Want to know what the key to a really good barbecue sauce truly is? Make sure it is Sweet and give it some Heat! I just love making Baked Barbecue Chicken Breasts with my very own easy and delicious homemade barbecue sauce. This chicken for sure hits the spot!

Barbecue Chicken is a dish I have been eating since I was very young and I always looked forward to dinner when I knew it was on the menu. Whenever I make this dinner, I always make extra sauce since I like extra saucy Barbecue Chicken. This barbecue sauce recipe yields enough sauce for extra dipping and finger licking! This is a wonderful dinner to serve to 4-6 people. Any leftovers can be shredded up, tossed with any leftover barbecue sauce and made into a sandwich to have for lunch the next day. Trust me, it is fantastic that way! 

Print

Baked Barbecue Chicken Breasts

Recipe by Recipe Helper

Course: DinnerDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Chicken Breasts:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• salt and pepper to taste

• For the Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 teaspoons hickory liquid smoke

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C).
• Season chicken breasts generously with olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
• Over medium-high heat, sear chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. 
• Transfer chicken breast to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Next, in a medium sized bowl, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. 
• After 15 minutes, remove chicken breasts from the oven and toss them in the barbecue sauce.
• Place chicken back in the oven for an additional 2 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

• This recipe works with various cuts of chicken, but the cooking time will vary slightly.

For this recipe, I like to use boneless and skinless chicken breasts. The best way to make this barbecue chicken is to first start by seasoning the chicken breasts. I like to do this as the first step so that the chicken can marinate for a little bit while I make the barbecue sauce. Of course, you are welcome to marinate the chicken overnight, but the barbecue sauce for this recipe is certainly the star so there is no need to do so.

I find that this recipe works best with thick chicken breast cutlets as opposed to thinly sliced cutlets. The chicken stays juicy and tender this way and the barbecue sauce penetrates the chicken breasts just how it should. Every single layer of this chicken dish is flavored. 

Making the barbecue sauce is fun and easy! Simply get out a medium sized bowl and mix together: ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, hickory liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. If you have never used liquid smoke then once you do with this recipe you just might be hooked. 

I first sear the seasoned chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side. This helps them to get a bit browned so they can have a nice flavor along with a beautiful outward appearance. After that, into a 425° F oven they go for about 15 minutes. Finally, they are slathered in the homemade barbecue toss and put into the oven once more for an additional 2 minutes. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving and enjoying with your favorite sides and fixings.

I hope you enjoy these Barbecue Chicken Breasts!

-Madison