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Charred edges, a sticky-tangy glaze, and smoky barbecue flavor all the way through—this grilled BBQ chicken recipe is a go-to for summer cookouts.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
We have a running joke about chicken in my family. Whenever I say we’re having chicken for dinner, my husband says, “Chicken again?” and then rattles off a seemingly endless list of chicken dinners his mother used to make: chicken parm, chicken cutlets, chicken schnitzel, chicken pot pie, and so on. The kids immediately pile on, groaning about all my chicken dinners. Luckily, this BBQ chicken recipe always wins everyone over. It’s smoky, saucy, and full of flavor, with just the right amount of char from the grill. Even my chicken-weary crew can’t complain about this one.
“I made this chicken twice in the past week and received raves both times. Easy peasy and definitely crowd-pleasing!”
What You’ll Need To Make BBQ Chicken
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins both work well. If using breasts, pound them to an even ½-inch thickness so they cook quickly and evenly. There’s no need to pound tenderloins.
- Vegetable oil: Forms the base of the marinade and helps coat the chicken evenly. Its neutral flavor lets the spices come through.
- Garlic: Adds a savory, aromatic note to the marinade. Freshly minced garlic works best here.
- Salt and Light Brown Sugar: Season the chicken and balance the spices. Brown sugar also helps encourage browning on the grill.
- Smoked Paprika: Gives the chicken its smoky character even before it hits the grill. Be sure to use smoked rather than regular sweet paprika.
- Ground Cumin, Chili Powder & Cayenne Pepper: Add earthy warmth, depth, and heat to the spice mixture. Regular chili powder works well here; there’s no need for anything especially hot.
- Barbecue Sauce: Use a good-quality store-bought sauce or make your own homemade BBQ sauce. You’ll brush some onto the chicken toward the end of grilling and serve the rest alongside.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make BBQ Chicken
Make the marinade and marinate the chicken: Whisk the marinade ingredients together, then add the chicken and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. You’ll notice there’s no vinegar or citrus in the marinade—that’s intentional, since marinating lean chicken breasts in too much acid can significantly affect their texture.
Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken over high heat until nicely browned on the first side, keeping the grill covered as it cooks. Flip, brush with barbecue sauce, and continue cooking until done. Adding the sauce toward the end gives it time to cling to the chicken without burning, since the sugars in barbecue sauce can scorch over high heat. An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to check for doneness. The chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest part.
Serve: Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with the remaining barbecue sauce alongside.
Can I Use Bone-In Chicken?
Yes! Bone-in, skin-on chicken works well, but it needs a little more time and gentler heat than the boneless chicken used here. Cook it over medium heat on the cooler side of the grill, turning occasionally, until the thickest part reaches 165°F. If the skin needs a little more crisping, move it skin-side down to the hotter side for a few minutes, keeping a close eye on it. Brush on the barbecue sauce toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Getting the chicken into its marinade the night before makes this an especially easy dinner to pull together—when you’re ready to eat, all that’s left is the grilling. It’s best fresh off the grill, but leftovers are handy for sandwiches, salads, or another quick meal.
- Store: Keep cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Place the chicken in a baking dish with a splash of water, cover with foil, and warm in a 325°F oven until heated through.
- Freeze: Cooked chicken can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the raw chicken directly in the marinade for up to 3 months. Simply combine the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe resealable bag, press out the air, and freeze immediately. Thaw either version in the refrigerator before reheating or cooking as directed. There’s no need to marinate the raw chicken again after thawing.
Video Tutorial
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1¾ lbs chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- About 1 cup store-bought barbecue sauce or homemade BBQ sauce
Instructions
For the Chicken
- If using boneless skinless chicken breasts, place the chicken breasts one at a time in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag; using a meat mallet, pound the breasts to an even ½-in (13-mm) thickness. (Skip this step if using tenderloins.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Place the chicken in the bowl and, using tongs, toss until the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the grill to high and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the chicken, and then brush with some of the barbecue sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. The chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest part. (Note that tenderloins will cook faster than breasts.)
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the remaining barbecue sauce alongside.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
What To Pair With BBQ Chicken
BBQ chicken goes with just about every classic cookout side. Coleslaw and potato salad are always welcome, fresh corn salad keeps things light, and cornbread is great for catching any extra barbecue sauce.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
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Would the marinate work for chicken thighs and legs? If so, how much to increase the ingredients?
Sure! And the amount of marinade depends on the amount of chicken you’re using. How many pounds of chicken are you planning on?
Made this last night. Only had one hour to marinate and it was still amazing. I am adding this comment because I tried to find others that hadn’t had a ton of time to marinate to see if it would still be ok, and it was! Another winner and so easy.
Loved this recipe the first time we made it. Have the chicken marinating in the fridge and the homemade sauce coming to room temp on the counter now. So excited! Was thinking of serving with your white bean ragout and steamed asparagus because I happen to have all the components on hand. Tomorrow your Cedar Plank Salmon and Peach Burrata salad. Haven’t tried anything I am making tomorrow so can’t wait to try them. Thank you for curating the most trustworthy collection of recipes. They make cooking a joy and the results are consistently impressive. My 8 y/o daughter says she wishes she could have dined at the restaurant you cooked at and my husband tells my mother in law he doesn’t enjoy eating out anymore because your recipes always blow away the best version of any dish we’ve tried in even the nicest restaurants. I have one of your cookbooks on display in my kitchen at all times- they’re part of the family! I found a homemade Mother’s Day card from a few years back and the prompt was “I know my mom loves be because she” and my daughter wrote in “makes me the best Kofta.” Your lamb Kofta really knocks my daughter’s socks off. Lol. Thank you for everything you put into your books/recipes.
❤️❤️
I made this chicken twice in the past week and received raves both times. Easy peasy and definitely crowd- pleasing!
One question on this recipe, which was delicious—I didn’t have light brown sugar, so used dark. I suspect it doesn’t make that much of a difference, but can you help me understand what is the difference between dark and light brown sugar? and why it is typically specified in recipes? Thanks
Hi Karen, dark brown sugar has a little more molasses than light brown. Recipes that call for dark brown sugar are typically aiming for a slightly stronger molasses flavor, but if you don’t have one or the other on hand, they’re pretty interchangeable.
This was a real crowd pleaser with my family! They loved every bite of it, and that is coming from my 14 year old daughter who typically doesn’t like chicken! This is definitely a keeper that will go into the regular recipe column!
This was absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. Deeply marinated, moist, perfect chicken! I have a delicious homemade bbq sauce recipe that I make frequently but decided to try your recipe last night, it is excellent and paired perfectly with the chicken.
This is a great go-to recipe for grilled chicken. It uses pantry ingredients and takes minimal time or effort to prepare. I used bone in, skin on thighs and grilled over indirect heat, so the cook time was a bit longer. The skin was beautifully charred and the meat was moist and nicely flavoured. The only change I made to the recipe was to add ancho chili powder and omit the cayenne. I basted with a molasses barbecue sauce but the skin was so nicely caramelized and tasty from the residual marinade that the sauce really didn’t add much and wouldn’t have been missed if I’d left it off.
Yum yum from your old.old admirer!
Ok to marinate for about 28 hours?
Sure – enjoy!