Grilled BBQ Chicken
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Charred edges, a sticky-tangy glaze, and smoky barbecue flavor all the way through—this grilled BBQ chicken 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, these BBQ chicken breasts always win everyone over. They’re smoky, saucy, and loaded with barbecue flavor. I guarantee clean plates all around—proof there’s always room for one more chicken dinner!
“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: You can use chicken tenderloins or boneless breasts. If using chicken breasts, it’s important to pound them to an even ½-inch thickness before marinating. This both tenderizes the breasts and ensures they cook evenly. (Pounding is not necessary if using tenderloins, as tenderloins are naturally very tender.)
- Marinade: Vegetable oil, garlic, salt, light brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
- BBQ sauce: You can use a good quality store-bought sauce or make your own. My homemade BBQ sauce is quick and easy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Unlike many BBQ chicken marinades, this one skips acidic ingredients like vinegar or citrus, which can make lean chicken breasts dry and a bit leathery.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss with tongs until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
Pro tip: Marinating in spices rather than BBQ sauce is the secret to deep BBQ flavor — spices penetrate the meat and season it throughout, while sauce sits on the surface and its high sugar content can burn before the chicken is cooked through.
Step 3: Grill the first side. Preheat the grill to high and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro tip: If you’d prefer to use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, preheat the grill to medium (350 to 375°F), oil the grates, and place the chicken, skin-side up, on the cooler side of the grill. Cook covered for 35 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent flare-ups. If the skin isn’t crispy yet, move it, skin-side down, to the hotter side for a few minutes — just keep a close eye on it.
Step 4: Flip and sauce. Flip the chicken and brush with some of the barbecue sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Step 5: Serve. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the remaining barbecue sauce alongside. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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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. (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.
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This is one of my favorite recipes. The flavors are amazing! I always make extra to slice and use in a salad. Chopped Romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, black beans, corn and Cheddar cheese with a Ranch dressing.
I made this for the 4th of July family picnic and it was fantastically delicious! My 41 year old son said it is the best-tasting chicken he has ever had in his life! Then he asked me several times if he could have all of the leftover chicken and take it home for himself! Then he asked me if I’d mind making him some more if he buys the chicken! He’s a very picky eater, so glowing reviews from him says a lot about a recipe. Every one of Jenn’s recipes that I have made over the years garners compliments and exclamations of how great they taste!
Amazing!!! My new favorite recipe for bbq chicken! I even missed the step of marinating it for 6+ hours and only got about 3 hours. Still turned out juicy and flavorful! I served it with sweet corn on the cob and asparagus. I will definitely be making this again!
This is the best BBQ chicken! Marinating in the spices really makes a difference! It’s easy and always delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Wow! Another excellent recipe from Once Upon a Chef. I have been making BBQ chicken for many years but this recipe blew my family away. Nice heat and taste. I used bone in thighs which just requires more time but worked well.
Thank you
I recently tried the “Best BBQ Chicken” recipe featured here, and it absolutely lived up to its name! The balance of flavors in the marinade created the perfect blend of smokiness and tanginess, resulting in juicy, flavorful chicken with a beautifully caramelized crust.
As someone who loves versatile recipes, I appreciated how easy it was to adapt the spice levels and use different chicken cuts to suit my family’s preferences. The step-by-step instructions were clear and beginner-friendly, making this a go-to recipe for both casual weeknight dinners and summer cookouts.
This chicken has such good flavor!
I’ve never grilled chicken before. It was requested by a family member so I found this post. I also planned a backup meal when these inevitably came out dry, burnt, etc. This recipe was absolutely perfect. Juicy chicken, great marinade, and lots of compliments.
Amazing chicken recipe. My two year old was raving about it for 3 hours which might be a new record. We only marinated for one hour due to time co strains. But doing it right next time! Even on a short fuse this was 10/10.
This recipe for Grilled BBQ chicken is super delicious. I did use chicken thighs but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as written. The BBQ sauce is delicious and I’m making your Baby Back Ribs tonight and using the leftover BBQ sauce for the ribs. So good! Your site is the first place I go to when looking for a recipe and everything I’ve tried has been exceptional. My husband actually thinks I’m a good cook!!