Grilled BBQ Chicken with smoky BBQ sauce and other simple ingredients grilled until juicy and caramelized. This easy chicken recipe is a summer favorite!
We also love baked BBQ chicken breast, Instant Pot BBQ chicken and grilled chicken breast.
Grilled BBQ chicken is layered with a sweet, caramelized sauce and ready in 45 minutes! Wow your family and guests in no time!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe: This chicken breast recipe uses very simple ingredients. You can easily grill it any night of the week.
- Quick marinating: 30 minutes will be enough because BBQ sauce is flavorful.
- Delicious: I love how it gets perfectly crisp on the outside with a juicy center.
- Great leftovers: Shred and make BBQ chicken salad, perfect for hot summer days.
Ingredients for Grilled BBQ Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 4 large chicken breasts around 2 pounds total. Chicken thighs will work too.
- BBQ sauce: I use Stubbs or make my own low calorie BBQ sauce when I have time. Healthy BBQ sauce and this Hawaiian BBQ sauce recipe are super easy to make and less expensive.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil enhances the flavor of the chicken marinade. Avocado oil works great too.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
Here’s a quick photo overview. Full recipe card is located below.
- Tenderize: Place chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly until they are even thickness. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
- Marinate the chicken: Add BBQ sauce, oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine then add chicken. Use tongs to coat and marinate at least 30 minutes.
- Grill: Preheat your grill on medium-high heat, 450F – 500F. Rub grill gates with oiled paper towel then add chicken. Brush each breast with BBQ sauce and grill for 5 minutes with lid closed.
- Finish the chicken: Open the lid, brush the same side with more BBQ sauce. Then flip and brush with sauce again. Close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until internal thermometer reads 165 F at the thickest part of the breast.
Let It Rest
Make sure to rest the meat. Place chicken on a large dish, cover with tinfoil and rest for 5-10 minutes. This allows juices to settle making juicy, tender grilled BBQ chicken.
Tips for Best Results
- Similar size chicken breasts are not important: We can flip them when we want to make sure each breast is cooked through. It’s also why we pound them to even out the thickness and cook through better.
- Feel free to use chicken thighs: If you love dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs also cook nicely on the grill.
- Regular paprika will work: The result will be a slightly sweeter taste instead of a rich smoky flavor.
- Use quality BBQ sauce for best flavor: You want a sauce that’s smooth with a rich flavor. Grab your favorite from the grocery store.
Serving Ideas
Whether you make a cold or hot side dish, there are many options that pair amazing with grilled BBQ chicken.
- Serve on a bun, or with healthy coleslaw for quick and easy dinner.
- With a green salad like spring mix salad or creamy cucumber tomato salad for a low carb meal.
- With a picnic style salad like Mediterranean pasta salad or cauliflower potato salad.
- With summer veggies like grilled zucchini or Instant Pot corn on the cob.
How to Store
Store: Keep leftover chicken in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freeze: I recommend freezing whole chicken breasts to retain maximum moisture, your leftovers will taste better too. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Before and during for best results. Marinating the chicken in barbecue sauce infuses each breast with flavor. Then brush in thin layers to prevent burning. You can drizzle any remaining BBQ sauce on after.
Yes. Flip your chicken halfway through cooking so it cooks evenly. This will also give you beautiful sear marks on each side and helps lock in the flavor.
When grilling, make sure your grill isn’t too hot, keep lid on, and don’t over cook your chicken. If your chicken breasts are really thick I recommend slicing them in half parallel to the cutting board before pounding.
Sure, just grill it a bit longer. The best way to check if your chicken is ready with an internal read thermometer inserted into the thickest part close to the bone but not touching it.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes to Try
- Grilled lemon rosemary chicken
- Chimichurri chicken
- Cilantro lime chicken
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Yogurt marinated chicken
- Crockpot BBQ pulled chicken
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 pounds
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, I used Stubb’s
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with a piece of plastic wrap and pound slightly with a meat mallet or rolling pin until even thickness.
- In a large bowl, add barbecue sauce, oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and whisk. Add chicken breasts, stir with tongs to coat and let marinate for 30 minutes to up to 24 hours.
- Preheat grill on medium-high (450-500 degrees F) and rub with oiled paper towel. Place chicken on the grill, brush with BBQ sauce, close the lid and grill for 5 minutes.
- Open the lid, brush with more BBQ sauce and flip. Brush with BBQ sauce again, close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until internal read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 165 F.
- Remove chicken from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- After slice and serve with your favorite more plain side like rice and broccoli or make BBQ chicken salad.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze whole chicken breasts to retain maximum moisture in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Reader’s Review