Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs and Legs

4.62 from 13 votes

Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs and Legs

Crisp, tender, and coated in a perfect sweet-tangy-savory-sticky glaze, baked BBQ chicken thighs and legs are as easy as they are memorable. You'll want to return to this meal over and over. Here's how to make it.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked bbq chicken drumsticks, baked bbq chicken legs, baked bbq chicken thighs

Servings:

Calories: 584kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken drumsticks bone-in, skin-on
1 pound chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
1 cup barbecue sauce bottled or homemade

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the center.
Line a half-sheet pan with parchment.
In a large bowl, stir together cornstarch, baking soda, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Mix until very well combined.
Dry chicken thighs and drumsticks very well with paper towels.
Add chicken to bowl and toss to coat evenly.
Arrange chicken parts skin-side down on baking sheet with some space between so the air can circulate.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven. Brush each piece with a generous amount of BBQ sauce, then flip and brush the skin side generously too. Bake for 10 minutes.
Twice more, remove chicken from oven, brush tops with BBQ sauce, and bake 5 minutes more each time. You should use all of the sauce by the last brushing.

Notes

You can use all thighs or all drumsticks if you like. If you prefer breasts, use bone-in, skin-on split breasts and reduce the initial 25-minute cooking time to 20 minutes.
Be sure to use baking soda, not baking powder. See the FAQ section in the post to learn more.
The paprika's bright red color will help you see when the dry rub is evenly distributed over the surface of the chicken parts.
This recipe is at its absolute best right out of the oven, but honestly, it works just fine for meal prep and leftovers. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and eat cold or reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or at half power in the microwave.
A note on temperature: The USDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F, but in my experience this can result in dry chicken. If cooking legs and thighs, it's not as much of an issue since they stay juicy and tender and aren't so fussy. If cooking breasts, things can get dicier. An alternative to 165°F is to buy good-quality chicken and pull it out around 150°. If you tent it with foil and keep it above 145° for 8 minutes, you'll achieve the same level of safety. Learn more about the science here.

Nutrition