Grandma Barb’s Baked BBQ Chicken
I grew up on a lot of bbq chicken recipes. Just like macaroni and cheese, it seems like everyone in my family has their own way of preparing baked bbq chicken. This is my grandma Barb’s recipe. I feature a lot of her down-home, tried, and true recipes on this site, like her fluffy yeast rolls, moist cream cheese pound cake, and cornbread dressing to name a few. They never disappoint which is why I’ve been begging her to create a cookbook.
This bbq chicken recipe is pretty easy. It’s super juicy and tender. Grandmother would whip this up on weekdays and serve it with roasted corn, stove-top mac n cheese, yeast rolls, green beans, and of course some good ol’ fashioned, ice-cold sweet tea to wash it all down. Ahhhh…to be a child again. I didn’t know how good I had it!
This bbq chicken recipe isn’t saucy like your typical baked barbecue chicken. The homemade bbq sauce is thin and bakes right into the chicken as it cooks. This isn’t a very bold style sauce which makes it pair up great with just about any side dish. It has that nice taste of tangy, sweet BBQ flavor without being too overpowering (not that I would ever complain about an overpowering bbq sauce)
Out of all the baked BBQ chicken recipes I make, my son seems to like this one the best. I guess because it’s not too spicy or smokey.
Watch me make this easy, baked bbq chicken recipe from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Grandma Barb's Baked BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 small chicken, cut up (5 lbs)
- garlic pepper seasoning
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water, I don't always add water but in the video, I did, forgot to mention
- 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and season both sides generously with garlic pepper seasoning.
- Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl to create the bbq sauce.
- Place the sauce in the microwave to melt the butter if needed.
- Cover both sides of the chicken with bbq sauce.
- Bake skin side up for 40-45 minutes, basting with the bbq sauce every 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven to broil for the last two minutes of baking and broil for 1-2 minutes to crisp up the skin. Watch it carefully.
- Remove from oven and let chicken rest for about 5-7 minutes before serving.
Notes
For a smoky flavor, sprinkle the chicken with hickory salt or liquid smoke before baking.
Be careful not to overcook. Depending on the size of your chicken, you may need to adjust the cooking times.
Thank you and Grandma Barb so much for this recipe. I never had a recipe go so right.
Wow so simple yet tasty and more-ish, I used chipotle powder instead of chilli powder, less sugar and I removed the skin and soaked the chicken pieces over night in the marinade.
No more shop bought bbq sauce for me :0)
Questions. Was planning on making this tonight but 450 seems really high if you are going to cook for 45 minutes? Especially in a higher altitude like I live in. Did anybody adjust the temp? And when I printed the recipe she says on there that she doesn’t always add water but listed it because she did in the video but I watched the video 5 times and never saw any water, she said she just forgot to mention it but it never showed her doing it either. Did everyone add the water or go off what they saw in the video? Will be back to rate this after I make it but from the reviews it sure looks killer, just wondered about those two things.
its so easy and simple, I tried it the other night. WE LOVE IT! Very Delicious!
After my husband got up for thirds, I ask so did you lke it? He says it’s weird that he does but yes. He said it was weird because it had a spicy kick to it, so his mouth was on fire but at the same time the sweetness kept it cool. He loved it, we barely had enough for left overs for tonight. Can’t weight to try the BBQ recipe on the grill. This was an awesome recipe! THANKS!
I baked on 425… but this chicken was EVERYTHING!