Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a delicious summertime favorite.
Break out the grill: it’s time to cook some BBQ Chicken! Moist, tender, and flavorful, Grilled BBQ Chicken is one of those iconic summer dishes that is on repeat in our house all year long (thanks to the grill pan!), but it’s especially fun to cook and eat in the summer. I love the way its distinctive smokey aroma fills our yard, making everyone’s mouth water. We always have plenty of wet-naps on the picnic table to wipe the sticky sauce off our mouths and hands, but not until we’ve all had seconds or even thirds. The whole messy and delicious ritual of eating Grilled BBQ Chicken is one of our favorite parts of summer!
There’s just something about grilling chicken that brings out its best traits; whether you have a little Weber or The Big Green Egg, whether you prefer charcoal or propane, grilling chicken breasts is going to give you those great grill lines, that deep charred taste, and a firm exterior housing the succulent meat inside. Mankind has been cooking with fire since time immemorial, but it was George Stephen, a welder at Weber Brothers Metal Works in Illinois, who invented the first modern BBQ grill in 1952. And then, in the 1960s, when there was a push for people to buy more natural gas, two guys from the Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company designed a new kind of grill that ran on propane. Since then, there have been lots of barbecue innovations but they all produce the same results: delicious grilled foods!
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner might well become your mantra once you see how easy this recipe is and how little time you have to spend making it. The seasoning mix gives the chicken a spicy goodness, and it takes just minutes—6-8 per side, to be exact—for those seasonings to create an amazing crust on the chicken breasts. In the last few minutes, you’ll brush the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce, and presto: a delectable Grilled BBQ Chicken that is a definite crowd-pleaser.
There are so many wonderful BBQ sauces available today. Some people love the tomato-based ones, while others prefer the ones that start with vinegar. And in the Carolinas and Georgia, the first ingredient in many BBQ sauces is mustard. Whether you like it sweet and tangy or hot and spicy, this recipe will not disappoint because the combination of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper is the perfect coating for under any sauce, including this Enchilada Sauce, which you can baste on your grilled chicken, too.
Tips for Great Grilling
First things first: keep your grill clean! Next, oil the grates before you light the grill to prevent the chicken from sticking. Now you’re ready to preheat your grill—we recommend 10-15 minutes with the lid closed so it’s nice and hot when you’re ready to throw the chicken on. If you keep the lid on/down during cooking, you’ll reduce the number of flames that might flare up; if this does happen, though, just move the chicken away until the flames die down and then return it to the direct heat. Turn the chicken only once for maximum grill marks! Remember not to put the sauce on until the last few minutes, or it could burn. Finally, let the Grilled BBQ Chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving so that the juices redistribute and your chicken will be moist and luscious!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
How to Make Grilled BBQ Chicken
Step 1: Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat, around 375°F to 400°F.
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Step 3: Rub each chicken breast with olive oil and then evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix over all sides of the chicken.
Step 4: Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side.
Step 5: Flip the chicken over and continue to grill for another 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 6: During the last few minutes of cooking, brush the BBQ sauce over the chicken, coating it well.
Step 7: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Cooked and cooled Grilled BBQ Chicken will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months (thaw frozen chicken overnight in the fridge before reheating).
Any tips for ensuring the chicken won't be dry?
This recipe for Grilled BBQ Chicken produces moist and tender results, but you can always brine your chicken breasts for about half an hour before grilling to ensure the meat won’t dry out.
Will this recipe work for grilling other foods?
It will, mostly because what you’re doing is seasoning the food, grilling it, and then basting it with sauce just before it’s done cooking. This particular recipe, with its seasoning mix and BBQ sauce, is particularly good for pork chops and tofu!
Serving Suggestions
As long as you’re firing up the grill, why not have a “Grill Fest” and serve this chicken with Grilled Green Beans, Grilled Asparagus, and Grilled Corn in the Husk? This is such a bright, festive summertime meal! If you want to add another side, especially if you’re having lots of people over for a backyard barbecue, make this Pesto Pasta Salad and a batch of pull-apart Garlic Rolls (and don’t forget dessert: Strawberry Cupcakes with Creamy Strawberry Buttercream are a huge hit in summer!).
I am so happy when I know I have leftover Grilled BBQ Chicken in the fridge: there are just so many things you can do with it. Of course, it is smoky and delicious in nearly any kind of salad, but I am partial to slicing it over Greek Salad, Kale Caesar, and Kansas Chopped Salad. Cold, sliced Grilled BBQ Chicken also makes the best sandwich: I make some Buttermilk Biscuits and then fill them with the chicken, a mound of Cole Slaw, and these amazing Pickled Red Onions (with some Bread and Butter Pickles and Zucchini Chips on the side!).
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat, around 375°F to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Rub each chicken breast with olive oil and then evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix over all sides of the chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side.
- Flip the chicken over and continue to grill for another 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- During the last few minutes of cooking, brush the BBQ sauce over the chicken, coating it well.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
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