I thought for my first post I would share a great recipe for baked ‘BBQ’ chicken. I found this simple approach to getting the sticky, gooey mess I love about BBQ food without the fuss of a grill. I hope you enjoy it!

Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

• Chicken Legs or Thighs (the bone-in, dark meat is juicer than boneless chicken breast.)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Sweet Heat BBQ sauce 

Preparation

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Lay out ckicken on a rimmed, foil covered baking sheet
  • Brush meat with olive oil all over
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper all over
  • Set timer and bake for 20 minutes
• Pull Chicken from oven
  • Brush chicken all over with BBQ sauce and bake for 7 minutes
  • Repeat once more and check internal temperature. If you have reached 160 degrees, allow chicken to rest
  • If needed, brush chicken with sauce once more and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes
• For the final round of baking, check the chicken’s temperature to be sure it hasn’t already passed 160°F. If your chicken often turns out dry or chewy, you’re overcooking it. Remember, meat continues to cook after it’s removed from the oven. That’s why recipes tell you to let it “rest”—the internal heat finishes the job.
  In our world of paranoia about bacteria and food poisoning, it’s tempting to overcook meat. But the truth is, overcooked meat tastes terrible. 165°F is all you need. Respect the internal temperature, and let the meat rest.

If you don’t feel like making a big meal, these are delightful to eat with a loaf of fresh bread.

Nom on,

~Crunchy