Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts
Juicy, tender chicken breasts coated in a smoky spice rub, then brushed with layers of sweet and tangy BBQ sauce and baked until perfectly caramelized. A fast, family-friendly dinner that requires almost zero effort.
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (plus about 1 tablespoon more to grease the pan)
- 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (store-bought or homemade; low-sugar works great)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a casserole dish with about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.
- Place the chicken breasts into a large Ziploc bag. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and white pepper. Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is fully coated.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and arrange it in the prepared baking dish. Brush each breast generously with half of the BBQ sauce (about ½ cup).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove from the oven. Carefully flip each chicken breast to the other side. Brush the top side again with more BBQ sauce.
- Return to the oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Total bake time is 40–50 minutes depending on the size of the chicken and your oven.
- Remove from the oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.
Notes
- Choose chicken breasts that are similar in size so they bake evenly.
- You can marinate the seasoned chicken in the Ziploc bag overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor and faster prep the next day.
- Smoked paprika is highly recommended over regular paprika - it adds a beautiful depth of flavor.
- Substitute avocado oil with olive oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil if needed.
- Substitute white pepper with black pepper if needed.
- Always use a meat thermometer. 165°F internal temperature is your goal - not the timer.
- For the last 20 minutes, you can add rinsed and seasoned broccoli florets or green beans to the pan to make this a one-dish meal.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Calories: 429 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1672mg | Potassium: 938mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1361 IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only.