Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken
OK, so this is cheating. Well, sort of. This may not be real barbecue, but it is one of my favorite ways to make chicken legs: Indoors. In the oven. Seared, then smothered in hot, spicy sauce and slow baked.
Let’s face it: Nothing can replace good, outdoor barbecue. But, sometimes you just don’t feel like firing up the grill. (Or, sometimes you do, and you’re out of propane, or it’s pouring cats and dogs, etc…) This is a great way to approximate some of that barbecue-y goodness indoors.
Chicken leg quarters are a great way to feed a crowd on a budget. They’re generally pretty inexpensive. (Dinner for two for $2.94? Um, yes please!)
And because they’re fairly fatty in comparison to chicken breast, they’re really forgiving to cook. It takes a lot to dry a chicken leg out.
In terms of technique, I seared the leg quarters to render off some fat—a move which gives your bird extra flavor, and helps the skin crisp up in the oven.
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken: A note on barbecue sauce
For barbecue sauce, you can make your own, or use your favorite store bought sauce. My favorite sauce du jour is Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
It’s fairly thin, but is packed with great hot and spicy flavor. And I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for a good label.
Depending on the size of your chicken legs and the consistency of your bbq sauce, you may need more or less than 3/4 of a cup.
I made this to serve two, but you can easily use this same method to feed a roomful of friends.
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken
4 chicken leg quarters
kosher salt
spray canola oil
3/4 – 1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Serves 2
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken: Do a little prep
Line a sheet pan with foil. Set a rack in the pan. Set aside while you sear the chicken. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Grab your chicken leg quarters.
Give them a rinse and pat them dry.
Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
Set a nonstick pan on the stove over high heat and spray with a little canola oil. Let it heat up for a minute or two.
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken: Sear the chicken legs
When the pan is hot, drop in a few of the chicken leg quarters, skin-side down. You don’t want to crowd the pan (or your chicken will steam, not sear), so do this in a few batches.
My chicken leg quarters were pretty big, so I could only fit two at a time in my 12-inch frying pan.
Cook them on high like this for a few minutes, until the skin is nice and brown, like this. You’re going to make a little smoke. That’s just fine.
When the skin is browned, transfer the chicken to your prepared pan. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. (I only brown the skin side. I find that intense high heat on the skinless underside can dry the meat out a little.)
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken: Brush the chicken with sauce
When all your chicken is browned, you’re ready to coat it in barbecue sauce. Put the sauce in a medium-sized bowl so it’s easier to work with.
Using a brush, paint each piece of chicken on all sides with barbecue sauce.
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken: Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with more sauce
When each piece of chicken is coated, pop the pan into your preheated 375 degree oven. Bake like this for 15 minutes.
After about 15 minutes, yank the pan out of the oven. Your chicken should look about like this. (The color will vary based on the sauce you use and how much sugar is in it…the more sugar, the darker it will likely be.)
Brush with the remaining barbecue sauce, covering each piece on all sides again.
When the chicken is coated again, pop the pan back into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes more, until they’re cooked through completely. (Your chicken should be in the oven for a total of 45-50 minutes.)
After 30-35 minutes, they should have a nice crust. If you’re a meat thermometer type, you want a reading of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken (without touching a bone).
Transfer to a serving platter.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Serve and enjoy!
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116 Comments
oooh this looks so good.
yummy bbq chicken
I’ve been trying to find a way of how to make bbq dishes using a oven. This is a great tutorial!
This chicken is just glistening with BBQ sauce goodness!! Delicious!
I love bbq chicken! That looks great, I want to try out that sauc. I don’t care what the purists say, you can make bbq in an oven. I make pulled pork and ribs in the oven and anyone who says it’s not real… well, they don’t get any.
Yay! Baked BBQ chicken is one of my mostest favoritest things. I like how you sear it before popping it in the oven to keep all those lovely juices inside. Just beautiful.
I love oven baked chicken so much better than when it is done on the grill. This looks so good!
Looks so delectable! I think I’ll try making this for some houseguests visiting in a few days. That yummy cornbread you posted last week might go well with it, too!
