This Oven Barbecued Chicken has all the flavor of chicken cooked on the grill, but no grill is needed. Slathered with bbq sauce, this chicken is so juicy and flavorful!
Sometimes you want some good ole barbecue, but you don’t feel like firing up the grill. You know those days when it’s 110° with 90% humidity, there’s not a breeze to be found, and an army of hungry mosquitoes seems to have descended on your backyard. On those days it’s tempting to stay within the confines of the nicely air-conditioned (and bug free) house.
Chicken leg quarters are my favorite piece of chicken to barbecue. They have a good amount of fat so they stay juicy. Plus a pack of them is super cheap at the grocery store. As an added bonus, you get to eat 2 pieces of chicken but count it only as one. 🙂
You can use any type of barbecue sauce, but I especially like the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce I made for hot dogs a few weeks ago and that’s what I used.
Giving the chicken a quick sear in a hot skillet before placing in the oven helps render some of the fat out of the skin, allowing it to become nice and crisp instead of soggy. Serve with a side of slow-cooked baked beans, Buttermilk Slaw, and Summer Succotash for a summery meal no one will guess you didn’t slave over the grill for.
Oven Barbecued Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespooons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Sprinkle chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2 pieces of chicken in skillet skin side down and cook for 2 minutes, until skin is nicely seared.
- Remove from pan and place skin side up in a large baking dish. Place remaining 2 pieces of chicken in skillet, using a little more oil if necessary. Sear skin for 2 minutes and place last 2 pieces in the baking dish.
- Baste chicken with sauce and bake for 20 minutes.
- Baste again and bake 15 minutes.
- Baste a third time and bake for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with any leftover sauce (bring it to a boil to be safe).
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oven Barbecued Chicken Goes Great With
Baked Beans with Smoked Sausage
I am in Colorado and we have been under a fire ban for months. This was an excellent sub for grilling. The ONLY thing different I did was add garlic powder and paprika. Did 20/20/20 for the cooking time (higher altitude) and put some sweet potato halves in the oven after the first third. Stellar dinner. Thank you!
I used this recipe last night but made a couple of changes. First I patted the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Then I drizzled with olive oil and rubbed it in on all sides. Next I used Montreal steak seasoning under the skin as well as on top and then seared and baked as directed. The last step was to broil on high for about two minutes (careful with this as the chicken will burn quickly). It turned out tender and flavorful. My picky husband even liked it.