Easy BBQ Dry Rub Chicken Recipe (Oven, Air Fryer, or Grill)

Here we use sweet, smoky, savory BBQ seasoning as a dry rub for chicken for deep barbecue flavor without having to fire up the grill.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Dry Rub Barbecue Chicken, Dry Rub BBQ Chicken, Dry Rub BBQ Chicken Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 297kcal

Olive oil cooking spray
2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (2 pounds is about 6 to 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs; see Notes)
2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning (see Notes)

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking tray with a wire rack.
Season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and then arrange them spaced evenly apart on the wire rack with the skin side facing down. Lightly spray the bottom of each thigh with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning on each. Flip them over and lightly spray the top of each with cooking spray and sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon of seasoning on each. Use your fingers to rub the spice mix in.
Bake. Bake until the chicken is fully cooked, about 35 to 45 minutes. (TIP: Dark meat chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 175F.)

Storage: Let the chicken cool to room temperature, and then store it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Oil: If you're using boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, a light coating of oil ensures the spices stick. However, if you're using chicken with the skin on, you can skip the oil if you like. Oil serves a couple purposes here: 1) it acts like "glue" and helps the spice blend stick to the chicken, and 2) it helps keep the chicken moist as it bakes. However, even after patting the chicken skin dry, the skin has enough moisture to make the spices stick and enough fat to keep the chicken moist as it roasts.
Chicken: You aren't limited to bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs here. You can use thighs, breasts, or any kind of chicken you have on hand and adjust the roasting time accordingly.
BBQ Seasoning: I use my homemade BBQ spice mix for this recipe. You can use any spice mix you like, and feel free to add more or less than I use.
Net Carbs: 3 grams per serving. To reduce the carbs further, you can make your own spice mix with keto brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar.