Oven-barbecue Chicken

Instructions

• Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven; preheat to 350°.
• Place chicken thighs and/or legs in a medium bowl. Toss 3 tsp. salt, 1½ tsp. brown sugar, 1½ tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, and 1 tsp. garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the entire spice rub over chicken in a bowl. Toss with tongs until pieces are coated.
• Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Transfer onion to baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil; season with more salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread onion mixture on baking sheet and place chicken legs over skin side up, spacing evenly.
• Roast chicken on top rack until skin is rendered and meat is tender all the way to the bone, 40–45 minutes. Turn on broiler and continue to roast until chicken skin is blistered and crisp in spots, 2–4 minutes depending on the strength of your broiler. Remove from the oven and let chicken rest 5 minutes to allow juices to settle.
• Stir 1 Tbsp. vinegar and 1 cup barbecue sauce in a small bowl with a pastry brush.
• Turn chicken pieces over with tongs. Push onions toward the center of the baking sheet to form a pile. Paint a generous layer of barbecue sauce over the surface of the chicken. Using tongs, arrange chicken over onions. Broil until sauce is caramelized in spots, 2–4 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn chicken one more time, placing it in the same position as before, only sauced side down. Paint skin sides of chicken generously with barbecue sauce mixture. Return to the top rack and broil until the skin is bubbling and charred in spots, about 4 minutes.
• Let rest for 7 minutes. Serve chicken over onions with remaining barbecue sauce mixture.