Tender Baked Barbecue Chicken
Delicious, tender baked barbecue chicken! Easy to make and very tasty. This recipe would also make great baked barbecue pork ribs! Just replace the chicken in this recipe with pork ribs.
Get rich smoky barbecue flavor using your favorite sauce. This dish is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free as long as the barbecue sauce you use is gluten-free and dairy-free!
It looks like this recipe takes forever to make, but it really doesn't. These legs marinate in a rub overnight but they only take an hour and a half in the oven. You can skip the marination step and still get good results, but I think it turns out better if you marinate it.
This chicken is browned on the stovetop and then baked in barbecue sauce, at 350°F to start out. Halfway through cooking, you turn up the heat to 425°F, this is a great opportunity to put some vegetables in to roast for a side dish. I have two sides that cook at 425°F that would pair perfectly with this tender baked barbecue chicken! One is my crispy oven fries: https://www.mapletaffyandlousytomatoes.com/recipes/crispy-oven-fries/ and the other are my easy gluten-free onion rings: https://www.mapletaffyandlousytomatoes.com/recipes/easy-gluten-free-onion-rings/
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp whiskey (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 tbsp oil
Chicken Rub
Instructions
Measure all of the chicken rub ingredients into a small container and mix well. They'll combine to form a thick paste.- Place the chicken legs onto a plate and evenly distribute bits of the paste on top of the chicken.
Rub the paste all over the chicken, it will take a little time before it spreads well so be patient! - Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (optional).
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe pan on medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray and place chicken in the pan.
Brown on all sides. While chicken is browning measure out the 1/3 cup of water and optional whisky. 
Remove chicken from the pan and deglaze with the water and whisky if using. Add the barbecue sauce and mix well. Add the chicken back into the pan. - Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven. Turn the heat up to 425 degrees. Flip the chicken over and place back in the oven, uncovered. Bake for another 40 minutes. 
Spoon extra sauce over the chicken to serve and enjoy!