Low Carb BBQ Chicken Thighs are a staple of a weight loss diet! Fast and easy to make, these would also be great for any family on the go!
My Weight Loss Journey
I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I was a pudgy kid growing up, then my weight greatly fluctuated in my teens depending on the season. I played football and I also worked construction in the summers, so I would shed weight all summer and fall and then pack it all back on in the winter.
It's not a surprise to many if you look at my blog! I obviously have a pasta habit that's hard to break! I also have an insane sweet tooth. So, I'd be a lot less active in the winter time while consuming as much pasta and Christmas candy as I could get. After high school, I joined the Army National Guard. I lost 65 pounds in the 9 weeks of basic training, and I was at the thinnest and in the best shape I had ever been.
Depression and Stress Eating
After the Army and all through my 20's, I went through years of serious depression and stress eating. See, even at my heaviest all through my teen years, I never got over 300 pounds. I came very very close, but never exceeded that mark. Once I hit my 20's, I blasted through the 300 mark. This caused me to not be able to reenlist in the Army, it started causing several physical ailments, and it made me sink even lower into my depression. Suddenly, before I knew it, I was over 350 pounds!
About 6 years ago, I decided to get serious about losing weight. I went to a medical weight loss program, I began dieting, and I planned on having gastric sleeve surgery. My wife at the time had done the surgery the year prior and was having great success, so I wanted to match it. That, as it turned out, saved my life in ways I hadn't expected.
Cancer After Major Surgery
In October of 2015 I had my gastric sleeve surgery. The surgery was successful and I went home to start my life of quick weight loss and health. God, it seems, had other plans for me. Three days after my surgery I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt's Lymphoma. My entire world was thrown upside down. Now, instead of re-learning how to properly eat and keep the weight off, I was encouraged by my doctor and nutritionist to eat whatever I could eat. My chemotherapy was so aggressive that I needed all of the energy I could muster just to stay alive. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had lost my chance at becoming truly healthy through the procedure.
I lost a total of 125 pounds with the procedure. But I was incredibly ill from all of the cancer treatments. Once I finally started getting better, I went back to eating how I had always eaten. This caused me to slip back into depression, which caused me to eat even more. Before I knew it, I was back up to over where I was when I started losing weight before surgery!
Finally Taking Control of My Life
About three weeks ago as of the time of this writing, my wife and I made a decision that we were finally going to take control of our lives and our health. She enrolled in a medical weight loss program, and I began planning our meals. I knew what needed to be done. Low to no carbs are the quickest way to weight loss. Coupled with increased protein and smaller portions, you can achieve great success in a short amount of time!
So, I planned out our meals. I worked within the guidelines of my wife's medical weight loss plan, and I made some recipes of my own. That's where this BBQ Chicken recipe came from!
Finally, on to BBQ Chicken!
I said all that to tell you how to make this delicious BBQ chicken! This main course is everything you would want in a meal even if you weren't dieting! The chicken comes out tender and delicious, the sauce adds another layer of flavor, and you can make this in batches for meal prep! All of this comes together in less than 30 minutes, so if you're on the go, you can definitely make this in a hurry!
Chicken thighs themselves are typically bland. They require a lot of seasoning to give them solid flavor. This flavor combination that I came up with in the rub really brings out an amazing taste! It combines garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, black pepper, and my absolute favorite, smoked paprika.
Low Carb BBQ Sauce
This chicken is so tasty that it doesn't need sauce! However, if you're going to call it barbecue, it should have barbecue sauce! There are some really good sugar free BBQ sauces on the market these days, and I won't begrudge you from using those at all! However, if you want to use a solid homemade BBQ sauce, I've got one for you! We use sugar-free ketchup, brown sugar substitute (check this one out here and hook me up on my affiliate link), some apple cider vinegar, onions, garlic, smoked paprika, and a little mustard! We'll combine those together on a low heat and cook until you get the flavor you're looking for!
Wrapping it up
This dish along with the quick salad you see in the picture have lead me to lose a lot of weight in a hurry. It's great tasting, low carb, and healthy overall. That's what helps in weight loss. Too many times you hear that diet food doesn't taste good. Well, I'm here to tell you that this meal will change your mind! I hope you enjoy as much as I do!
Low Carb BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
Thighs
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups Sugar Free Ketchup
- 1 ½ cups Apple Cider vinegar
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- 1 cup Brown Sugar alternative Swerve
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- Cayenne pepper as needed for spice
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- In a large mixing bowl, add chicken thighs
- Coat chicken thighs in olive oil by stirring with hands
- Mix seasonings in separate bowl, then pour over the top of chicken
- Thoroughly coat the chicken in seasoning mixture
- Place chicken on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken reads 165° F
- Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes; start broiler
- Coat in BBQ sauce and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes
- Remove and let chicken rest another 5 minutes. Serve immediately
- Leftovers are good in the fridge for about 4 days in an airtight container
Sauce
- Heat saucepan over medium-high heat
- Add olive oil and heat until shimmering
- Add in onion and cook until translucent
- Add in garlic and cook until fragrant
- Stir in smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute to bloom the flavor
- Add in ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar; stir until combined
- Stir in brown sugar substitute
- Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, salting to taste
- Remove from heat and pour into blender or use immersion blender
- Blend until smooth
- Allow to cool. Store in airtight container for up to 1 month
I loved reading your story, Travis! You have been through a lot! And your honest, loving, manly character comes through. God's blessing as you and your wife take this journey of healthy living!
Thank you for creating recipes for the rest of us to do that too!