Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast

Kick off the grilling season with this delicious Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast recipe. Made with a quick barbecue chicken marinade, you’ll have juicy chicken breasts in no time. Perfect for enjoying on their own or a part of a salad or burger!

This is going to be the only grilled barbecue chicken recipe you’ll need from now on because it’s the best grilled chicken recipe ever! You won’t believe how easy it is to make this BBQ chicken breast recipe and how flavorful it is. It’s juicy, smoky, sweet, and finger-licking good! Of course, everyone will be asking for more.

top down shot of the bbq chicken breast on a plate with garnishes

If you want more summer staple recipes, you’ll have to try my Chicken Avocado Salad and my Baked Cilantro Lemon Chicken. I love easy recipes in the summer, and these are some of my go-to’s.

Why You’ll Love This Grilled BBQ Chicken

It’s versatile! Grill these chicken breasts up and eat them on their own, slice it up for a salad, put it between some burger buns whole or shredded, and more! Make this all summer long and never get sick of it.
It’s easy to make. You marinate the chicken and then grill it. Easy as pie!
It is a flavor bomb. Trust me, after marinating the chicken breasts, we brush them with BBQ sauce, so there are layers of flavors to this.

What You’ll Need

Chicken breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this grilled BBQ chicken breasts recipe. 2 pounds is approximately four breasts.
BBQ sauce: you can use homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce.
Marinade: to make the marinade, I use BBQ rub, onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, olive oil, sriracha, and salt.
Serving: for serving, I top the chicken with cilantro and lime juice.

top down shot of the bbq chicken ingredients

How To Make Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts

Flatten the chicken: Pound the chicken with a meat mallet to even out its thickness and make it less thick.

top down shot of bbq chicken breast before mixing into the marinade

Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients (except for the BBQ sauce). Then. add in the chicken and coat well with the marinade. Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

top down shot of marinated bbq chicken breast before cooking

Prepare the grill: Preheat the grill to medium heat. Spray the grill rack with some oil spray.
Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken until fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes on each side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Brush on the BBQ sauce: Brush the chicken breast with bbq sauce during the last couple of minutes of cooking.
Rest and serve: Transfer to a plate and cover with foil wrap to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Tips and Notes

Be careful to not cross contaminated with the BBQ sauce. If you are brushing the chicken with BBQ sauce, I would not recommend reusing the BBQ sauce for serving.
I enjoy serving my grilled chicken with BBQ sauce with my Best Grilled Vegetables.
You can marinate chicken up to 2 days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container.
You can grill the chicken in the oven, indoor grill, or outdoor grill. For the best flavor, I recommend grilling outdoor for the char flavor.
I recommend pounding the chicken breasts so that they aren’t super thick. If your breasts are too thick, the outer section will dry out before the middle is cooked through.
Want to make this spicier? Add some cayenne pepper to the chicken marinade.

FAQs

What’s in a BBQ dry rub?

I use the McCormick BBQ dry rub, which includes brown sugar, salt, chili pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, celery seed, garlic, onion, sugar, tomato, and more. You can make your own by I prefer to use the blend mix for convenience.

How do I know when the chicken is ready?

Cook the chicken until the internal temperature is 165°F. I recommend using an instant read thermometer.

Why do I have to rest the chicken?

It’s important for you to rest the chicken before serving. It gives time for the juices inside of the chicken to redistribute throughout so it is moist and juicy when you cut into it. If it’s not rested and you cut into it, the juices will run right out onto the cutting board.

Can I use a different cut of chicken?

Yes! This recipe is very versatile. You can swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, wings, and leg quarters. You can also use bone-in, skin-on cuts of chicken as well. Just pop them onto the grill! For anything that’s not chicken breasts, I start checking for doneness with my thermometer at the 15 minute mark.

How do I store leftovers?

If there are any leftovers, you can store this grilled bbq chicken in an airtight container, in the fridge. They’ll last 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, stovetop, oven, or grill.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!

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