Two Ingredient Crispy Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe
This Two Ingredient Crispy Oven Baked BBQ Chicken recipe offers a simple, flavorful way to prepare juicy, tender chicken thighs and drumsticks with a crispy skin and a rich barbecue glaze. With minimal ingredients and easy oven roasting, you’ll get perfectly cooked, BBQ-infused chicken that’s ideal for family dinners or casual gatherings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chicken
- 8–10 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (bone-in, skin on)
Coating
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or canola oil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400 degrees F to prepare it for baking the chicken initially.
- Prepare Chicken: Coat the chicken pieces on all sides with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper to enhance flavor and help crisp the skin.
- Bake Chicken Skin Side Down: Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet with the skin side down and bake for 25 minutes. This starts the cooking process and renders the fat under the skin.
- Increase Oven Temperature: Remove the chicken from the oven and increase the temperature to 425 degrees F. Make sure to close the oven door promptly to retain heat for even cooking.
- Baste and Flip Chicken: Using a basting brush, coat the top side of the chicken with BBQ sauce, then carefully flip the chicken over with a spatula and baste the other side. Return the chicken to the oven and bake for 7 minutes.
- Repeat Basting: Remove the chicken, baste the top side again with BBQ sauce, and bake for another 7 minutes.
- Final Baste and Bake: Perform one more baste on the top side for the third time and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Check that the chicken’s internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F (dark meat ideally between 180-190 degrees F) to ensure it is fully cooked.
- Optional Broiling for Crispiness: If the chicken skin hasn’t reached your desired crispiness, move the oven rack up and broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes until browned and crispy.
- Rest the Chicken: Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute, resulting in moist and flavorful meat.
Notes
- Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken. Dark meat is safely cooked at 165°F but tastes best when cooked to 180-190°F.
- If the chicken isn’t fully cooked after 46 minutes, continue to bake until it reaches the proper temperature.
- Closing the oven door quickly after opening is important to maintain consistent oven temperature for even cooking.
- Broiling is optional and used to enhance skin crispiness if desired, but watch closely to avoid burning.
- Letting the chicken rest after cooking helps keep it juicy by allowing the meat fibers to relax and reabsorb juices.
