Summer is in full swing and I’ve been in the mood to get the grill going. But let’s face it, sometimes, it’s just too much work to light the grill or smoker, especially when you live in an apartment. I figured this recipe is going to be a great compromise. I wanted to make an easy, low-maintenance dinner with baked chicken legs and a quick bbq sauce. Keeping things simple with Spice Tribe’s California Coast Sea Salt, Late Harvest Black Peppercorns, and their smoky Pimentón de la Vera, I wasn’t going to lose out on any flavor with this recipe. While we don’t have the char from the grill, we do get a smoky element from the paprika and a caramelization from the sugar in the bbq sauce that gets nice and slightly burnty while roasting in the oven.

My three go-to spices that I use in most of meals, I love a high quality salt and pepper combo with smoked paprika. You honestly can’t go wrong! The sauce comes together quickly (under 20 minutes!) and keeps well in the fridge, so you can definitely make the sauce ahead of time to hang out while the chicken marinates in the fridge overnight. Perfect for game days and holidays weekends, you can get all of your prep work done ahead of time and have dinner on the table in under an hour. This month’s Spice Tribe recipe was a hit; I paired the chicken with a nice, cold potato salad for even more of a summer vibe. Let’s get baking!

Baked BBQ Chicken

Cook time: overnight marinade, 1 hour active time

Serves: 2

1-2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, like canola or grapeseed

4-6 chicken legs, slits cut into them (see note)

Large pinch Spice Tribe California Coast Sea Salt

Large pinch cracked Spice Tribe Late Harvest Black Peppercorns

Large pinch Spice Tribe Pimentón de la Vera

Quick BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp cracked Spice Tribe Late Harvest Black Peppercorns

1 tsp Spice Tribe Pimentón de la Vera

1 tsp Spice Tribe California Coast Sea Salt

1 large bay leaf

Pinch red pepper flakes

Note: I like cutting at least two slits into the thickest part of the drumstick so the meat can get seasoned nicely overnight. I only used 4 legs since I was cooking for myself and wanted leftovers for just one more day, but the sauce yielded enough for about 6-8 legs so make them according to how many folks you’re feeding! This recipe doubles nicely if you’re wanting to feed a large crowd!

In a large plastic storage bag or a mixing bowl, drizzle the cut chicken legs with the neutral oil and season the sea salt, cracked black pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub the spices into the legs, making sure they’re fully covered and well-seasoned. Close the bag or cover the bowl and marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to make the chicken, remove the legs from the fridge to get the chill off before baking. Meanwhile, combine and stir all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the sauce is starting to bubble, turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down.

Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup later) and a wire baking rack. Place the seasoned chicken onto the baking rack and bake for 20 minutes.

Please note that if you like saucing your chicken after it’s cooked, simply set aside some sauce prior to dunking them in these following steps to avoid cross-contamination. After the 20 minutes has passed, remove the chicken from the oven, and using tongs, carefully dunk the chicken legs into the slightly cooled bbq sauce, making sure to cover the entire leg in the process. Place the sauced chicken back on to the baking sheet and continue this step for the remaining legs.

If you have any remaining sauce left, discard it. You don’t want any cross-contamination by re-using sauce after the chicken has been cooked fully. Bake the sauced chicken for another 25 minutes or until internal temperature is at least 165ºF and juices run clear.

Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with your favorite side dish. I had mine with a cool and refreshing potato salad and crushed it! Enjoy!