This baked BBQ chicken recipe will become a new staple meal prep protein in your home because it’s so easy to make, incredibly flavorful, and you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Cook a large batch for a crowd or for meal prepping for the week!
Table of Contents
This recipe is…
This baked BBQ chicken is truly an easy dinner game-changer. The oven does all of the work for you – all you have to do is place the chicken in a dish and slather it in BBQ sauce + a couple of spices. Once it’s out of the oven, it’s the perfect versatile protein for bowls, tacos, stuffed baked potatoes, or pizza!
Recipe Ingredients
Part of the beauty of this recipe is how simple it is. Below you’ll find everything you’ll need to pull off this stellar protein. Ingredient notes and swaps are listed where applicable, and exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card.
- Chicken breasts – this recipe is for baked BBQ chicken breasts, but if you love thighs (or just have a few pounds on hand), feel free to use them instead.
- BBQ sauce – we went store-bought here, but if you’d like to make your own, this homemade BBQ sauce is a great pick.
- Salt
- Paprika
- Ancho chili powder – if you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to omit this.
How to Make Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts
If you thought the ingredient list was simple, wait until you see the instructions! Here’s exactly how you’ll pull off this quick, easy, baked BBQ chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Coat the chicken in BBQ sauce – place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the jar of BBQ sauce into the dish. Using tongs, toss the chicken breasts until they’re fully coated in BBQ sauce, then line them up in the dish so that they aren’t overlapping.
- Add the seasoning – sprinkle the smoked paprika, sea salt, and ancho chili powder (optional) over top of the chicken breasts.
- Bake – insert an in-oven thermometer into the thickest chicken breast, then place the dish in the oven, and bake the chicken breasts at 375°F until the internal temperature of the largest breast reaches 165°F (about 25-30 minutes).
- Let rest, then chop – once the chicken is out of the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes, then chop it into 1-inch cubes. Put the cubed chicken back into the baking dish and toss it with the juices and pan drippings.
- Enjoy or store for later.
Recipe Tips
Use a different cut of chicken – if you have thighs on hand, use those instead of breasts. This recipe is super forgiving!
Omit the ancho chili powder – if you’re sensitive to spice, reduce or omit the ancho chili powder.
Use an in-oven thermometer – we cannot stress this enough. Instead of relying on an amount of time, for the best, juiciest chicken, use an in-oven thermometer set to 165°F.
How to Serve
The options for this perfect, juicy BBQ chicken are truly endless. Here are some of our very favorite applications (swap the protein in the recipe for the BBQ chicken):
- Cobb Salad with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
- BBQ Chicken Tacos
- Loaded Baked Potatoes (baked potato stuffed with butter, BBQ chicken, sour cream, cheese, and chives – YUM!)
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover BBQ chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
How to Store in the Freezer
Store leftover cubed BBQ chicken in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat from Frozen
To reheat frozen BBQ chicken, simply let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight, and then heat it in the microwave (1-2 minutes), a skillet on the stovetop (10ish minutes over medium heat, stirring throughout), or in a baking dish in the oven (350°F for 10-15 minutes) until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
While marinating is usually the way to go, you can actually skip that step for this recipe. The BBQ sauce is super flavorful, and because the chicken is completely slathered in the sauce before heading into the oven (and then tossed back in the pan drippings after being cooked and cubed), all of that flavor will stick around after cooking.
Great question! Homemade BBQ sauce is really delicious and really easy to make. Here’s our very favorite homemade BBQ sauce (and instructions on how to make it).
Yes, you can absolutely use store-bought BBQ sauce. That’s what we did! Primal Kitchen makes a really yummy unsweetened version that we love.
Chicken breasts are really prone to drying out, so our biggest suggestion here is to use an in-oven thermometer (they are fairly inexpensive and will transform so many of your proteins from overcooked to perfectly done). Stick the probe into the thickest chicken breast, set the thermometer to 165°F, and then, instead of setting a timer, simply wait for the thermometer to go off.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
Easy Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 8.5-ounce jar BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (optional, omit if sensitive to spice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the jar of BBQ sauce into the dish. Using tongs, toss the chicken breasts until they're fully coated in BBQ sauce, then line them up in the dish so that they aren't overlapping.
- Sprinkle the smoked paprika, sea salt, and ancho chili powder (optional) over top of the chicken breasts.
- Insert an in-oven thermometer into the thickest chicken breast, then place the dish in the oven, and bake the chicken breasts at 375°F until the internal temperature of the largest breast reaches 165°F (about 25-30 minutes).
- Once the chicken is out of the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes, then chop it into 1-inch cubes. Put the cubed chicken back into the baking dish and toss it with the juices and pan drippings.
- Enjoy or store for later!
Recipe Notes
- Use a different cut of chicken – if you have thighs on hand, use those instead of breasts. This recipe is super forgiving!
- Omit the ancho chili powder – if you’re sensitive to spice, reduce or omit the ancho chili powder.
- Use an in-oven thermometer – we cannot stress this enough. Instead of relying on an amount of time, for the best, juiciest chicken, use an in-oven thermometer set to 165°F.
Nutrition
Delicious and easy to cook!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this!
Can you do this in a crockpot??
You can! On low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. The texture of the chicken will be slightly different – more shreddable than anything.