a Lil liquid smoke. Thank goodness you popped up on Google! Best bbq chicken I've ever made