To heck with breakfast food, I’ll take some of this right now!
Looks good, but I’m gonna go purist here.
You cannot do real BBQ with propane, much less an oven.
You can slow roast a picnic shoulder, but you cannot cold smoke it in the oven (without a smoker box and a large amount of tinfoil) or on a propane grill (again, without a smoke box).
Now, I do ribs in the oven. I coat them with BBQ rub and they are mighty tasty. But they aren’t BBQ with an actual piece of wood being smoked.
I make chicken legs in the winter months in the over and use a store bought barbeque sauce and add my own seasoning to it…also I put in the bottled smoke or mosquite it is delicous and you wouldn’t even know it wasn’t done on the barq.frying it first to brown it and draining the fat off makes it crispy when taken out of the oven. it’s delicous(: it’s all in the seasoning you add I think.
The browning first definitely adds texture and a ton of flavor. I love trying this with different sauces.
Cheers!
+Jessie
Good stuff don’t believe people.Black folks been makin bbq chicken in the oven 4 years well thats the 1st way i had it
So true tae! lmbo
Hi Jessie,
My god that chicken looks good, I can just imagine the spicy sweetness of that babrbecue sauce, and the crispy skin and the juicy meat. The hind quarter is by far my favourite part of the bird, I never get why people want a dry breast!
But jessie, I live in Australia and our chicken is cheap but not _that_ cheap. I am shocked. Your chicken is about half what our factory farmed chickens cost. I don’t know how to say this without being a wet blanket but do you know why your chicken is so cheap?
I love to eat meat, it is delicious and practical and can be a cheap way to feed your family and friends but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how my meat gets to my supermarket and who subsidises the cost of my cheap meat.
b
Hi Billie! Thanks so much (and thanks for stopping by)! I’m with you…I like the legs, too.
As for how cheap our chicken is, we go to a small, local butcher here. Their prices are super duper low, I think mainly because it’s a family-run business and their operating costs are fairly low. They have a bustling little business, and turn over their stock really quickly.
I will tell you that most other places in Boston do charge a good deal more for most meat. For example, our butcher regularly sells boneless, skinless chicken breast for about $1.99/lb. and most larger grocery stores charge $3.99/lb…or more, even.
Cheers and thanks again!
+Jessie
I’ve tried a few oven BBQ chicken recipes and this is the best. It’s easy and tasty. I used open pit my first time cooking this but am now looking for a more mild recipe for the tender palate of my five-year old. Any suggestions?
I have an 8 year old daughter who LOVES BBQ chicken legs & wings. Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce is what I use 4 her. She’s been eating BBQ since she was knee high on her chicken nuggets!!!!
Hi that was some Good stuff Thanks
Thanks guys, good info.
Wow, yum. I’ve read just two posts and I’m totally hooked on your site. Excellent pictures.
Omgeeee this looks so yummy. I am definitely going to try to make this for dinner tonight lol
I tried out your recipe and they turned out sooo good! Everyone loved it! Thanks so much! I bought some wings yesterday and I’m thinking about trying out the same recipe on those. Have you ever tried that? Think it will work out well? Please let me know. Thanks again!
Oh, fabulous! So glad you liked it!
I think it would be fabulous with wings. Just keep an eye on the cooking time. They’ll need to be in the oven for less time, because they’re smaller. Let me know how it goes!
+Jessie
Mmm, I think I’m going to try this tonight!
Jessie, I know I have seen in the past countless times to pre-sear beef, but I guess I never thought of doing it before baking chicken. I always just prepared it like you did for the Butter Chicken. I have to try the pre-searing first tonight!
Oh, let me know how you like it! Searing almost any kind of meat really does add a lot of flavor.
Cheers!
+Jessie
This is a great way to cook chicken for a bunch of people!
Last year I had 30 people over for a meal and I basicaly followd this method except I did my searing on the grill with a quick coat of sause and then finished it off in the oven. Like I said with 30 people there just was not enough room to cok everything and have the food nice and hot for people to eat.
