BBQ Chicken

This BBQ Chicken is made with a simple seasoning, grilled to perfection and coated in sweet and savory bbq sauce! It’s tender and juicy every time!

See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

BBQ Chicken is a summer classic, but it’s a favorite of ours all year long!

When the weather warms up, we definitely take advantage of it and throw this barbecue chicken on the grill, but I’ve included some tips to make it in the oven down below, just in case!

If you’re looking to make dinner even easier, try my Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe here.

With the weather warming, everyone wants to have a classic, juicy bbq chicken recipe in their back pockets! This one is simple and foolproof.

Find even more grilled chicken recipes here.

Should I marinate my chicken breasts before grilling them?

You can, and we often do.

When we are marinating our chicken breasts, we use this Chicken Marinade Recipe — it’s perfectly sweet and savory and tangy and it’s always a hit!

For this BBQ Chicken recipe, I wanted simple, quick, and no-fuss. Perfect for last minute guests or quick dinners!

Instead of a marinade, we use a brine, which is quick to throw together (just salt and water) and only needs 30 minutes!

Can I skip the brine?

My best answer is yes, but why would you?!

Now that I’ve started brining my BBQ chicken I will never do it any other way. It takes 5 seconds to whisk together your water and salt, and 30-60 minutes until you can start cooking.

We have done brined and not brined chicken breasts side by side on the grill, and you can tell the difference!

Both were good, but brined were much juicier and had great flavor.

Can I make my own BBQ sauce?

Absolutely! Here are a few of our favorites:

• Homemade BBQ Sauce – 6 ingredients!
• Homemade Cherry BBQ Sauce
• Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
• Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce

How long do you cook chicken on the grill?

That depends.

The two biggest factors which will determine your cook time are the temperature of your grill and the thickness of your chicken breasts.

For more even cooking, I recommend pounding any very thick ends of your chicken breasts so that they are more uniform in size.

Generally, boneless chicken breasts cook quickly and will require about 5-7 minutes per side at high heat — about 425 degrees F.

How do I know if my BBQ Chicken is done?

The best way to know if your chicken breasts are cooked through is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.

You should remove your chicken breasts when the temperature has reached 160-165 degrees F. When the chicken rests, it will continue to cook slightly.

The longer you cook your chicken beyond this point, the drier it will be inside.

Can I use bone in chicken for this recipe?

Definitely! Bone in chicken is a great option for those who enjoy dark meat, and is often a less expensive option.

However, bone in chicken of all shapes and sizes requires a longer cook time, anywhere from 10-15 minutes per side for a total of 20-30 minutes.

Because of the longer cook time, you may want to reduce the grill temperature to 375-400 degrees F to ensure the outside doesn’t burn before the inside is cooked through.

How to make baked bbq chicken:

For a simple way to make this BBQ Chicken in the oven, see my Baked Chicken Breast recipe and simply brush liberally with barbecue sauce in the last few minutes of cook time.

What can I serve with this BBQ Chicken recipe?

We love serving BBQ chicken with a variety of cold, make-ahead salads, homemade Lemonade, and some grilled veggies! Here are a few of our favorite summer salads:

• Broccoli Salad
• Creamy Ranch Bowtie Pasta Salad
• Easy Potato Salad (or this Instant Pot Potato Salad if you have a pressure cooker!)
• Creamy Fruit Salad – for a side or dessert!