This Baked BBQ Chicken Breast recipe is a fast and easy 30-minute dinner that the whole family will love. The chicken is covered in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, then baked until perfectly juicy and caramelized. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and can be made healthy with low-sugar BBQ sauce.
If you love recipes that are healthy, kid-friendly, and easy to make this Baked BBQ Chicken Breast recipe is just for you. This chicken is smothered in a tangy, sticky BBQ sauce that is so tasty! It’s packed with protein and completely gluten-free, plus it can be made with low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce for a healthier dinner.
Want to make it a full meal? Serve with our Garlic Parmesan Baked Potato Wedges or our Healthy Potato Salad. Check out more side suggestions below.
Why this Chicken Breast recipe is great
- A handful of simple ingredients. You only need a few ingredients and you likely have them on hand already.
- Fast and easy. You can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes with this recipe. It’s so simple to make, perfect for busy days.
- Delicious! Baked BBQ Chicken Breast is juicy, tender, and covered in the most flavorful sticky BBQ sauce.
Ingredients you’ll need
This is just a list of ingredients you will need to make the Baked BBQ Chicken Breast. Full measurements are listed further down below.
Chicken breasts
Avocado oil
Seasonings: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper
Kosher salt
BBQ sauce
how to make baked bbq chicken breast
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Then grease a casserole dish with a bit of oil.
- Season chicken: Place the chicken breast into a large Ziploc bag. Add oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. Shake well until fully coated with oil and spices.
- Add BBQ sauce and bake: Next, place the chicken into the prepared dish. Brush the breast with half of the BBQ sauce and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. (Flip the chicken breasts 15 minutes in onto the other side and let it cook for another 15 minutes.)
- Flip and add more sauce: After 15 minutes (halfway through baking) flip the chicken and brush again with the BBQ sauce and continue to bake until cooked through.
- Serve: Once done, remove from the oven. Slice and serve warm with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Tips and Substitutes
- Chicken: Try to use chicken breasts that are close in size so that they bake evenly. You may use boneless chicken thighs.
- Avocado oil: You can also substitute with canola oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Smoked paprika: You can also use regular paprika, but smoked paprika adds a lot more flavor.
- White pepper: Substitute with ground black pepper if needed.
- BBQ sauce: For a healthier dinner, choose a low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce.
faqs
Chicken drumsticks cook differently than chicken breast. To make drumsticks, try this Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
The easiest way to know if your chicken is done is to test it with a thermometer. Once the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees, the chicken is ready to eat. Be careful not to overcook the chicken or it will be dry.
Store this chicken in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.
What to serve with BBQ Chicken
You can serve this Baked BBQ Chicken Breast with any easy sides you like! For a well-rounded meal, choose a vegetable, healthy grain, and serving of fruit to go with the protein-dense chicken. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Potatoes: Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges or Healthy Potato Salad
- Mac and cheese: Vegan Mac and Cheese or Buffalo Mac and Cheese
- Roasted veggies: Roasted Garlic Cauliflower or Roasted Smoked Sweet Potatoes
- Rice: White Rice on the Stove or some Cauliflower rice for a low carb option.
- Fruit: Fresh seasonal fruit or Easy Mixed Berry Fruit Salad
more easy chicken recipes
- Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Creamy Cajun Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Baked Cashew Chicken and Veggies
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Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts about 1.5 lbs. total
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil plus more to grease the pan
- 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a casserole dish with a bit of oil.
- Place the chicken breast into a large Ziploc bag. Add oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. Shake well until fully coated with oil and spices.
- Next, place the chicken into the prepared dish. Brush the breast with half of the BBQ sauce and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes total.
- After 15 minutes into baking the chicken breasts, flip the chicken and brush again with the BBQ sauce and continue to bake until cooked through. for a total of 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Once done, remove from the oven. Slice and serve warm with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: Try to use chicken breasts that are close in size so that they bake evenly.
- Avocado oil: You can also substitute with canola oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Smoked paprika: You can also use regular paprika, but smoked paprika adds a lot more flavor.
- White pepper: Substitute with ground black pepper if needed.
- BBQ sauce: For a healthier dinner, choose a low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce.
