Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs Sheet Pan Dinner
This easy baked BBQ chicken thighs sheet pan dinner cooks in two stages so that everything finishes at the perfect temperature. Give the boneless, skinless chicken thighs a head start in the oven, then add the sliced andouille sausage, bell peppers, and onions later so they don’t overcook. Brushed with your favorite BBQ sauce, this is an easy weeknight dinner.
On a busy weeknight, nothing bakes up easier than a sheet pan dinner. The only tricky part is getting everything to cook all at the proper temp and time.
This flavorful baked barbecue chicken sheet pan dinner has sliced sausages, peppers, and onion to really amp up the flavor.
This easy main dish pairs so well with a long list of barbecue dinner side dishes but I loved it all by itself as an easy work week lunch.
The leftovers heated up in my microwave so well.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- One Pan Recipe: You can cook everything for dinner all on one sheet pan for quick clean-up.
- Sweet and Spicy: Sweet BBQ sauce, tender chicken, and spicy andouille sausage add so much flavor to the sheet pan.
- Easy Meal Prep: You can prep all the ingredients in advance for a quick toss-it-in-the-oven dinner on a busy night.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: These cook quickly and evenly and still remain tender and juicy. If you prefer, you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts, but just know that they will cook significantly faster.
- Andouille Sausage Links: I bought prepared andouille chicken sausages from the store. You could use any brand you like.
- Fresh Vegetables: I used a red and orange bell pepper. You could use yellow or green. I also used a red onion but a vidalia or white onion would taste nice too.
- BBQ Sauce: Any flavor your family loves works. I used a homemade cherry BBQ sauce when I photographed this recipe for you but my light and sweet BBQ sauce would be amazing, too.
How to Time the Cooking
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
You’re going to cook this dinner in two stages:
- Bake the Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs take a long time in the oven to get tender. If you tried to cook everything all at once, the sausages and peppers would burn. Instead, give them a jump start in the oven while you prepare the sausage and peppers. Then add everything in for the final cook.
- Roast the Sausage and Peppers: While the chicken thighs are baking, you can slice the sausage and peppers and have them ready to go onto the sheet pan into the oven.
Season the Chicken
When I photographed this recipe, I decided to bake the chicken in a separate 9×13 baking dish. This step is not necessary at all. You can actually cook the chicken directly on the sheet pan to start, and then just add the sausage and peppers later.
It’s important to season both sides of the chicken thighs. I sprinkled salt and pepper over the top and decided to add a tablespoon of dry BBQ rub for even more flavor. That’s an optional add-in.
Prep the Sausage and Peppers Mix
Slice the andouille sausages on an angle in 1/2-in thick coins. They cook up nicely that way.
Then chop the peppers and onions and mix everything together. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again.
I did this on a sheet pan while the chicken thighs were doing their first round in the oven, but you could keep these in a mixing bowl until they’re ready to add to the baking sheet.
Baking Instructions
Once you’ve seasoned the chicken thighs, you can put them right into the oven for 25 minutes all by themselves.
When they’re done with that first round of baking, brush the tops with barbecue sauce.
Now is the time to add the sausages, peppers, and onions to the oven.
I was able to fit the sheet pan of sausage and the baking dish of chicken into my oven right next to each other at the same time.
But if you wanted, you could just add the sausages straight to the sheet pan and place the chicken thighs right on top.
Bake the chicken and sausage for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken thighs have cooked all the way through and are nice and tender, and the sheet pan of veggies is starting to char around the edges.
Make Ahead Tips
Prep Ahead: This recipe is an excellent DIY meal kit. You can prep all of the ingredients in advance and store them separately in the fridge for a grab-and-bake dinner in minutes.
- Season the chicken thighs and keep them in a zip-top bag.
- Slice the sausages and keep them in a separate bag.
- Slice the peppers and onions and keep them in a third bag.
Meal Prep: If you’re looking to fill your meal prep containers, you can bake the recipe as directed and then just divide everything up into containers that are easy to grab for your lunches all week long.
The leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: For the best texture, I recommend thawing in the fridge overnight before reheating. Then you can just pop a dish into the microwave and heat it up for a few minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I prepared this sheet pan recipe for myself as a high-protein lunch option to enjoy during the workweek. I was so excited to have something so delicious to pull from the fridge and heat up in the microwave during my busy days.
To make it a full-fledged family dinner, you could add a second sheet pan of crispy roasted sweet potatoes. They could bake in the oven on another rack at the same time. Or pop some whole sweet potatoes into a slow cooker.
To amp up the veggie content, you could also do a pan of parmesan-roasted zucchini or make this decadent old-fashioned squash casserole.
Lean in on the barbecue dinner plate and consider adding some cast iron cornbread or mashed potatoes to soak up the barbecue sauce. Of course, a 9×13 of my baked mac and cheese is always a hit with the kids too.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
If you love cooking with boneless, skinless chicken thighs like I do, you won’t want to miss these other delicious family recipes:
Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs with Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon dry BBQ rub optional
- 4 andouille sausage links sliced on the diagonal in 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red onion cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions Start Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Open the chicken thighs from the folded position they come in and sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt and pepper and the BBQ seasoning if you desire. Arrange the chicken in a single layer top side down on the baking sheet.8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, Kosher salt and black pepper, 1 tablespoon dry BBQ rub
- Roast the chicken alone for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the sausage and add it with the chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and toss to coat.4 andouille sausage links, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 small red onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Remove the pan from the oven and brush the BBQ sauce over the chicken pieces on both side. Return the chicken face side up to the pan so it roasts on the other side. Pour the prepared sausage and vegetables onto the pan and spread them out evenly.1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- Roast the pan for another 20 minutes or until the chicken registers 185°F and the sausage and vegetables are slightly charred. Serve with additional BBQ sauce for dipping if desired.
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About Tiffany
Tiffany is a home-cooking enthusiast, three-time cookbook author, and creator of the sites Peanut Blossom, Peanut Blossom Book Club, and Don’t Just Fly. She believes that family dinner can be manageable, fun, and — most importantly — tasty. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters and can often be found baking a loaf of bread with her beloved bread machine, reading a good book, or planning her family’s next adventure.