Easy One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs, with sauce that reduces down to make sweet, savory, tender chicken thighs! Serve with rice!

Ready for an easy recipe today? This One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs recipe doesn’t require you to buy barbecue sauce!

Make your own sauce that simply reduces down in the pan to make perfectly tender, sweet, and savory chicken thighs.

One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs

Pop this pot in the oven, and get rice cooking for a side dish. You can try my Best Parmesan Basil Brown Rice Recipe.

Better yet, serve it with “lettuce-wrap” ingredients!

Perfect for a Monday!

Once-a-week menu item

This could be your “once a week” meal, which means, put it on your weekly rotation. It’s that good and easy.

I recently read about a family that serves spaghetti and meatballs once a week and invites people over. Their guests can bring bread or salad or dessert, but this family just serves the spaghetti meal.

I loved the idea so much. [Here’s a fun Spaghetti and Meatballs Epic Dinner Board idea!]

Friends, just make something simple and offer a way for people to come together and connect!

Expectations when hosting

Today I’m talking about expectations. Not on my part, but worrying what others’ think. We live in a small, mountain home. It’s cozy and comfortable, but thankfully nobody expects anything fancy over here!

When I think about hosting, especially an easy recipe like this One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs, I smile. Not only do our guests get to fill their stomachs, but when you serve casual meals, everyone seems to relax a bit more.

We definitely have guests over to our place way more often than we get invited out, but I’m okay with that. I don’t host to get an invite in return. Do you?

Reciprocation … expected or not?

I realize people have hang-ups when it comes to hosting, and people are often shy. But when pride and selfishness get in the way, it really hinders blessings. I do believe people need to reach out more.

Here’s my hope: When people see that our house is imperfect, small, and not always put together 100%, I hope that it gives them a small hope. A hope that says, I can do this. And when I cook a simple meal, that helps, too.

It gives courage to others that they don’t need to make everything so fancy.

My hope is also that when people come to our home, there is enough of a relaxed feeling to want to reciprocate!

What are your thoughts about reciprocation? Do you host to get an invite in return?

How to serve lettuce-wrap chicken thighs

Like I mentioned above, serve the chicken with rice or potatoes, a big salad, and hot crunchy bread.

Or make lettuce wrapes!

Serve chicken with iceberg lettuce, pickles, and cole slaw for a healthy lunch, or on buns for barbecue chicken sandwiches.

Delicious with so many options!

Happy hosting!

No ratings yet
Leave a Review

Get the Recipe:

One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 28 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 6
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients
 

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1/8 cup molasses
  • 1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Chicken

  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
  • Salt
  • 1/4 scant cup oil for searing

For serving:

  • Iceberg lettuce or buns
  • Ears of corn
  • Cole slaw/ Cabbage
  • Pickles

Instructions
 

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, mustard, chicken broth, and salt. Whisk until combined and sugar has mostly dissolved. Set aside.
  • Wash, trim, and dry your chicken thighs. Salt each side and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat on high. When oil is hot and shimmery, add in chicken, and sear until meat has browned slightly—2-3 minutes each side. (Note, allow the chicken to naturally release from the pan, rather than tearing it off with a spatula).
  • After chicken is done searing, add in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow chicken to simmer for 25 minutes. When the chicken is done cooking, the sauce will be thickened and reduced in volume significantly.
  • Serve chicken with iceberg lettuce, pickles, and cole slaw for a healthy lunch, or on buns for barbecue chicken sandwiches. Enjoy!
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer
Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!