Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs

5 from 5 votes

Sweet and spicy Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs are a breeze to make in your oven for a quick, budget-friendly weeknight meal year-round or a gathering with friends. You can whip up the Apricot Chipotle Barbecue Sauce in just a few minutes using your favorite barbecue sauce for finger-licking goodness!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken and Turkey

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs on the bone with the skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apricot jam
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
3/4 cup barbecue sauce basic without added flavorings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small rimmed sheet pan with nonstick aluminum foil. (You may also use a ceramic baking dish--you want something easy to clean.)
Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on the sheet pan (or baking dish). Season with salt and black pepper.
Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the apricot jam and cider vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat for 20 seconds on HIGH. Stir and heat again for 10-15 seconds or until the jam is melted and the jam and vinegar can be easily combined.
Remove all the seeds from the chipotle pepper (wear gloves if necessary). Finely chop the chipotle then mash the chipotle with the blade of a large knife such as a chef's knife until you have somewhat of a paste. Add it and the adobo sauce to the melted jam/vinegar combination then stir in the barbecue sauce.
When the chicken has cooked for 45 minutes, drain the excess liquid and fat from the pan.
Check the temperature of the chicken. It should be 165 degrees in the center of each thigh or the juices should run clear.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Brush each chicken thigh with a generous amount of the Apricot Chipotle Barbecue Sauce.
Return the chicken to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

You can also use drumsticks, a combination, whole leg portions, boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
You can also use peach preserves.

TIPS:

Bone-in chicken thighs take longer to cook than boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Be sure not to touch the bone when checking the temperature. The bone retains more heat, resulting in an inaccurate temperature reading. Consequently, the meat may not have reached the required safe internal temperature of 165 in the case of chicken.
You can also combine the barbecue sauce with a mini food processor.

Nutrition