Baked chicken drumsticks from the grill in the oven are a crispy main course for a family or a crowd. This recipe works with any barbecue sauce and is ready in under an hour, including marinating and cook time!
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Baked BBQ Chicken
Grilling may not be for everyone. But it should definitely be tasty, tender BBQ Chicken Drumsticks.
If you don’t have a grill or the weather keeps you indoors, this simple technique for preparing baked rotisserie chicken in the oven is all you need.
How to make BBQ chicken in the oven
To mimic the grilled version of this recipe, the chicken is seared briefly under the grill to brown the skin and then roasted longer in the oven until the chicken is completely tender.
A quick marinade in the barbecue sauce before roasting will enhance the flavor and improve the tenderness of the chicken. The barbecue sauce will bake into the skin and caramelize as it cooks.
Baked Grilled Chicken Tips
- I like to cook the chicken on a metal rack over a baking sheet to allow for even heat and continuous airflow on all sides. This helps prevent clammy skin. (Note that while the chicken gets a nice “grilled” flavor from the grill, the skin probably won’t get quite as crispy.)
- I usually make this recipe with chicken drumsticks, but you could also do it with a mix of clubs and clubs. For optimal baked BBQ chicken flavor, I recommend sticking with those dark meat cuts and avoiding breast meat.
- You can use any type of tomato- or mustard-based thick sauce with this method, so use your favorite! For this baked BBQ chicken recipe, I used a flavorful store-bought tomato barbecue sauce made with vinegar and sugar.
More Baked Chicken Recipes!
- Fried Chicken on Angel Hair Pasta
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Lemon Chicken
- Chicken stuffed with ricotta
- Roasted chicken thighs with fennel and orange
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Check out this Baked BBQ Chicken recipe
Can this BBQ chicken recipe be made ahead of time?
You can marinate the chicken up to 8 hours ahead of time, but for the crispy skin this recipe produces, serve immediately after baking. Leftovers can be reheated and the chicken will still be tasty, but the skin will no longer be crispy.
Easy side dishes for baked BBQ chicken
- Caprese Corn Salad
- Classic potato salad
- Greek pasta salad
- Make-ahead dinner rolls
- Strawberry Shortcake Slider
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Easy Oven BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Liquid smoke adds a hint of smokiness to the chicken. Look for it among the condiments in the grocery store.
This will work with any bone-in chicken cut, including pieces of a whole cut-up chicken. Cooking times for different pieces will vary as pieces vary in size. Make sure all chickens reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
You can easily double or triple this recipe for a larger batch; Just make sure there is a little space between each chicken thigh on the pan and work in batches if needed.
ingredients
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2 lb with bones, with skin chicken thighs
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1 teaspoon kosher Salt
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1/2 Cup barbecue sauce (any tomato or mustard based sauce), shared
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1 teaspoon liquid smokeOptional
method
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Marinate Chicken:
Place the chicken thighs in a shallow bowl and sprinkle both sides with salt. If using liquid smoke, mix it into the barbecue sauce. Brush the drumsticks all over with 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce and reserve the rest.
Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
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Prepare the chicken for cooking:
Place the broiler on a high position with a grate a couple of inches below. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal cooling rack (like those used for baking) inside (or use a griddle).
Arrange the marinated chicken thighs on the grid, leaving some space between the thighs.
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Roast Chicken:
Place the pan under the broiler and grill the chicken on one side for 5 to 7 minutes, until you begin to see dark brown charred patches. Flip and sear the second side until also browned, another 3 to 5 minutes or so.
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Preheat the oven and set the rack:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack back in the center of the oven.
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Finish cooking the chicken:
Coat the chicken all over except for a tablespoon of the remaining sauce. Slide into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and brush with the remaining sauce wherever needed.
Continue baking until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer, an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
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Surcharge:
Serve the chicken immediately hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 478 | calories |
| 21g | Fat |
| 14g | carbohydrates |
| 55g | protein |
