BBQ Chicken Breast in Oven (Sticky Chicken Recipe)

The sweet homemade barbecue sauce for this BBQ Chicken Breast in Oven recipe is AH-mazing, y’all. Made with the finger-lickin’ combination of honey, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder, it makes the most sensational sticky chicken dish. With my little trick, even boneless, skinless chicken breasts come out incredibly moist every time!

Spooning BBQ sauce over chicken breast in a glass baking dish with text overlay.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: BBQ Chicken Breast in Oven
Ready In: 80 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Main Ingredients: boneless skinless chicken breasts, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, flour
Why You'll Love It: The homemade barbecue sauce (with honey and soy) for this BBQ chicken breast in oven recipe makes the most finger-lickin' sticky chicken.

Never-Dry Oven BBQ Chicken Breast

Now, I’ve shared a sticky chicken recipe before on Southern Plate. However, the original recipe requires bone-in, skin-on chicken breast. The skin was key to helping the sticky sauce cling to the chicken.

I’ve since modified the recipe with a little trick (which will be revealed below) that makes it work with boneless skinless chicken breasts because we all know they are everyone’s favorite. They are easier (and often cheaper) to find these days. I personally always have them in my freezer.

This BBQ chicken breast in oven recipe includes a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce that’s going to blow you away! It includes an enticing combination of honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ketchup. The boneless sticky chicken comes out nice and moist and irresistibly saucy.

Reader Rating

“Made this for dinner and wow!! This is delicious. My family enjoyed every bite. Thank you for another amazing recipe!” – Kate

BBQ chicken breast in oven ingredients include boneless, skinless chicken breast, honey, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic powder, and all-purpose flour.

Recipe Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Honey
Brown sugar
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
All-purpose flour (self-rising flour will do just fine if that is what you have!)

My Tips for Perfectly Juicy BBQ Chicken Breast

When you’re heating the sauce, whether in the microwave or in a saucepan, just warm it until the brown sugar dissolves, and it’s smooth. You don’t need to bring it to a full boil.
When you dip the chicken in flour, make sure to shake off any excess before placing it in the dish. A light coating is all you need!
Letting the chicken rest for five minutes before serving really makes a difference. It helps redistribute the juices, making the chicken more tender and flavorful. I usually baste it one last time right before I serve it.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Breast in the Oven

1. Preheat the Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and greasing a 9×13 baking dish.

2. Prepare BBQ Sauce

Next, place all of the BBQ sauce ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup and stir well.

Collage of step-by-step instructions for making sticky BBQ sauce.

Then place this in the microwave or a small saucepot.

If using the microwave: Heat for one minute and stir. Repeat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and well blended.
If using a saucepot: Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes hot enough to blend together well with no lumps.

Pour just a bit of this wonderful sauce in the bottom of your prepared baking dish and spread to coat the bottom.

A glass baking dish with BBQ sauce covering the bottom beside raw chicken breast and a measuring cup of BBQ sauce.

3. Add Chicken

Now place your flour in a shallow bowl. Press each side of each chicken breast into that so that it is lightly coated.

Then place these in your baking dish. Spoon the remaining barbecue sauce right over the top of your chicken.

Flour coated chicken breast in a baking dish with BBQ sauce coating the bottom.

Chicken breast in a glass baking dish coated in sticky BBQ sauce ready to bake.

4. Bake

Place the chicken uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes.

Once done, take it out and carefully flip the chicken pieces over. Spoon more of that sauce from the pan over them, then pop it back in the oven for another 15-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. I like to baste it one more time while it’s in the oven.

5. Baste & Serve

Once it’s done, take it out and give it another good basting with that sauce (don’t put it back in the oven, though!). Let it sit for about five minutes, baste it one last time, and then it’s ready to serve.

BBQ chicken breast served with yellow rice.

Sides I Like to Pair with BBQ Chicken

I like to serve my baked chicken breast with yellow rice or mashed potatoes so you can spoon some of that delicious BBQ sauce over them! For an epic summer cookout feast, it would also be amazing with some baked Velveeta mac and cheese, loaded baked potato salad, or red beans and rice.

Storage

Store leftover boneless sticky chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until warm. You can also freeze them for up to 4 weeks; just be sure to thaw them in the fridge before reheating.

BBQ Chicken Breast in Oven FAQs

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Yes, you can! Chicken thighs are a great substitute and turn out super juicy. Just keep in mind that they might need a slightly different cooking time, so I’d recommend using a meat thermometer to check that they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

Yes, this boneless sticky chicken is a great recipe to prep in advance. You can make the sauce and store it in the fridge for a few days. When you’re ready to bake, just give the sauce a good stir, coat your chicken, and pop it in the oven. It makes weeknight dinners so much easier!

How do you barbecue chicken breast without drying it out?

For the juiciest chicken breast recipes, I always pound them to an even thickness before cooking. If I have a little extra time, I’ll marinate or brine it first. Another big tip is to let the chicken rest for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven. This helps all those delicious juices settle back into the meat.

I hope your family and friends love this baked BBQ chicken breast recipe as much as mine does! Leave a rating and a comment below. I’d love to hear how it went!