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This Baked BBQ Chicken Breast recipe is a fast and easy dinner that the whole family will love. The chicken is covered in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce and then baked until perfectly juicy and caramelized. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and can be made with low-sugar BBQ sauce.
You may also like my baked BBQ chicken drumsticks. Check it out!
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 or even use a homemade BBQ sauce for a lighter option. My kids love it as much as they love this pesto chicken recipe.
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 I love this recipe
- 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 less than an hour with this recipe. It’s so simple to make, perfect for busy days.
- Delicious! This baked BBQ Chicken recipe is juicy, tender, and covered in the most flavorful sticky BBQ sauce.
Ingredients needed
This is just a list of ingredients you will need to make the Baked BBQ Chicken recipe. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Chicken breasts: if you prefer using boneless and skinless chicken thighs you can.
- Avocado oil: you may use avocado oil.
- Seasonings: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper
- Kosher salt
- BBQ sauce: you can get a good low-sugar store-bought BBQ sauce or make your own at home. Check out our Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe.
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 the chicken in the oven for about 40-50 minutes. (Flip the chicken breasts 20 minutes in onto the other side and let it cook for another 20 minutes.)
- Flip and add more sauce: After 20 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 it 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.
- Want to make this sweeter? Add in some brown sugar or honey with the BBQ sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Chicken drumsticks cook differently than chicken breasts. To make drumsticks, try this Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
I like using a food thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, and 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 airtight 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 Barbecue Chicken
You can serve this Baked barbecue Chicken with any easy sides you like! For a well-rounded meal, choose a vegetable, healthy grain, and a serving of fruit to go with the protein-dense chicken. What you can serve it with:
- 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
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: To store leftovers, place them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You may either reheat the barbeque chicken breasts in the microwave or a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. Feel free to add more BBQ sauce if needed.
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
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave me some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it! I would love it if you shared it with friends and family.
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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 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a casserole dish with a bit of oil. About one tablespoon.
- Place the 4 large chicken breasts into a large Ziploc bag. Add the remaining one tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher 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 1 cup BBQ sauce and bake in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes total.
- After 20 minutes of baking the chicken breasts, flip the chicken brush again with the BBQ sauce, and continue to bake until cooked through. for a total of 40 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 it 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 airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
- Cook time: Cook time varies depending on the oven
- Please note: ovens are different, so the baking time for individual ovens will vary
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it has always been delicious. Other than using olive oil in place of avocado oil, I follow the directions exactly as stated. Perfect every time!
This was super yummy! I smacked the chicken with a mallet a few times to get it a more consistent thickness and baked for 15 minutes. Then when I flipped I put in my internal read thermometer which is hard for me to live without. It just beeps when it gets to the temperature I have set and then no worries! I cook to 160 then take out and cover with foil and the temp goes up a bit. I also cooked at 450 as I have had a lot of luck in the past cooking for a shorter time at higher temp. Doesn’t matter much if you’ve got the thermometer though! I may try the broiler for a couple minutes at the end next time but the recipe was great as it is! Thanks again!
Do you cover or put a lid on the chicken while it is baking?
No I don’t cover it. You can and for the last 10-15 minutes you should uncover it
So easy to make i used sweet baby rays bbq sauce cooked chicken for 1 hr after 45 mins I brushed on more sauce. Rested chicken for 5 mins before serving. Made with parmesan potato wedges and mixed greens
This was amazing. I have two very picky eaters, my Husband and my Youngest daughter. This was a hit for them both.
yay. Perfect
This was the best chicken that I’ve ever made juicy soft and everybody liked it
So awesome. Glad everyone liked it
Excellent! The chicken breats were very most and tasty. I didn’t flip them and they temped just fine after 30 mins.
It was a great recipe. Everyone loved it. I trike the recipe and have lots of leftover. Can you freeze these??
yes you can
Made this tonight and it was fabulous!!! It was so easy to make and so tender and juicy. And my Jack Stack barbecue sauce–a Kansas City best–just sent the flavor over the top! The only thing I did different was hit the broiler briefly at the end of baking to crisp the top up a bit, and it didn’t dry it out at all. I will definitely make this chicken a regular around our house. Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and juicy, quick meal for the family.
Thank you
This is a delicious recipe and the first time I’ve been able to cook chicken that didn’t come our dry and tough. I do have a question though. What do you think is the best way to freeze what’s left and then reheated. There’s only 2 of us and my husband is vegetarian so I can’t eat all of this in 4 days. I usually eat 3 oz per meal. I don’t want to throw out any of it.
Thank you.
Great recipe! Very moist and awesome flavor!!
Nice. Thanks for the feedback
Why would we EVER suggest Canola or Grapeseed oil if we call these “healthy” meals? They cause inflammation and more people need to know to AVOID them!
You can use any oil of your choice for your dietary needs.
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.
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!
sounds good
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!
Nice. Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it
make this dish every week!! sometimes i add fresh pineapple and use hawaiian bbq sauce!! so yummy!!!!!