These Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts are juicy, tender and moist. With a sweet, smokey and tangy flavor everyone will absolutely love. It’s pretty easy to make and the secret is in the delicious and flavorful marinade. You will find yourself making this recipe over and over again.
Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts
These Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts make for a quick and easy dinner the whole family will love. These BBQ Chicken Breasts are so flavorful and super satisfying. Smothered with a sweet, smokey and tangy BBQ marinade. Then baked until perfectly cooked into juicy tender and moist chicken breasts. You will find yourself making this recipe over and over again.
Ingredients needed to make Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts:
- Chicken breasts– I love using chicken breasts in this recipe. You can always use other chicken parts if you have those available. Thighs and drumsticks work great too.
- Unsweetened BBQ sauce– We like using unsweetened to control the amount of sugar in this recipe. Unsweetened BBQ sauce tends to be more on the tangy side which gives the chicken a good zest. You can use regular BBQ sauce too if you prefer.
- Honey– To add some sweetness and balance out the tanginess and zest from the other ingredients. If you use regular BBQ sauce with sugar already in it, you can omit adding honey.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest– Elevates the flavor.
- Avocado oil– Oil is fat and fat adds moisture to chicken. It will also help breasts cook evenly.
- Smoked paprika– Gives chicken that smokey flavor.
- More spices– Garlic powder, onion powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper.
Equipment needed to make Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts:
- 9×13 inch baking dish– To bake your chicken breasts in.
- Large mixing bowl– To mix your chicken breasts with marinade.
- Medium mixing bowl– For mixing all ingredients for marinade together.
- Pastry brush– You can easily brush the marinade as chicken breasts bake.
How to make Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts:
- Step 1– Remove any excess fat from chicken breasts and pat dry. Place chicken breasts in a gallon zip bag. Set aside.
- Step 2– In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, mix together the rest of the ingredients for marinade; bbq sauce, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, avocado oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined.
- Step 3– Pour marinade over prepped chicken. Close zip bag while removing any excess air. Give chicken a good toss making sure chicken breasts are well coated with marinade. Place chicken in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour or preferably over night for more flavor.
- Step 4– Once you are ready to bake chicken, preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 5– While oven preheats, transfer chicken breasts to a baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the leftover marinade over chicken breasts (do not discard the rest of marinade). Place breasts in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Step 6– Remove chicken breasts from the oven, using tongs, flip breast over. Brush some more marinade over the other side of breasts. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Step 7– Remove chicken breasts from the oven. Flip over again. If you’d like to brush chicken with one more coating of marinade you can. Just make sure you place chicken back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes. This will kill off any bacteria left in the marinade from the raw chicken sitting in it. Remove chicken breasts from the oven and allow them to cool-down a bit. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips and Substitutions:
- Use chicken breasts that are the same size– This was they will all cook evenly and you don’t end up with some breasts that are overcooked.
- Marinade chicken breasts for at least an hour– Preferably overnight. The longer you let them marinade, the more flavorful your chicken breasts will be.
- Don’t skip brushing your chicken breasts with marinade– Don’t skip doing this half-way through baking. This will add more flavor and make chicken breasts more juicy and tender.
- Unsweetened BBQ sauce– I like using unsweetened to control the amount of sugar in this recipe. Unsweetened BBQ sauce tends to be more on the tangy side which gives the chicken a good zest. You can use regular BBQ sauce too if you prefer.
- Substitute for honey– You can use maple syrup or omit all together for less sugar or if your BBQ sauce has some sugar already.
- Substitute for avocado oil– You can use refined coconut oil.
- Smoked paprika– You can use regular paprika. Smoked paprika does give BBQ chicken breasts a smokey flavor.
- Use thermometer to take internal temperature– You will know chicken breasts are done once internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to serve Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with:
BBQ Chicken Breasts are flavorful and super versatile as they can be served in many different ways. Some of my favorite dishes to pair up these chicken breasts with are:
- Grilled Summer Veggies
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes (With Herbed Butter)
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Home Fries
- Corn on the Cob
- Gluten-Free Homemade Cornbread
- Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Honey-Ginger Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Harvest Veggies
- Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts FAQ’s:
How do you BBQ chicken breast to keep it moist?
