Grilled BBQ Chicken

Best Barbecue Chicken Recipe

This BBQ chicken recipe makes it easy to cook chicken on the grill! It’s all about the technique and it couldn’t be easier to get perfectly grilled chicken every time.

We start with high heat to sear the outside crisping up the seasoned skin, then we baste it with sweet, tangy, and smokey sauce and allow those sugars to caramelize. Then we place the chicken on indirect heat so the inside cooks until perfectly juicy.

There is so much flavor from the BBQ sauce and it’s completely customizable to use whichever kind you want, even if it’s not my tasty homemade BBQ sauce!

It pairs well with all the best pasta salad recipes, grilled vegetables, and potato salad making it a complete feast for all your summer gatherings! Add it to your rotation along with these grilled pork chops for BBQs, cookouts, and nights you don’t want to heat your kitchen.

Why This Recipe Works

• Simple ingredients. With a simple dry rub that penetrates the meat to the finger-licking BBQ sauce that coats it all, these flavors are created with just a few simple pantry staples.
• Quick and easy. Just 5 minutes of prep time is all it takes and then the grill does the rest.
• Tender and juicy. If you’re looking for the juiciest bbq chicken on the grill, this is it.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Chicken: For this recipe, I like using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Depending on what I’ve got, it’s either legs, thighs, wings, or breasts. If you’re using a combination of pieces, make sure to grill similar pieces at the same time to cook evenly.
• Olive oil: The oil coats the meat to help keep it moist and to allow the seasonings to stick and evenly distribute around the entire piece of chicken.
• Seasoning: Smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. The smoked paprika is optional, as salt and pepper are enough to give the chicken flavor. It’s the BBQ sauce that shines in this recipe!
• BBQ sauce: Use whatever your favorite BBQ sauce is. Make sure to have enough to slather it on and keep some extra for dipping! If you’re down to a quarter of a jar, go grab some more!

• Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and add the pieces to a large bowl. Coat the olive oil and seasoning and toss the chicken until completely coated. If you prefer to use your hands to rub, go for it.
• Sear the chicken skin. Place pieces of chicken, skin side down, over direct heat (where the flame is) of a preheated grill. Grill uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the skin is well seared. Flip them over and place them back on the grill over indirect heat (the cooler side of the grill). Reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Cover and grill for 20-30 minutes.
• Baste the chicken. Flip the chicken over and baste with the BBQ sauce. Cover and grill for another 15-20 minutes.
• Finish cooking. Flip the chicken over once more and baste the other side. Cover and cook for the last 10-30 minutes. For the last couple of minutes, move the pieces, skin side down to the hot side of the grill to get that last delicious sear and charred grill marks.

Before serving, coat the grilled BBQ chicken with one more brush of BBQ sauce!

Expert Tips

• Start with a clean grill. If it wasn’t done at the end of the last grill, make sure to scrape the grill once it gets hot. Scrape off any residual char from previous cooks so those flavors don’t transfer over.
• To avoid dry chicken. Take the chicken off the grill once it reaches 160℉. It will continue to cook as it rests.
• Skin-on. I recommend keeping the skin on for bbq chicken on the grill. Seasoned crispy skin is amazing and adds tons of flavor. Plus it helps keep the meat underneath nice and moist.
• Follow instructions. As basic as this sounds, it’s important to follow instructions as written. Cover when needed, move the pieces when needed, and baste when necessary. There is a method to getting perfectly juicy grilled BBQ chicken!

BBQ Chicken Serving Suggestions

Grilled bbq chicken thighs are a simple main that goes with all kinds of classic sides. We love pairing it with potatoes whether it’s garlic mashed red potatoes or cheesy scalloped potatoes.

Having it with macaroni and cheese is also a staple dish, especially when paired with corn on the cob and baked beans.

As for veggies you can’t go wrong with grilled veggies (toss them in a grill pan and cook them at the same time), roasted Parmesan broccoli, or easy green beans.

Storing

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, avoid drying out the meat, so low and slow is the way to go. Cover with foil and pop them in the oven to reheat. You can even baste them a bit more if you’d like.