Great pictures, even better angles then some cooking shows I have seen.
I cannot wait to have people over this weekend and make some chicken again.
Oh gosh, thanks so much, Todd! (And thanks for stopping by!) You’re right on–this is a great way to feed a bunch of hungry people.
Cheers!
+Jessie
hi jessie…
down in south louisiana we love bbq.. i am new in the kitchen, and i appreciate this delicious recipe you posted.
if you use breasts instead of leg quarters, how long should you bake for in the oven?
please advise.
xoxo
christina
I am making this tonight with Friend rice…I’ll suprise my husaband
This is my new favorite BBQ chicken recipe! I love using the Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce-the chicken just melts in your mouth!!
This is the best I just bought 4 quarters for $2.12
Also my favorite part.. I think I will marinate in that smoke rub to give it more of an outdoor taste.. Thanks I would never have thought of searing it… 
So glad you like it! Seriously chicken leg quarters are the best thing ever. A smokey rub sounds great.
Cheers!
+Jessie
HOLY COW–or should I say CHICKEN?? Guess who just accessed your site for the first time is a long, long time??
Me!!
And I’m so glad to be back just in time for this mouth watering chicken! Great timing, too, because it’s waaayyy toooo ccooollldddd to ggrrriilllll!
Hehehehehehe
It’s definitely too cold to grill right now. At least for me. Let me know how you like it!
+Jessie
I did a google search for oven baked BBQ chicken, and your site was second on the list. I was going to go directly to food network, but OMG, I am glad i landed here, your PHOTOS were fantastic, and you made it a recipe that was easy to follow. I made this last night and your technique was perfect. I bought leg quarters and the meat store cut them in half, it looked like more meat
Thank you so much….your site is going into my favorites!
Just waiting for my BBQ chicken to come out of the oven. Oooh, it smells SO good. I’m not a cook and this is a big deal for me to do for my husband. He’s gonna love it! Cooking Au Gratin potatoes with it. Nummy!
Hi Jessie,
This recipe looks really great. But if I use chicken breasts instead, what should the time on the stove and in the oven be? Last time I put it on the stove then in the oven I overcooked my chicken! Let me know! thanks.
AMAZING recipe! better than any chicken I’ve ever had on the bbq! thank you sooooooo much!!!!
This was a great recipe and the pictures were so hopeful. Definitely will be stopping back by for more ideas!
thank you for this recipe. it’s perfect and so delicious!
Thanks for this recipe. I will be making dinner this weekend and BBQ chicken popped into mind. Sweet, tangy and spicy goodness! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Will have to look for that cornbread recipe that someone said you posted.
Cheers!
I made this the other night and it was delicious! And very easy to make. I wish I would have had time to pair it with the Ulitmate Mac and Cheese… Thank you so much for all the pictures. Made this very easy!
YUMMY!!!!!!!! I saved to FAVORITES so that I can try it later. THANKS!
I am looking for a baked barbecue chicken recipe to use for a casual wedding reception. But, I am thinking i will have to make the chicken 1` day ahead. This recipe looks great, do you know how it is warmed over the next day?
I realize I might answer too late, but here it goes anyhow…we made a large batch of these one week, had leftovers that we used for dinner two more times and they heated up wonderfully both times. I did add some moisture, some more sauce and water mixed together, had the chicken in a baking dish and pored the sauce ontop, wrapped tightly with foil and wow, just as good as the first day.
I just made this tonight, with breasts and drumsticks. It came out pretty good. This is my first time ever making anything with BBQ sauce and we don’t own a grill. The skin wasn’t as crispy as I like it, but maybe it’s because I didn’t brown the meat enough. Also, the chicken was very watery after I was done cooking. Why is this? The sauce I used is very thick.
Wow!! Wonderful and delicious!! I will definitely be keeping this as a regular recipe for my family. I loved the step by step pics. I realized that I need to brown the meat more, some pieces were not as crispy as others (I also made 18 leg quarters). Thank you for a great recipe!! Yummy…
Hmm. Looks good. Will try variation with skinless chicken breasts
I made this last week and my family loved it, so I am making it tonight again..