The best way to bbq chicken breasts to keep them moist is to brush them with extra marinade. Place them in the oven to bake. Half-way through brush them with more marinade, flip them over and brush them once again. Bake the rest of the way. This will make your chicken breasts juicy and tender.
Can other pieces of chicken be used for this recipe?
Yes. You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks. I would suggest adding more baking time if you are using bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks. Chicken parts with bone-in will take more time to cook-through.
How do you know when the chicken is done?
Use a thermometer to take internal temperature. If it reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s done.
How long does BBQ chicken stay good?
Keep your baked BBQ chicken breasts in an airtight container. Keep chicken breasts refrigerated for up to 4-5 days.
Meal prepping it:
These Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts are great for meal prep. You can either marinade them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Cook them once you are ready to serve them. You can also bake them ahead of time and have them ready for quick dinners or lunches for the week.
How to store Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts:
Place Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing BBQ Chicken Breasts:
The best way to freeze your BBQ Chicken Breasts is by placing them in the freezer before you cook them. Place BBQ chicken breasts in a gallon freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw-out in the freezer overnight, then place in the oven and bake. You can also freeze BBQ chicken breasts after baking. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw-out in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven.
Did you like this Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts recipe? You may also like these other chicken recipes:
- Balsamic Chicken with Herbed Roasted Potatoes
- Honey-Mustard Chicken and Potatoes
- Orange Rosemary Chicken
- Instant Pot Roasted Whole Chicken
Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts
These Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts are juicy, tender and moist. With a sweet, smokey and tangy flavor everyone will absolutely love. It's pretty easy to make and the secret is in the delicious and flavorful marinade. You will find yourself making this recipe over and over again.
Ingredients
- 4 large large chicken breasts
- 1 cup unsweetened bbq sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp pink sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
-
Remove any excess fat from chicken breasts and pat dry. Place chicken breast in a gallon zip bag. Set aside.
-
In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, mix together the rest of the ingredients for marinade; bbq sauce, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, avocado oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined.
-
Pour marinade over prepped chicken. Close zip bag while removing any excess air. Give chicken a good toss making sure chicken breasts are well coated with marinade. Place chicken in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour or preferably over night for more flavor.
-
Once you are ready to bake chicken, preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
While oven preheats, transfer chicken breasts to a baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the leftover marinade over chicken breasts (do not discard the rest of marinade). Place breasts in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
-
Remove chicken breasts from the oven, using tongs, flip breasts over. Brush some more marinade over the other side of breasts. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
-
Remove chicken breasts from the oven. Flip over again. If you'd like to brush chicken with one more coating of marinade you can. Just make sure you place tchicken back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes. This will kill off any bacteria left in the marinade from the raw chicken sitting in it. Remove chicken breast from the oven and allow them to cool-down a bit. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
- Use chicken breasts that are the same size– This was they will all cook evenly and you don’t end up with some breasts that are overcooked.
- Marinade chicken breasts for at least an hour– Preferably overnight. The longer you let them marinade, the more flavorful your chicken breasts will be.
- Don’t skip brushing your chicken breasts with marinade– Don’t skip doing this half-way through baking. This will add more flavor and make chicken breasts more juicy and tender.
- Unsweetened BBQ sauce– I like using unsweetened to control the amount of sugar in this recipe. Unsweetened BBQ sauce tends to be more on the tangy side which gives the chicken a good zest. You can use regular BBQ sauce too if you prefer.
- Substitute for honey– You can use maple syrup or omit all together for less sugar or if your BBQ sauce has some sugar already.
- Substitute for avocado oil– You can use refined coconut oil.
- Smoked paprika– You can use regular paprika. Smoked paprika does give BBQ chicken breasts a smokey flavor.
- Use thermometer to take internal temperature– You will know chicken breasts are done once internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
