This sticky Maple Barbecue Chicken is tender juicy and sweet. It’s prepared with ease in the oven and it chars beautifully when baked on a grill pan. To make it, an entire chicken is rubbed with barbecue seasoning then basted with a homemade barbecue sauce filled with sweet and spicy flavors. Serve it with potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw and cornbread and you’ll have the family running to the dinner table.

Easy Sticky Maple Barbecue Chicken Recipe

Chicken and barbecue just belong together. This oven barbecue chicken is one of those tried-and-true family favorites that never gets old. While the chicken bakes to juicy perfection, a sweet and smoky maple barbecue sauce simmers on the stove. In the final minutes of cooking, it’s brushed on and caramelized under high heat for that irresistible sticky, charred finish. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but flavorful and impressive enough to serve when company’s coming over.

Key ingredients to make Sticky Maple Barbecue Chicken: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

Chicken – One 4 pound whole chicken divided into 8 pieces.
Oil – Olive oil or vegetable oil helps the BBQ seasoning adhere.
Barbecue Seasoning – Use your favorite prepared store-bought barbecue seasoning mixed with light brown sugar for sweetness.
Maple Barbecue Sauce – Diced onion, butter, maple syrup. ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and the same barbecue seasoning you used for the dry rub.

How to Make the Best Sticky Maple Barbecue Chicken

Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven and spray a grill pan with cooking spray.
Season Chicken – Drizzle the chicken pieces with olive oil then rub liberally with the seasoning on all sides.
Transfer to Pan – Place skin side down on pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Make the BBQ Sauce – While the chicken is bakes sauté the minced onion in butter until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Skip this if using a prepared barbecue sauce.
Baste Chicken – Drizzle the chicken with sauce. Turn and drizzle the top with sauce.
Return to Oven – Bake per the baking time in the recipe until the juices run clear or the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Broil to Char the Sauce – Until the skin is charred.
Serve – Let stand, then serve with extra sauce on the side.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Maple BBQ Chicken

Oven safe grill pan or baking sheet lined with foil and fitted with a wire rack.
Medium saucepan.
Chopping board and knife.
Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
Pastry brush.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

Chicken – You could adapt this recipe using chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks.
Barbecue Seasoning – The grocery store spice section is filled with a variety of BBQ seasonings. I use many different kinds when I don’t have time to make my own. Some you may enjoy include Barbecue Magic, McCormick’s Smokehouse Maple, Famous Daves Kinder’s among many many more. Use a brand that you enjoy for the best result.
Barbecue Sauce – The homemade sauce is the magic for this chicken. I recommend that you simmer the sauce on the stove top while the chicken is roasting and you’ll cut down your active prep time. You could also make the sauce in advance and pop it into the fridge and keep chilled until using.
Broil to Char – Take a few minutes to turn the oven to broil at the end of cooking and the sauce will char beautifully on the chicken pieces. Don’t walk away, or it could burn.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers – Store leftover Maple Barbecue Chicken in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating – Reheat gently in the microwave, in an air fryer or on a sheet pan in a preheated 325°F oven covered with foil.

Southern Side Dishes to Serve with Barbecue Chicken

So many sides pair well with barbecue and there are some classics that are no-brainers. A few options you may like to add to the menu:

A heaping helping of Homemade Baked Beans.
Air Fryer Macaroni and Cheese can be cooking at the same time as the chicken without crowding the oven.
Chick-fil-A style Cole Slaw.
See How to Boil Corn on the Cob in a buttery milk bath.
BLT Potato Salad is practically a meal on its own.
Fun individual Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Muffins.
Pineapple Pepper Slaw from Southern Living.

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