Thank you so much for the play by play pictures and great idea.
Your teaching technique is excellent! I really like how you broke this down into stages and showed a picture for each action. Well done. I’m going to try this tonight!
I made this for dinner tonight. First time cooking anything let alone baked bbq chicken.
It was long and a bit time consuming but the result was great.
I was praised by the food critic in the house.
Searing really cuts down on the overall cooking time.
My parents usually have the chicken in the over for maybe 2 hrs. (I might be exaggerating but it felt that long). These were done relatively quickly and before it reached the 50 minute mark the kitchen suddenly smelled like bbq chicken.
I love it and thnaks again.
Your step by step instructions really saved me.
I’m def making these again.
Made these for dinner last night, and they were delicious! My store didn’t have the leg quarters, so I just used roaster drumsticks.
I probably should’ve seared them longer (or maybe given them a few mins under the broiler) to help get the skin crsipier than it was. Overall though, they came out perfectly cooked, still really moist, and most importantly, super-tasty! It’s also nice that there was really minimal prep and cleanup.
Will definitely use this method again! Thanks!
Just got done eating this for dinner. I used drumsticks instead and It was AWESOME!! My husband liked that it was sort of crispy and not slimy!!
Thanks for the recipe! Yummo!!
this is so what i needed.
i had a recipe for barbecure chicken that i love:
1 empire chkn cut in 8ths
1/2 cup catsup
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
i mixed those (micro for a few mins) and then followed your recipe from the start
such as frying in pan and adding sauce, as well as the oven directions.
it works very well
everyone enjoyed =)
i will cook this again – it is indeed asuccessful method. thank you
michael
I am about to make this for dinner, unfortunately I do not have the cilantro!
Hope it turns out great!
although I don’t ever think its too cold or wet to grill (umbrella in hand, flashlight between my teeth, when its dark at 5pm) I honestly prefer this method for BBQ chicken than on the grill!
I’m all about the local butcher – so much fresher than the grocery store.
And, hooray, I just got my Sweet Baby Ray’s in the mail (I’m in the UK, and I’m unimpressed with their idea of BBQ sauce) so we’s having chicken tonight!!!!
Love your recipes!
I’m from Texas and Sweet Baby Ray’s is the best BBQ sauce (IMO) and usually one of the lowest priced. I use it all the time when I cook boneless country pork ribs in the crock pot.
I’ve got the chicken in the oven right now. Wishing I had mac & cheese, fried okra and corn bread to go with it! Will have to settle for the taters and mixed veggies I have in the freezer.
thanks for publishing this! I live in an apartment = no grill access. Big craving for juicy bbq chicken, and your post saved the day.
Found you on a google search for Oven BBQ chicken. After looking at a few recipes I decided to try this one! It is cooking now but I think it is going to be amazing! Thanks!
This is a great recipe, I added a little black pepper and garlic powder when I seasoned the chicken. I couldn’t find the dark meat quarters so I bought a whole cut up chicken, I seared the chicken longer than suggested and I did turn the pieces so that all sides were seared. Budweiser makes a couple barbecue sauces, I tried one of them and it was perfect… I’ll be making this barbecue frequently!
Okay I decided to make this for dinner tonight
and I only had boneless skinless chicken breasts. It’s not turning out right so far. Haha I seared the chicken until it had golden brown crust. Then popped into the oven after brushing it with the bbq sauce. I didn’t use leg quarters because I wanted to make this quickly as I could. Didn’t have time to run to the store. Well it was a lovely recipe and you have a real nice website. Thanks!
Super and fool-proof recipe. Note to princess, if you use boneless you only bake it half the time, if thin and boneless not even that long–overcooked chicken is dry and unappetizing. You can always pull a piece out and ck the center you want to cook just long enough to not be pink and not a minute longer to retain juices. Thanks
THIS WAS AWESOME!!!!!!
Great (and very practical recipe)… very easy and pretty foolproof. Works well with Bone Suckin’ Sauce (our family’s favorite store bought BBQ sauce).
