Cheesy Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe - Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

What kind of cheese goes with BBQ chicken? ›

Use sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese to complement the creamy and sharp flavors in the Alabama barbecue sauce. This works well because you also have the contrast of the crisp bread and the meaty chicken.

Chicken thighs are much more moist and juicy than chicken breast, and nutritionally—they're a bit more fatty (but using skinless chicken thighs keeps them on the healthier side) but they're also more nutritious. Coated generously in BBQ sauce and then baked in a hot oven, they become absolutely fall-apart tender.

Dry Heat. I use this technique for ribs far more often than chicken, but the idea here is to make the sauce into a glaze by reducing it. Set your oven to broil and apply a thin coat of sauce to the meat; make sure you cover it completely but don't glob it on.

Classic Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken

Cornbread, Coleslaw, Potato Salad (or try this no mayo Lemon Potato Salad), Southern Baked Beans, big leafy salad with classic Vinaigrette, steamed corn with butter, bread rolls, creamy mashed potato (or Creamy Cauliflower Mash for low carb emergency!), or Potato & Gravy.

Cheese is a great addition to chicken. Some of the best cheeses for chicken sandwiches include mozzarella, gouda, provolone and asiago. You can throw a fresh slice onto your sandwich or melt it for extra goodness.

Barbecue sauce typically contains sugar that will brown faster than the meat. This can make it difficult to tell when the chicken is done. To ensure you don't pull the chicken off too soon, add the BBQ sauce when you're nearly done cooking the meat.

Focus on searing the meat and then cooking it until it reaches a safe inside temperature at the thickest part. Sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning. Only baste it with sauce during the final five minutes of cooking. The taste will blow you away without any burned mess on your grill.

But by drizzling them with some olive oil, you add some much needed moisture AND give the spice rub something to stick to. Then when you tent it and cook the chicken on high heat, you capture some steam under the parchment paper & add some moist-heat to keep everything nice and succulent.

Adding garlic or onion powder are standard flavors for barbecue, but get a little creative and try out different chile powders, peppers, cumin, or dried herbs to add body to the sauce.

What makes BBQ sauce stick to chicken? ›

Whether you're working with breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or wings, pat the meat dry. This is especially important for skin-on chicken or marinated pieces, as this can help sauce to stay put. Applying a rub can also be useful, much like working with a thicker sauce.

Larger cuts, such as whole chickens or bone-in pieces, often benefit from covered baking to ensure thorough and even cooking. Smaller cuts, like chicken breasts or tenders, can be baked uncovered for quick results. Lastly, think about the desired texture and flavor you're trying to achieve.

It's packed with protein and completely gluten-free, plus it can be made with low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce or even use a homemade BBQ sauce for a healthier option.

Baked BBQ Meatballs are amazing on their own, but stuff them with mozzarella cheese and you've got a whole new level of goody deliciousness! You can bake them in the oven or even on the smoker! Baste the meatballs with barbecue sauce right before they're done baking and it will get caramelized add the BEST flavor!

I used sliced cheddar cheese on these sandwiches, but colby jack cheese or sliced pepper jack cheese would also be good options. I really like the Buffalo Wild Wing's Honey BBQ Sauce.

Cheese: You can use your favorite cheese or use a mix of cheeses. Sharp cheddar, Gouda, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Pepper Jack, and brie are all good options. The amount of cheese you use will depend on the size of your bread. I love sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda together.