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

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

One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs

Make your own sauce that simply reduces down in the pan to make perfectly tender, sweet, and savory chicken thighs. You can also try out One Pot Lemongrass Chicken Thighs (delish).

Why we love this recipe

  • Delicous one-pot weeknight meal
  • Toss it in the oven and let it cook
  • Makes great chicken for a main entree, chicken wraps, or chicken burgers

Ingredients for One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs

For the sauce and chicken:

  • Ketchup
  • Brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • Molasses
  • Dijon mustard
  • Chicken stock
  • Kosher salt
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
  • Salt
  • Oil

What to serve with the chicken:

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

How do you make homemade barbecue sauce chicken?

  1. 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.
  2. Wash, trim, and dry your chicken thighs. Salt each side and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.

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!

How to serve lettuce-wrap 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.

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

Delicious with so many options!

Happy hosting!

More one-pot recipes to try:

Paprika Sweet Potato Chicken Thighs

One Pot Creamy Sausage Pasta

One Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup

And this One Pan Chicken and Spinach Orzo

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Get the Recipe:

One Pan Barbecue Sauce Chicken Thighs

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Yield: 6
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Ingredients
 

Sauce

  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • cup molasses
  • ½ Tbsp dijon mustard
  • cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Chicken

  • 1 ½ lb chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
  • Salt
  • ¼ 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
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