Name: Southern Baked BBQ Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (or 6 chicken pieces); 2 tablespoons seasoning salt; 2 tablespoons garlic & herb seasoning (Weber Seasoning Roasted Garlic & Herb, or similar); 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce (Homemade BBQ sauce recipe HERE!); ½ cup BBQ sauce (To baste the chicken after cooking)

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No, you don’t have to go to a restaurant when you crave Southern BBQ.

Thanks to this easy soul food Southern baked BBQ chicken recipe, you can bring the same deliciousness of savory BBQ flavors home to your kitchen.

Is BBQ chicken soul food?

Chicken, especially fried chicken, is a food thrown on the doorsteps of Black people as a way to identify us. But, of course, you know, African Americans didn’t invent the chicken, LOL! We just perfected seasoning it!

This is the same for a Southern baked BBQ chicken recipe. There is a legacy of making chicken—fried, BBQ, or perfectly seasoned any other way. It’s a soul food specialty.

Ingredients

This classic recipe embraces Southern soul food traditions and an understanding of the essence of BBQ chicken. Starting with a selection of quality ingredients like Famous Dave’s seasoning and Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb for effortless seasoning and flavor. Mastering these simple techniques ensures a dish that resonates with Southern cooking’s rich history.

Measurements can be found in the printable recipe card below.

6 chicken pieces or a whole chicken cut: The foundation of any Southern BBQ chicken dish. These pieces soak up all the flavors you introduce. (Pro tip: Bone-in chicken is traditionally used in this BBQ recipe. However, you can use this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or wings.)
Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning: A spice blend that infuses your chicken with aromatic flavor, crucial for authentic Southern soul food chicken and BBQ recipes.
Weber Seasoning, Roasted Garlic & Herb: Adds a savory depth with roasted garlic and herbs, elevating the flavor complexity.
BBQ sauce: The finishing touch unites all the flavors under a sweet, tangy, and smoky banner, making each bite unforgettable.

Southern Soul Food BBQ Chicken Recipe by The Soul Food Pot

What makes this the best BBQ Chicken?

Pro tip: When cooking any chicken, barbecued, roasted, fried, air fried – make sure your chicken is seasoned first because this dish is steeped in a tradition of flavor. A Southern soul food culinary masterpiece that hinges on a symphony of spices, each playing its part to create a taste unlike any other.

It was through years of perfecting techniques and sauces that the distinct Southern barbecue flavor was born. Casting the right ingredients into the mix is crucial for hitting those high-taste notes. Thus, the foundation of this classic dish is seasoning the meat.

How to bake Southern BBQ chicken

Southern baked BBQ chicken is a flavorful Deep South recipe. Soul food seasoned chicken doused in sweet, sticky, saucy BBQ.

You can get your fix of Southern barbecue sauce flavor without leaving the comfort of your home—no matter where in the country you live!

Follow the easy instructions below for soul food seasoned BBQ chicken. Despite its simplicity, this Southern soul food recipe packs a punch!

Step-by-step guided instructions with pictures can be found in the printable recipe card below.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Pro tip: You can also cook this Southern BBQ baked chicken recipe on the grill.)
Mix the chicken seasoning and the garlic & herb seasoning in a bowl.
Rub the seasoning mixture on the chicken pieces to coat them.
Coat the chicken with the BBQ sauce with a basting brush.
Place the chicken on the baking sheet and into the oven.
Halfway through baking, flip the chicken over and return to baking.
Coat the cooked chicken with a second brushing of BBQ sauce.
Optionally, broil the chicken or air fry for a nice smokey char.
Serve and enjoy!

When to flip BBQ chicken

Halfway through baking, after about 10 minutes, flip the chicken over and return to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

How to know when baked BBQ chicken is done

Chicken is done when the inside temperature reaches 165 degrees. 175 degrees F for chicken breasts, which are the thicker pieces. You can easily use a thermometer to determine the internal temp.

Southern sides to serve with baked BBQ chicken

Favorite soul food sides to pair with Southern baked BBQ chicken, especially for a cookout or BBQ menu, include Southern soul food baked beans, Southern coleslaw, Southern potato salad, and a Southern macaroni salad recipe.