As working professionals, we find it hard at times to set aside a few hours to cook. Whether its because we are focused on our actual 9 to 5 job, professional development, meeting with friends, other hobbies, or networking, it can be difficult to plan and prepare a meal.

However, cooking does not always have to be a laborious or time consuming task. That is exactly the message I try to convey to those who say “I don’t have time to cook.” Sometimes, you just need a quick and easy recipe- one that is simple to prepare, doesn’t require hours of planning, and tastes delicious. Over the years, I’ve learned that just because a meal doesn’t take a whole lot of time or effort to cook, does not mean it lacks taste!

This easy bake BBQ Chicken recipe fits that description. As long as you have pieces of chicken in your fridge, seasoning in your cabinet, and your favorite BBQ sauce in the pantry, this is a recipe that is easy to follow and perfect when one is pressed for time. Allowing the chicken to marinate overnight (or even several days in advance) will increase the flavor of the chicken. Once baked for two hours, the chicken can be topped on a bed of green leaves, added to side of steamed veggies, or paired with leftover potatoes. It’s also perfect if you need to entertain guest. The chicken can be seasoned with the skin on or off- all depends on your preference.

The BBQ sauce I usually have in my pantry

Ingredients

• Chicken (thighs, drumsticks, wings, and/or breasts)
• Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Onion Powder
• Bottle of your Favorite BBQ Sauce (I personally like Sweet Baby Ray’s and Kraft)

Directions

1. Line a baking pan with foil and grease the foil with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the foiled baking pan. Using a knife, poke a few holes in each chicken piece. This will allow the seasoning and the sauce to permeate deep into the chicken.
3. Lightly sprinkle salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and onion powder on each side of the chicken piece. Sprinkle enough to cover the surface of each piece, as pictured below. Use more or less black and red pepper, depending on how much heat you can handle!
4. Generously lather BBQ sauce all over the chicken.
5. Cover pan with foil and marinate overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Place marinated chicken in oven- leave the pan covered in foil.
8. After the chicken has been in the oven for one hour, turn over each chicken piece and place back in the oven covered.
9. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove covered foil and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
10. Allow chicken to bake an additional 30 minutes.
11. Enjoy!