Roasted Peach BBQ Chicken (Printable Version)

Juicy chicken thighs baked in sweet, smoky peach BBQ sauce with caramelized peach slices for a summery main dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Roasted Peach BBQ Sauce

05 - 2 large ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
06 - 1/2 cup ketchup
07 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons honey
09 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
14 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

→ Topping & Garnish

15 - 1 large peach, sliced
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and season evenly with kosher salt and black pepper. Arrange in the prepared baking dish, skin-side up.
03 - In a small saucepan, combine the 2 sliced peaches, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the peaches are completely soft. Puree with an immersion blender or transfer to a standard blender and blend until smooth.
04 - Pour half of the peach BBQ sauce over the chicken thighs, spreading to coat each piece evenly. Arrange the remaining fresh peach slices around and on top of the chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
05 - Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the skin is deeply caramelized. For extra browning, broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end of baking.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley if desired. Serve with the reserved peach BBQ sauce on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The peach sauce caramelizes into something that tastes like you spent all day tending a smoker when you really just opened a can of ketchup and simmered some fruit.
  • It uses one baking dish and one saucepan, which means you get the glory of a summer feast without the mountain of dishes.
02 -
  • If your peaches are rock hard the sauce will taste flat and watery, so either wait a day or two or microwave them for thirty seconds to soften them up before cooking.
  • Do not skip the resting step because cutting into the chicken immediately lets all those juices run out and you lose half the moisture you worked so hard to build.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels before seasoning because any moisture on the skin prevents it from crisping up properly.
  • Let the sauce cool for five minutes before blending because hot peach sauce splattered on your wrist is a mistake you only make once.

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