Barbecue chicken is a staple for summertime cookouts and backyard parties. If you would prefer to avoid the hassle of the grill or if the weather does not permit grilling, you can pre-marinate your chicken and bake it in the oven. Your chicken will still have the sweet and savory barbecue flavor that you love, but because baking requires less attention than grilling, you are free to tend to other tasks, like preparing side dishes to go with the meal.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place 3 pounds of pre-marinated barbecued chicken in a baking pan. Cover the pan with foil to prevent the barbecue sauce from burning.

Place the baking pan in the oven, and cook the chicken for 1 hour.

Remove the foil, and pour more barbecue sauce on the chicken. Cook the chicken for 20 more minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize.

Insert an instant-read thermometer into a thickest piece of the chicken. Avoid touching bone, because it may affect the reading. When the chicken is ready, it will register 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take the chicken out of the oven, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before you serve it. The resting time allows the chicken to finish cooking as well as to cool enough to allow the juices to be reabsorbed by the meat.