Just made this with a twist. I put a half slice of bacon over each piece from the start. It came out so well. We will be having this again and again. Yum
good preparation
Great recipe and step by step guide
I used my favorite bbq sauce ( sweet baby rays) and it was delicious!
I used a cast iron grill pan, seared in dark lines. It’s in the oven now but already looks better than on the grill!
Just finished this receipe and it was awesome!! I have been trying for weeks now to find a good BBQ receipe for the oven! Forget those \purist\!! I hate firing up a grill… I am def going to be using this receipe often!! Thanks =)
very good receipe
THIS WAS FANTASTIC!!!! UR RIGHT GRILL NOT NECESSARY… MY HUSBAND LOVED IT..
Most chicken recipes are always about breast meat. Dark meat has way more flavor. I ought not complain, picked up my less popular leg quarters today for $.89 a pound!
This is good master recipe for baking chicken. I’ve used the same method for an oven baked southern style fried chicken.
Thank you Mouse!
I just made this dish tonight and it turned out absolutely delicious!!!I actually bought this chicken already seasoned though and it was wonderful!Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. I’m always looking for culinary excellence as I compete in bbq contests.
THANK YOU! IM COOKING THIS RIGHT NOW AND SO FAR SO GOOOOOD!!! I never cook but my boyfriend wants me too but I don’t know how to cook stuff. This was a big help and when he gets home from work he will be really pleased! I love it!! Plus it is one of my favorites so this is something I will be cooking all the time!
HOW lovely these chicken parts are…very mouth watering thank you for sharing this..I love chicken when cooked this way..the skin is nice hmmmmmmmmmmmm am sure its tasty…
Tried the chicken yesterday and it was a hit. I spent $15 on leg quarters and fresh corn on the cobb to feed at least 8. The pan frying made it better than when I just roast it. Next time I will get adventurous with new sauce. But we love Sweet Baby Rays. Thanks!
BBQ chicken is one of my favorites, but I had never made it myself until this evening. I, too, browsed several sites before settling on this one. I was attracted by that first photo.This tutorial was very helpful and the chicken turned out great! I served with sides of corn off the cob, sweet potato fries and a spinach salad. My boyfriend really liked it.
I didn’t have a wire rack, so the bottom of the chicken didn’t have that nice sticky glaze the skin side did. Still delicious, but I’m getting a rack before I make this recipe again.
Thanks for posting this! I’m happy to have stumbled upon this blog and will be browsing through to see what other treasures I can find!
Thanks!! I am going to make this for my dad tomorrow night!!
This recipe is awesome!!! I’m making it for the second time tonight. Thanks so much for sharing it. The chicken comes out so moist. I love it!!
I just made drumsticks only following this recipe! It turned out great I can’t wait to warm it later for dinner with a simple mac salad! Yum!
Very much want.
I wanted to try this tonight and have read through all the posts. Looks like a couple of people have asked the same question I have but there is not a published answer to either of them…How does the time and temp need to be altered to make this with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts??? Also, can I sear it on a cast iron griddle (on the stove top) rather that a frying pan? Thanks!
Nice job, I’ve been doing this for a while but was trying to find a way to get it crispy and your searing step is all I needed.
Cheers.
My family LOVED this recipe. The tutorial was AWESOME!!! When the husband got home, he was surprised that I grilled. LOL!! The chicken fell right off the bone. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Thank you! My chicken turned out excellent! I will definitely be making this again. I used chicken breasts, and baked it for about 25 minutes… perfect.
You made it so well detailed. I’ll definitely make this like… right now.Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!
I made this tonight and it was wonderful. I did not brown the chicken quarters as well as you did, but the chicken was still crispy. The rack is great so the chicken comes out moist and does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Thanks for this recipe!!!
I tried making this tonight using chicken thighs (didn’t have any legs on hand!) and an easy BBQ sauce recipe that I found online. It was great!!! I followed your directions as well as I could and my husband loved them! The chicken was moist and the hubby can’t wait to eat it again for lunch tomorrow. I’m a novice cook and can never get chicken right…but this time I did! Thank you SO MUCH!!!
This recipe was finger-licking delicious!! I made it last night for me and my husband and he could not get enough! I posted about it in my blog today and linked it back to your site. I am so glad I stumbled onto you!!
http://pupsandpatties.blogspot.com/2011/08/oven-baked-bar-b-q-chicken.html
I bought chicken leg quarters for the first time this week, and I have been married for 5 years. I have only ever cooked boneless skinless chicken breast and thighs, but when I saw how CHEAP they were I thought why not give it a try! My mom used to make bbq chicken in the oven all the time, but I don’t know why so as I do with everything else I don’t know I googled it. This was the first one that I came across and man am I glad it popped up! This looks delicious and is exactly what I plan on making tonight.. now what goes great with oven bbq chicken???
Thank you so much! I really appreciate all of those who share their wisdom over the internet otherwise my poor husband and kids would never eat, I have no idea how to make food so I stick to recipes, I only know how to bake cookies, brownies, and cakes. lol so my family thanks you!
It is in the oven right now, I just put it back in after round 2 of bbq sauce and my house is smelling delicious!
Made this for dinner tonight, with corn, mashed potatoes and cesear salad! It was delicious and deffinitly a keeper. So easy! 5/5 stars!!!
Tried Your Recipe!!! It was sooooo Good! In fact I liked it better than my husband’s favorite BBQ eat
out place. Also neither of us really care for chicken legs. But I found them on a great sale! So I will be
keeping the recipe and use it when our BBQ is rained out.
This was absolutely delicious and super easy! There was no left overs, next time im going to make alot more!
I’m making some of this to surprise my husband when he gets home! This will be such a great recipe for the colder months when it may not be as enjoyable to go outside to grill. Thanks!
Just made this recipe and it was crazy good!!!! It was so easy to make too. Thank you!
I just made this. The first step of browning the chicken makes a world of difference! Thanks so much…we loved it!
Followed this recipe to the t and it was delicious!!! yummy, my husband loved it. Thank you!
Great recipe Jessie, thanks a bunch!
Just tried this, it came out great! Thanks!
Adding pineapple to this recipe added a touch of tart sweetness (I just surrounded it in the pan – delicious recipe thank you!
Making this now… Great recipe!! Four stars!!
yumm, im making this now… its turning out pretty GREAT! THANKS !
I’m making this now with potato salad and corn bread. YUMMY it smells so good 35 mins to go.
This recipe is soo easy! I love it! My hubby and I are just starting out on are own and I am learning to cook step by step. Thank goodness for recipes like these
) I think my chicken was a monster of a chicken though because my leg quarters took longer to cook than the recipe dictates. I don’t have a large assortment of pans and the ones I used weren’t large. The pan that came out tastes great! I’m sure the other one will turn out just as good. It has that distinct, grilled taste I háven’t been able to get anywhere but the grill! Thanks so much!
I just made this tonight and the family gobbled it down! (No pun intended.) The pan searing made it absolutely amazing and it came out juicy, bubbly, crisp and irresistibly delicious. I used Sweet Baby Rays original BBQ mixed with a bit of chili paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and a splash of beer to thin it out. I have to say I will be experimenting with homemade BBQ mixtures on this recipe for quite some time. Thank you for this recipe!
I just wanted to tell you thank you for this great and easy recipe. Not only did it work exactly like you showed/said, it was the best bbq chicken I have ever had/made. I will put it up against any outdoor grilled chicken which generally dries out the chicken. In addition, I have applied your method to jerk, mojo and peruvian chicken. This technique has become my staple for grilled oven baked chicken. For the mojo and peruvian chicken, because I marinated the chicken first, then seared the chicken, I cooked the left over marinade for ten minutes over medium heat in order to kill any bacteria since it had contact with raw chicken, then used it as a baste at the 15 minute mark. This is a genius and simple recipe/technique; kudos to you.
I like to grill it instead of searing it…yummy!!
I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you! I wanted BBQ but, out of propane and not wanting to clean the grill anyway. I made this tonight and it was great. Enjoyed it and will make again.