Oven Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken

Oven-Baked Honey BBQ Chicken is moist and sticky with a punchy addictive barbecue sauce. Using the oven removes the worry of the chicken burning before it’s cooked, especially with a sticky sauce that likes to burn on the bbq.

Oven-Baked Honey BBQ Chicken is a recipe adapted from Britain’s famous Delia Smith (she with the prim cardigan sets) and failproof recipes.
We first came across this recipe when we were living in the UK in the early 90’s and a friend gave us a copy of Delia’s Complete Cookery Course.

This is a perfect recipe to serve in the middle of winter, or prep ahead for a summer barbie. This can be in the oven cooking whilst hubby burns the snags (sausages) and chops outside on the barbie. 

At a Glance This Is What You Need To Make Oven Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken

In Brief

The chicken is given a partial cook for 25 minutes after rubbing with a little lemon juice and finely chopped onion.
Meanwhile, prepare the barbeque sauce by simply mixing all of the ingredients together.
Remove the chicken and pour off any juices then cover the chicken with the barbeque sauce

Back into the oven with a couple of bastes for a further 25 minutes. Remove chicken pieces, and bubble away for a minute or so until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly and you’re ready to serve.

Can I Prepare Oven Baked Honey BBQ Chicken Ahead

You sure can. Go right ahead and prepare the chicken with the lemon juice and onion up to 1 hour in advance, any longer than that and we would suggest just having your ingredients ready and adding the lemon juice just before cooking.

Lemon being an acid will start to cook your chicken and change the texture of the meat.

Prepare the barbeque sauce and refrigerate it separately. Too easy, and perfect to prepare for a midweek meal.

What To Serve With Honey Barbeque Chicken

We love to serve this barbeque chicken with coleslaw, or salad, and potatoes.
Check out some of our sides
• No Mayo Potato Salad
• Crispy Smashed Roast New Potatoes
• Whipped Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Easy Crispy Potato Cake
• Easy Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
• Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Red And Green Apple Slaw

Best Cuts Of Chicken To Use

As always we prefer to use either drumstick, or thighs, both with skin on, and bone-in. The meat is dark, moist, and fattier, and as any good cook knows, fat is flavour.
Of course, you could use chicken breast on the bone with skin on, but for our money, the breast is often dry and stringy.

How To Reheat Chicken

Preheat oven to 160c (320f) on bake, not fan. Cover the chicken and sauce (add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce) with foil and pop into the oven for 20, or so minutes.
Of course you could microwave for 5, or so minutes

Watch How To Make Oven Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken

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Can I Freeze Leftover Honey BBQ Chicken

Quick answer is yes. Freeze pieces with sauce in an airtight container, or ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place chicken and sauce along with a few tablespoons of water in a dish that fits the pieces snugly and cover with foil. Preheat oven to 160c (320f) and place tray in the oven for 20, or so minutes till heated through.

What we’ve done in the past is to shred the meat off the bone using two forks and discard the skin. Mix the shredded chicken with leftover sauce till the meat is moist. Freeze in a ziplock bag, or airtight container.
Use the shredded Barbeque Chicken for tacos, burgers, nachos, enchiladas, or even as a pizza topping.

Don’t forget to rate this recipe and let us know what you thought when you make this fabulous Oven Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken in the reviews below. 

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Yield: serves 4 - 6

Oven Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Oven-Baked Finger Licking Honey BBQ Chicken is moist and sticky with a punchy addictive barbecue sauce. Using the oven removes the worry of the chicken burning before it's cooked, especially with a sticky sauce that likes to burn on the bbq.

Another wonderful adapted recipe from Delia Smith

Print

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumstick, thighs or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• good squeeze of fresh lemon juice (1 - 2 tbsp)
• 1 medium brown onion finely diced
• salt and freshly milled black pepper

BBQ Sauce

• 4 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 75 ml red wine - we used shiraz / 3 fl oz
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce we use Pearl River Bridge which is widely available and not overly salty
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp heaped of tomato puree
• 1 tsp heaped of ground ginger
• 1 tsp heaped of mustard powder
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

Instructions

1. preheat the oven to 200c / 400f gas mark 6 bake not fan
2. to a large bowl add the chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper mix until chicken is coated
3. mix in the onion
4. to a noncorrossive pan place chicken in a single layer - see notes

1. bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes

meanwhile prepare the sauce

1. add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine
2. when the chicken has finished the 25-minute cook, drain away any juices and fat from the pan
3. add all of the sauce to the pan ensuring that the chicken is well coated
4. return the chicken to the oven for another 25 minutes or until cooked
5. baste the chicken with the sauce several times while cooking
6. remove the chicken from the pan once it is cooked
7. place the pan over medium heat and allow to gently simmer until it has slightly reduced and thickened
8. return the chicken pieces back to the pan and coat with the sauce
9. enjoy!

Notes

as lemon juice can be corrosive it's best to use a baked enamel or glass pan