- Storage: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
- Cook time: Cook the chicken breast for a total of 30 minutes. 15 minutes into baking, flip the chicken, and coat with more BBQ sauce.
Lynette says
Great recipe! Very moist and awesome flavor!!
Rena Awada says
Nice. Thanks for the feedback
Elaine says
There is a great barbecue sauce that has NO SUGAR and is sweetened with vegetables. I used it in this recipe and it was great. It’s called TrueMade Foods Kansas City Barbecue sauce and it’s available in many grocery stores.
Baileyn says
This is a very good recipie to try on a family dinner night! Great flavor and not very dry. I found that using olive oil instead of the other oil tastes better. I did add a little of my own spices too! I found that the bbq sauce directed was a little to less for 4 big chicken breasts. But over all a great recipie to try!
Michael Prater says
sounds good
Kaleigh says
LOVED IT!! Made it for dinner last night for my husband and a friend and it was a HIT! Definitely a “make again” kind of recipe!! Thank you!
Rena says
Nice. Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it
alicia says
make this dish every week!! sometimes i add fresh pineapple and use hawaiian bbq sauce!! so yummy!!!!!
Kristi says
I made this chicken yesterday and we all loved it! Tender, moist, yum!! Even my son, who does not like chicken or barbecue, said it was really good. That’s saying a lot! I look forward to trying other recipes you have posted. Thank you for sharing your talents with everyone!
Rena says
Thanks for the feedback Kristi
JR says
Yummy! Nice and moist and flavorful
Rena Awada says
Thank You.
Dinni says
The chicken breasts looked boneless (except if substituting boneless chicken thighs)? I was looking for a boneless recipe but it said neither bone-in nor boneless. I am going to try with boneless breasts as the recipe looks delicious. Thanks so much.
Rena says
Boneless Yes. I almost never use bone-in chicken breast.
carra says
what bbq sauce do you use?
GT says
My son who hates chicken because he gets bland chicken all the time at college went back for seconds, then thirds! Terrific, simple, tasty recipe! Thank you! It has become a regular at our house
Rena says
So glad he loved it.
Leslie Holt says
Loved this oven baked chicken recipe. Will be fixing again soon. I did let the chicken and spices blend for about 30 minutes. Chicken was tender and delicious.
Rena says
Thank you Leslie
Brittany says
In step 3 you should say cook for 15 minutes, not 30 then step 4. We cooked it too long because we thought you cooked for 30 minutes then flipped and cook 15. The rest of the recipe is perfect. Just should be worded a little different.
Rena says
I clarified this better. Sorry about the confusion.
Christa L Simpkins says
I’m still confused. So is the total cooking time just 30 mins..15 on each side or is it 30 mins on each side flipping every 15 mins?
Rena says
Hi there. All Oven temps vary. But yes about 15-20 mins and flip, and another 15-20 minutes until they look crispy and done.
Edith Hall says
Sounds Fantastic and I will try it out and serve Greens and potatoes salad and Mac and cheese and Corn bread and A
German Chocolate cake for my Birthday QUEEN Dinner ❤️☺️
Thanks for sharing
Lisa says
Reconcile your cook time of 20 minutes with the actual cook time of 30 minutes AND THEN COOK UNTIL DONE!
THIS IS INCONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO PLAN, BESIDES MAKING PEOPLE SICK!
Rena says
It is best to cook chicken until it reaches an internal temp of 165 since everyone’s oven varies. I clarified the instructions better. Sorry about the confusion.
Colleen says
You could also, you know, use common sense.
casey says
you should know to cook your chicken until its done. use a thermometer always. the only person to make someone sick is the person serving undercooked chicken, not the author of a recipe
Greta says
Made the bbq chicken yesterday and the family liked it…healthy or not this is a great recipe..the spice mix and sauce meld perfectly…only change made was added a bit of honey to the sauce…thank you kindly for this excellent keeper of a recipe…
Rena says
Glad you loved it. Thanks for the feedback
Amber says
Thanks so much kiddos love chicken and just how ways you can make it❤️❤️❤️
Louise C says
I cannot rave about this recipe enough. It was absolutely delicious. My husband can’t stop talking about how good it was! I’ll definitely be making this chicken again!
Rena says
Yay! If hubby is happy it’s a winner!