Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs (High-Protein, Keto and GLP-1 Diet Approved)

Ingredients

Chicken:

6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or verified avocado oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper

Glaze:

½ cup homemade low-carb BBQ sauce or Yo Mama's No Sugar Added Classic BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper middle. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. The sauce drips and the foil saves the scrubbing.
Set a wire rack on the pan if you have one. Air circulates under the thighs and the bottoms stay crisp instead of sitting in rendered fat.
Pat the chicken thighs completely dry. Wet skin steams instead of crisping, and this step decides the texture.
Season the chicken. Rub the thighs with the oil, then the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Arrange them skin side up with space between each one.
Roast 30 minutes. No sauce yet. The skin should be golden and starting to crisp.
Brush on the first coat of sauce. Coat the tops of the thighs generously. Roast 8 more minutes.
Brush on the second coat and broil 2 to 3 minutes. Watch it closely. Two minutes gives you a lacquered glaze. Four minutes gives you charcoal.
Check the temperature. The thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, should read at least 175°F for the best texture.
Rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Ingredient Notes

Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on is the whole point here. Boneless thighs work with a shorter cook time, covered in Variations below.

Oil: Extra virgin olive oil handles 425°F on a sheet pan just fine. Avocado oil works too. Skip canola, soybean, and "vegetable" oil.

Sauce: Yo Mama's comes in Classic and Hickory. Either one works here, and Hickory leans smokier. If a sauce runs thick, loosen it with a teaspoon of water before brushing.

Smoked paprika: This carries the smoke flavor without a grill. Sweet paprika works, the result is just milder.

Nutrition