Barbecue chicken legs cooked in the oven are an easy and delicious way to enjoy juicy, flavorful chicken at home. Baking the chicken legs allows the meat to become tender and soak up the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. With minimal preparation needed, baked barbecue chicken legs make for a quick weeknight dinner or easy meal for a crowd. Follow this simple guide to learn how to make baked bbq chicken legs that will be a hit at your next backyard cookout or casual family dinner.
Ingredients Needed
Making baked barbecue chicken legs starts with gathering a few simple ingredients:
- Chicken legs – Look for a pack of 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs. Chicken thighs or drumsticks also work well.
- Barbecue sauce – Use your favorite prepared bbq sauce or make your own. Sweet tomato-based sauces pair well with chicken.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder are great basic seasonings for chicken.
- Olive oil or vegetable oil – Use a light coating of oil to help the seasoning stick to the chicken.
- Aluminum foil – Covering the baking sheet with foil makes cleanup easy.
- Optional ingredients – Honey, brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, and spices like cayenne, thyme, and oregano can also be used to flavor the chicken.
Prep the Chicken Legs
Prepare the chicken legs for baking:
- Wash chicken – Rinse the chicken legs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure the chicken is dry before seasoning.
- Trim excess fat – Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to trim off any large chunks of fat from the chicken legs.
- Season both sides – Generously season both sides of the chicken legs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. Rub the seasonings into the meat.
- Coat with oil – Use your hands or a brush to lightly coat the chicken all over with a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil. This helps the seasonings stick.
- Allow to come to room temperature – Let the seasoned chicken legs sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before baking. This helps them cook more evenly.
Make the Barbecue Sauce
While the chicken comes to room temperature, make your barbecue sauce:
- Choose a sauce recipe – Pick a homemade or ready-made barbecue sauce. Sweet, tangy tomato-based sauces work well.
- Whisk together ingredients – For homemade sauce, whisk together ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, and mustard.
- Simmer on stove – For the most flavorful homemade sauce, simmer it on the stove for 15-20 minutes to meld flavors.
- Adjust consistency if needed – Thin homemade sauce with water, broth, or apple cider if too thick. Thicken with cornstarch if too thin.
- Test and adjust flavor – Before using barbecue sauce on chicken, test and adjust flavors as needed. Add more brown sugar for sweetness or vinegar for tang.
Bake the Chicken
Once the chicken legs are prepped and sauce is ready, it’s time to bake:
- Preheat oven – Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line baking sheet – Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Coat foil with nonstick spray.
- Arrange chicken on sheet – Place seasoned chicken legs skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Space them evenly.
- Bake uncovered – Bake chicken for 30 minutes uncovered. This helps the skin get crispy.
- Brush with some of the sauce – Remove sheet from oven after 30 minutes. Use a basting brush to coat chicken legs with a light layer of barbecue sauce.
- Bake for 15 more minutes – Return chicken legs to oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Brush again with sauce – Remove from oven after 45 minutes total bake time. Brush chicken legs with another layer of barbecue sauce.
- Broil to finish – Set oven to broil for 3-5 minutes. This gives the sauce a nice caramelized coating. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Let rest 5 minutes – Remove finished chicken from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Baked barbecue chicken legs pair well with various sides:
- Baked beans – Traditional bbq beans seasoned with brown sugar are a perfect match.
- Coleslaw – Cool, creamy coleslaw balances the saucy chicken legs.
- Corn on the cob – Grilled or roasted corn is a summery bbq side.
- Mac and cheese – Cheesy macaroni or baked macaroni and cheese make comforting sides.
- Potato salad – Creamy potato salad adds texture and flavor contrast.
- Biscuits or cornbread – Buttery biscuits or sweet cornbread soak up the sauce nicely.
- Green salad – A fresh green salad with vinaigrette dressing cuts the richness.
- Vegetable skewers – Grilled veggies like peppers, onions, and zucchini complement the chicken.
Recipe Variations
There are lots of ways to customize baked barbecue chicken legs:
- Use different sauces – Substitute your favorite bbq sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey mustard, or other sauce flavors.
- Marinate chicken – Soak chicken in sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, or spices for added flavor.
- Coat with dry rub – For a crispy coating, coat chicken with a dry bbq rub instead of plain seasoning.
- Add sauce ingredients – Sprinkle extra chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, or brown sugar over coated chicken before baking.
- Toast flavors – Make sauce more robust by sautéing ingredients like onion, garlic, celery, and peppers before mixing.
- Use boneless chicken – This recipe works well with boneless chicken thighs too. Shorten bake time.
- Try chicken wings – Bake saucy bbq wings using the same method.
- Make chicken kebabs – Assemble bbq chicken and veggies on skewers for grilling.
- Use a slow cooker – For fall-off-the-bone tender chicken, cook legs low and slow in a slow cooker with sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to some common questions about making baked barbecue chicken legs:
Should the chicken legs be skin-on or skinless?
Cooking the chicken legs skin-on helps keep the meat juicy and adds crispy texture and flavor. However, the legs can be made skinless for a healthier option. Bake skinless legs for a shorter time to prevent drying out.
What bbq sauce is best for baked chicken legs?
Sweet tomato-based barbecue sauces pair especially well with chicken. Ketchup with added spices and sweeteners like brown sugar makes an easy homemade sauce. Store-bought sauces like Sweet Baby Ray’s are also excellent on baked chicken legs.
What temperature should I bake bbq chicken legs at?
Baking at 375°F is ideal for ensuring the chicken legs cook through fully while getting nice and browned on the outside. Bump up the heat at the end to broil and caramelize the sauce coating.
How long does it take to bake bbq chicken legs?
Total bake time is approximately 45-50 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, then brush with sauce and bake 15 more minutes. Finish under the broiler just until sauce bubbles and browns lightly.
Can I use a rack when baking chicken legs?
Yes, you can place the chicken legs on a wire cooling rack set on the baking sheet. The rack allows air flow to circulate under the chicken for even cooking and extra crispy skin.
Can I bake bbq chicken legs ahead of time?
It’s best to bake the chicken right before serving, but leftovers will keep well. Store baked chicken legs with sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently before serving.
Tips for Juicy Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
Using these tips will help ensure your baked barbecue chicken legs turn out juicy, saucy, and full of flavor:
- Pat the chicken legs very dry before seasoning so the coating sticks. Damp chicken legs won’t crisp up as nicely.
- Allow seasoned chicken legs to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before baking. Cold chicken from the fridge takes longer to cook through.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check doneness. Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 165°F internally.
- Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet. Give chicken legs space for heat to circulate and cook evenly.
- Brush on barbecue sauce in thin coats toward the end of baking time. Too much sauce too soon can burn.
- Let chicken legs rest 5 minutes before eating. This allows juices to reabsorb for moist, tender meat.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge, not at room temperature. Reheat leftover chicken legs in a 350°F oven or microwave until heated through.
Enjoy Delicious Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
Baked barbecue chicken legs make for a quick and easy dinner the whole family will love. The sweet and tangy sauce coats the juicy, tender chicken for full-on flavor. Serve up these saucy oven-baked chicken legs hot from the oven alongside classic barbecue sides. Leftovers also make great sandwiches, wraps, salads, and meal prep lunches. With this handy how-to guide, you can now confidently make your own mouthwatering baked bbq chicken legs anytime.