Easiest Baked BBQ Split Chicken Breast

With just two ingredients, you can have a moist and tasty dinner with this simple method for a great baked BBQ split chicken breast. This requires a cooking skill level of 2/10. You can do it.

Jump to:

• 🐓Split Chicken Breasts
• ✔️Tips
• 📖Split Chicken Recipes
• 🔪Instructions
• 📖 Recipe

Introduction and My Rating

It doesn't get simpler than this. Preheat oven. Cut chicken. Bake Chicken. Baste with sauce—Cook a few more minutes. Baste and serve with guaranteed results.

This recipe is somewhat inspired by a Pioneer Woman post or at least a little of the method, and the idea of having BBQ chicken was. I had the chicken but wanted something different.

I haven't made any Memphis BBQ sauce this spring, so her method (kind of) and my sauce. Yep, it worked just fine.

My Rating

This could be a five if you really love BBQ.

🐓Split Chicken Breasts

Split chicken breasts are also known as skin-on bone-in chicken breasts. They are called split chicken breasts because, during processing, the entire breast is removed with some ribs. It is then "split" down the middle of the breast bone to produce two pieces. Many people feel they have more taste and moisture than the skinless boneless variety.

If there is a “secret,” it is how to prepare a split chicken breast for cooking.

Step one is cutting off the attached rib section. There is no meat; it takes seasoning and tends to burn. Not a must-do but a nice touch.

Step two is to cut it into two or three pieces. Trying to cook the whole thing at one will almost always burn it on the outside before reaching a safe 165 internal temperature.

✔️Tips

Be sure to cut the chicken into more reasonable size pieces for both cooking and serving reasons.

Since the sauce is providing all the seasoning, there is no reason for another seasoning. Also, oil is not needed.

We no longer recommend washing chicken, just a good pat dry is all that is needed. For more information, please see Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse?

Use the BBQ sauce of your choice. I used my My Memphis BBQ Sauce, which I love. Cooks Illustrated likes Bulls Eye Original. My Gates BBQ of KC sauce would also be great.

📖Split Chicken Recipes

Simple Grilled BBQ Split Chicken Breast

Crispy Baked Split Chicken Breasts

Oven Baked Mayonnaise Parmesan Split Chicken Breasts

🔪Instructions

Start with preheating the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. I started my Memphis sauce at the same time. You may leave the ribs or remove them, your choice.

Trim and split your split skin-on bone-in chicken breasts.  Pat dry. (Image still has ribs attached.)

Prepare a smaller baking pan with aluminum foil (to help clean up) and a cooking rack sprayed with PAM. If you don't have a rack, you can skip it.

Arrange the breast with the thicker parts of each piece to the outside of the pan. (Image still has ribs attached.)

Bake until internal temp of 160°. That will be about 40 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the breasts. Remove from oven and brush on a coat of sauce. Place back in for another 5 minutes. Double-check that the internal temperature of the chicken is now at least 165° before removing.

Remove from oven and apply another coat of sauce. Serve.

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📖 Recipe

Easiest Baked BBQ Split Chicken Breasts

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

With just two ingredients, you can have a moist and tasty dinner with this simple method for a great baked BBQ split chicken breast. This requires a cooking skill level of 2/10. You can do it.

3.85 from 46 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

Ingredients

US CustomaryConvert to Metric

• 2 split chicken breast
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce of choice

Instructions

 

• Start with preheating the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. I started my Memphis sauce at the same time. You may leave the ribs or remove them, your choice.
• Trim and split your split skin-on bone-in chicken breasts.  Pat dry.
• Prepare a smaller baking pan with aluminum foil (to help clean up) and a cooking rack sprayed with PAM. If you don't have a rack, you can skip it.
• Arrange the breast with the thicker parts of each piece to the outside of the pan.
• Bake until internal temp of 160°. That will be about 40 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the breasts. Remove from oven and brush on a coat of sauce. Place back in for another 5 minutes. Double-check that the internal temperature of the chicken is now at least 165° before removing.
• Remove from oven and apply another coat of sauce.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

1. Obviously, scale to the amount you need.
2. Use a sauce you love. I usually use my Memphis sauce.
3. No other seasoning is needed.
4. The rack is nice to use but not required. Just a good coat of PAM on the foil will do.
5. Arrange the chicken with the thickest part to the outside of the tray. This will help a lot in even cooking.
6. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Can be frozen but really, just freeze the raw chicken and cook fresh when you want.
7. I never brine skin on chicken breasts. They stay very moist anyway.
8. Just pat dry the breasts. For safety, we do not recommend rinsing chicken.

Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don't miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Serving : 100gCalories : 217kcalCarbohydrates : 15gProtein : 19gFat : 9gSaturated Fat : 2gCholesterol : 58mgSodium : 424mgPotassium : 282mgFiber : 1gSugar : 12gVitamin A : 155IUVitamin C : 1mgCalcium : 22mgIron : 1mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Main|Main Course

Cuisine :American

Editor's note: Originally published May 21, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos and a table of contents to help navigation.