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A tray of baked chicken thighs

Baked BBQ chicken thighs

For an easy weeknight dinner, look no further than this sticky, juicy and super flavoursome oven baked BBQ chicken thighs dish.
What makes this dish extra special is the sticky, tangy, umami-rich homemade BBQ sauce using the chicken's drippings.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 5 large thighs
Calories: 464kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / ½ pound chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on, ~5 large
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Spice rub

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Homemade sticky BBQ sauce

  • baked chicken juice chicken's drippings
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato sauce aka ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar substitute: white wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F.

Season and bake chicken

  • Combine and mix spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub all over chicken thighs with olive oil.
  • Place seasoned chicken thighs, skin side up, onto a lined baking tray with a little wiggle room in between each piece. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 200°C/390°F and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Make sticky BBQ sauce

  • Take the chicken out of the oven and with a pair of tongs, transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside. Pour the fatty juices from the baking tray into a frying pan or a small saucepan. (note 1)
  • Add the remaining sticky BBQ sauce ingredients into the pan. Mix well and bring sauce to a gentle boil on medium heat, reduce the sauce to a thick consistency. About 3 minutes

Finish off

  • Transfer chicken thighs, skin side up, back into the baking tray. Coat with the sticky BBQ sauce using a spoon.
  • Return chicken thighs into the oven, on the top shelf and grill/broil for 4 minutes or until deep caramelisation occurs. Optional: sprinkle with finely chopped coriander.

Video

Notes

1. Keep the chicken fat in the BBQ sauce - The pool of chicken fat may look a little alarming but it helps the sticky sauce and chicken to blister deliciously when grilled/broiled. Don't worry, pretty much all of it will drip off the chicken by the time you eat it. See photos above.
If using boneless and skinless chicken thighs - follow the recipe as is except at step 3, bake the chicken at 200°C/400°F for 20 minutes or until fully cooked. 
Use fresh chicken thighs and not thawed - I know this might not be realistic for some but if you can, use fresh chicken! I found fresh chicken thighs produce the juiciest result and there was a notable difference in its juiciness compared to using thawed chicken (less juicy). No difference in the flavour profile.
To prepare ahead - rub the chicken with spice rub and olive oil a day or 2 in advance. On the day of cooking, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking to bring it up to room temperature.
Leftovers - store in airtight container up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutritional values are estimates and include chicken fat from the skin, most of which would not be consumed.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.9g | Protein: 35.7g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9.3g | Sodium: 575mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1.9g | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg