Experience the ultimate summer delight with our easy grilled BBQ chicken recipe. Juicy and flavorful, this foolproof recipe will make your outdoor dining a hit. Explore different marinades, follow our step-by-step instructions, and pair it with delicious side dishes for a winning summer meal.
When the weather warms up, there’s nothing better than firing up the grill and enjoying a meal outdoors. Grilling chicken not only infuses it with a smoky, charred taste but also provides the perfect excuse to spend quality time with your loved ones. While I love cozying up indoors with dishes like The Easiest Baked Cheesy Chicken with Mushrooms during winter, summer calls for outdoor dining!
At our house, we take every opportunity to savor the joys of al fresco dining, and this Grilled BBQ Chicken recipe is a regular on our menu. The versatility of this dish allows me to experiment with various side dishes to complement the flavors. I often pair it with a refreshing Easy Pasta Salad Recipe or a delectable Zucchini Casserole. As a mom, I’m always thrilled when I can sneak some healthy food onto my kids’ plates, and this dish allows me to do just that!
Grilled BBQ Chicken Recipe
Cooking chicken on the grill is not only fun but also a summer staple. Once you try grilling chicken, you’ll never want to cook it any other way. While I enjoy experimenting with different marinades, I can assure you that this recipe always hits a home run. Its simplicity and incredible taste make it a surefire crowd-pleaser. Just pair it with your favorite sides, and you’re in for a treat!
This barbecued chicken recipe is one of our absolute favorites, and it’s not hard to see why. The chicken turns out juicy, perfectly flavored, and guaranteed to have everyone reaching for seconds. If you’re a fan of succulent, tender chicken, this simple barbecue chicken dish will win you over. You can even make it an affordable family dinner by taking advantage of the great deals on chicken during the summer months. Trust me, this is the best-grilled BBQ chicken legs recipe you’ll ever come across!
If you’re a grilling enthusiast, don’t miss out on these Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken Tenders, Grilled Vegetables, and Grilled Chicken Kabobs. They’re another fantastic option to satisfy your taste buds!
Now, let’s dive into the recipe for Grilled BBQ Chicken. Prepare your taste buds for an explosion of flavor! Don’t worry; this recipe is incredibly easy to follow, despite the mouthwatering results.
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Ingredients for BBQ Chicken
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Gather up the list of simple ingredients below to get started! You’re not going to believe how simple this flavorful BBQ chicken recipe is. It’s a great way to create good BBQ chicken with ease.
- Chicken – Use cut, thigh, legs, and/or chicken breasts with the skin on.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- BBQ Sauce – you can use homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce. Any kind will work! Remember to save some extra sauce for serving if desired.
Variations
Here are a few alterations and ingredient substitutes you may want to try.
- Use different chicken pieces – If you want to try this recipe with other cuts of chicken, like boneless chicken breasts, go for it!
- Add different seasonings – I’m a huge fan of BBQ chicken, but you can add seasonings as well. Black pepper, onion powder, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, or even a little brown sugar can make a huge flavor difference. (and you can make a great dry rub or spice rub, too!)
- Change up the BBQ flavor – you can use your favorite barbecue sauce to make this BBQ chicken breast recipe. Use whatever BBQ chicken marinade you’d like!
How to Make Grilled BBQ Chicken
- Preheat: Preheat grill to medium-high heat
- Clean: Clean chicken and pat dry with a paper towel
- Add to the baking sheet: Lay in a single layer on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side.
- Grill: Place chicken on the grill skin side down for 10-15 minutes or until the skin is browned
- Baste: Turn chicken and baste with BBQ sauce
- Cook: Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes
- Baste again: Turn and baste with more sauce
- Cook: Cook 5 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Let chicken rest: Remove from grill and place on a serving tray
- Serve: Rest for 5 minutes before serving
You’ll find that the best way to eat this chicken is to pair it up with your favorite BBQ sauce. This is literally the best BBQ chicken recipe ever. I highly recommend this simple recipe for a tasty dinner.
Quick Tip
You can also make this chicken in a large skillet rather than on the grill. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat then add your chicken to the hot skillet. You may need to cook in batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded. Cook the chicken for about 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes. This is a great way to have BBQ-style chicken in the winter!
How to Store BBQ Grilled Chicken
If you happen to have extra grilled chicken, let it cool and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The chicken will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
You can reheat the chicken in the microwave, heating it for 30-second increments until it is hot. You may want to reheat the chicken with some extra bbq sauce so that it does not dry out.
Serving Suggestions
You can never have too many sides when it comes to grilling season. Here are some other great side dishes that would go great with chicken on the grill!
- The Best Potato Salad
- Corn, Avocado & Cilantro Salad
- Instant Pot Corn On The Cob
- The EASIEST Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
- Cheesy Mushroom and Onion Green Bean Casserole
- Cornbread Casserole
- Potatoes Au Gratin
FAQs
As you can tell from the directions above, the entire process from start to finish will take about 30 minutes. The big takeaway to remember though is that your internal temperature for your chicken needs to be at 165 degrees to signal that it’s safe and ready to eat.
I recommend that you have a digital thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the meat so that you can make certain that the skinless chicken breast is cooked all the way to avoid food poisoning.
When you’re grilling chicken on your charcoal or gas grill and it’s bone-in chicken, you’re going to want to have the lid down during the cooking process. This will help to circulate the heat evenly and be certain that it gets cooked thoroughly as well.
I like to put BBQ sauce on the chicken before grilling the chicken. I think the chicken absorbs a lot of the flavor of the BBQ sauce when it is allowed to marinate before cooking. I also like to baste the chicken with sauce as it cooks and also serve the cooked chicken with extra BBQ sauce as well. You can never have too much sauce!
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Grilled BBQ Chicken
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Pastry brush
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs
- measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds chicken, cut up, thigh, legs and/or breasts, skin on
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups BBQ Sauce, homemade or store-bought plus additional for serving if desired
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat
- Clean chicken and pat dry with a paper towel
- Lay in a single layer on large baking sheet
- Drizzle with olive oil
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Turn chicken over and repeat on other side
- Place chicken on grill skin side down for 10-15 minutes or until the skin is browned
- Turn chicken and baste with BBQ sauce
- Continue cooking 15-20 minutes
- Turn on baste with more sauce
- Cook 5 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F
- Remove from grill and place on a serving tray
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving
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