Grilling might not be for everyone. But delicious, tender BBQ chicken drumsticks

If you don’t have a grill or the weather is keeping you inside, this easy technique for making baked BBQ chicken in the oven is all you need.

How to Make BBQ Chicken in Oven

Taking cues from the grilled version of this recipe, the chicken gets a quick sear under the broiler to brown the skin, and then a longer roast in the oven until the chicken is completely tender.

A quick marinade in the barbecue sauce before roasting helps enhance the flavor and improve the tenderness of the chicken. The barbecue sauce bakes into the skin and caramelizes during cooking.

Baked BBQ Chicken Tips

• I like to cook the chicken on a metal rack over a baking sheet to allow even heat and continuous airflow on all sides. This helps prevent soggy skin. (Note that while the chicken picks up a nice "grilled" flavor from the broiler, the skin probably won't get quite as crispy.)
• I usually make this recipe with chicken drumsticks, but you could also make it with a mix of drumsticks and thighs. For optimum baked BBQ chicken flavor, I recommend you stick with these dark meat cuts and avoid breast meat.
• You can use any variety of thick, tomato, or mustard-based sauce with this method, so use your favorite! For this baked BBQ chicken recipe, I used a spicy store-bought tomato barbecue sauce made with vinegar and sugar.

FAQS

Does This Technique Work With Other Cuts of Chicken?

Yes, this works with any bone-in cut of chicken, including the pieces from a whole cut-up chicken. Cooking times for different cuts will vary, because cuts vary in size. We recommend cutting large bone-in chicken breasts in half so they cook at roughly the same rate smaller cuts like thighs and drumsticks. The important thing is to make sure that all chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Can This BBQ Chicken Recipe Be Prepared in Advance?

You can marinate the chicken up to 8 hours in advance, but for the crisp skin that this recipe creates, serve immediately after baking. Leftovers can be reheated, and the chicken will still be tasty, but the skin will no longer be crispy.